23 stars who made Disney Channel more than a cable network

Having appeared in Summerland and an episode of MTV’s Room Raiders, Zac Efron was around in the mid-'00s, but he had yet to find that role that took him from the obscurity of a teen magazine to the cover. Then in 2006, Efron booked the lead in High School Musical, a Kenny Ortega production that spawned two sequels, one of which went to theaters. For a couple of years, Efron’s face may as well have replaced the famous Disney mouse with how much he was being pushed as the golden boy of the channel.

While many actors built themselves and Disney Channel up at the same time, Raven-Symoné was a star before she landed That’s So Raven. One didn’t have to have her character’s psychic powers to know Raven-Symoné could successfully lead a show, though. A child prodigy of the arts, she got her start on The Cosby Show, had a little music career, and then got her own Disney Channel series in 2003.

The Disney Channel is known for being a place of animation, great tween series, and original movies that fans can be a bit rabid about. Well, it’s millennials who are a bit much when it comes to particular Disney Channel Original Movies (otherwise known as DCOMs), and one that they are insane about is Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, starring none other than Kirsten Storms. She played the titular role in three made-for-TV movies and helped solidify DCOMs as powerhouses in entertainment for those no older than 14 years old.

Shia LaBeouf couldn’t even drive himself to set when he got the role of Louis Stevens on Even Stevens in 2000. Louis was the typical little brother often portrayed on these shows: a mischievous pain in the backside who could be sweet when necessary. Even Stevens was part of the first wave of shows at the turn of the century, which helped the network shift gears toward an older audience. It also pushed Shia LaBeouf into the spotlight. After the series wrapped in 2003, LaBeouf went on to have quite the run on the big screen in blockbusters like Transformers and more indie flicks such as The Peanut Butter Falcon.

2006 was a huge year for Disney Channel. It had a massive hit with High School Musical, and a couple of months later, it debuted the music-centric series, Hannah Montana. Miley Cyrus played the pop star leading a double life, and people ate it up, leaving no crumbs. The show raked in millions for Disney because it wasn’t just the show itself, but Miley Cyrus’ music, merchandise, and even a theatrical release. If there were one word to describe Hannah Montana, it’d be lucrative.

Kyla Pratt didn’t even have to show her face to be among Disney Channel’s best. As Penny Proud, she led The Proud Family. The series was the first to air exclusively on the network and helped diversify the channel in 2001. While the show only lasted two seasons, it did spawn a TV movie and a reboot in 2022. Its impact can also be seen all these years later in references, most notably Beyoncé and her family’s Halloween costumes in which they were the Prouds. That makes all the sense as Beyoncé’s sister, Solange Knowles, sang the show’s theme song.

Dylan and Cole Sprouse were a packaged deal when they were pint-sized on the set of Friends and Big Daddy. However, for those, they shared one role as twins. It wasn’t until 2005’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody that the brothers shared screen time together. That show was huge for the channel, making household names (among young viewers) of all its stars. It even had major crossover episodes with other hit series, and got a sequel series in 2008, The Suite Life on Deck, that ran for an additional three seasons.

With the success of Hannah Montana, Disney Channel knew they had to keep cranking out the tween queens, and with that came Sonny with a Chance. Demi Lovato’s show might not have ever reached the massive appeal of those that came before it, but it was on during the height of celebrity gossip via Perez Hilton's site and TMZ. So it was more of Lovato’s personal life that made people take note of her name, and the network at the time.

It’s hard to imagine the Disney Channel turning into what it did in the 2000s without Lizzie McGuire. It wasn’t as flashy as what followed, but the heart of it made it so relevant to viewers that it still holds many fans’ hearts in its hands. Fans also still adore Lizzie herself, Hilary Duff. Duff’s character wasn’t the coolest girl in the world, was an outfit repeater, and could be awkward around crushes, but that only added to her appeal and really is what continues to make the show feel evergreen over two decades later.

Kyle Massey was the little brother on That’s So Raven, and his star power was so bright that when the show ended, Disney decided to keep his character around with a spin-off, Cory in the House. He also starred in the DCOM, Life Is Ruff, and the animated Disney series, Fish Hooks. So for a time, Massey was someone the network depended on for success.

Ashley Tisdale is truly a Disney Channel icon. She was the semi-villain (but kind of the best part) of High School Musical, brought the comedy in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and even voiced the easily-annoyed big sister on Phineas and Ferb. A triple threat of Disney? Yes, most definitely.

Disney Channel had hit its stride by the 2010s, with its series still making waves with viewers but not being as widely known to the rest of the world as Hannah Montana. That’s when Bridgit Mendler’s Good Luck Charlie premiered, and for four seasons, fans were engulfed in the lives of the Duncan family. However, it’s actually Bridgit Mendler’s success post-Disney that really makes people do a double-take of her time on the channel, as she left Hollywood behind for academia. Today, Mendler is the co-founder of a startup satellite data company worth millions.

While his name might not ring any bells for those not in their 30s, back in the day, Ryan Merriman was the king of Disney Channel crushes, thanks to not one but two major DCOMs: Smart House and Luck of the Irish. Starring in two DCOMs that had staying power gave Merriman a pass on the Disney Channel Star Express forever.

Today, Zendaya is one of the most recognizable stars on the planet, but it all started with her time starring in two Disney Channel series: Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover. Both shows helped the actress do other things, like music and reality TV. She placed second on Dancing with the Stars when she was 16. Of course, after her time with Disney, she went on to do other things that some might be familiar with: Co-starring alongside her real-life beau in the Spider-Man movies.  

While Dove Cameron did have a lead role in Liv and Maddie for four seasons, it wasn’t until she landed in the world of The Descendants as the daughter of Maleficent, Mal, that she really helped Disney. The Descendants follows the children of some of Disney's most notorious villains as teenagers. Being Disney, there are a lot of musical numbers and fantasy with Cameron at the helm.

It has been a minute since the world has seen Mitchel Musso on screen, but there was a time when he was everywhere on the Disney Channel thanks to his role on Hannah Montana as one of her BFFs, his DCOM Hatching Pete, his participation in the Disney Channel Games, and his voiceover work on the wildly popular Phineas and Ferb.

High School Musical isn’t the only Disney Channel Original Movie to garner a successful franchise. Before the singing teenage drama came about, Disney fans were given the gift that gives every October, Halloweentown. The series had four movies in total with Kimberly J. Brown in the lead witch role for three of them. Brown also starred in another memorable DCOM, Quints. However, it’s her time spent in the town of Halloween that made the biggest impression, as the movie continues to be a fan-favorite for nostalgic reasons every year.

Brenda Song started to have a bit of a renaissance in 2024 with fans seeing her face more than they had before, and trust - her face was once everywhere on Disney Channel. She was in multiple DCOMs, starred in hit series like The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and even appeared in her Suite Life character elsewhere, appearing in other Disney series. Song is forever that girl when it comes to Disney Channel.

The Jonas Brothers didn’t necessarily need any help when they became Tiger Beat favorites, but Disney wasn’t going to let those talents go elsewhere. The trio got their own series, Jonas L.A., in 2009, and it ran for two seasons. The brothers also were in two DCOMs, Camp Rock and its sequel. All of that while being one of the most popular bands in the world.

Before she was all about that “Espresso,” Grammy winner Sabrina Carpenter was helping drive the popularity of the Disney Channel reboot of Boy Meets World. Girl Meets World followed the former series’ premier couple, Corey and Topanga, and their daughter’s highs and lows of adolescence. Sabrina Carpenter was a standout as the daughter’s bestie. It was a big moment for the network with new and old fans tuning in for three seasons.

Christy Carlson Romano played one of the top-tier feminist millennial icons on Even Stevens, Ren Stevens. Romano helped solidify the Disney Channel as a network that parents could trust because her character was someone their own kids could look up to. Since her time on Disney Channel, Romano has leaned on her time with the network, doing podcasts and conventions.

Sadly, the world will never know Cameron Boyce's full potential as he passed away in 2019, but before that, he was one of Disney Channel’s most recognizable new faces. He starred in the series Jessie and was part of the initial Descendants cast.

If there was one show that could rival Hannah Montana back in the day, it was Wizards of Waverly Place. Selena Gomez was, and still is, a star. She led Wizards for four seasons and two movies and then helped bring the series back to Disney+ in 2024, in which she appeared in two episodes and executive produced.