Disney

Brenda Song calls her 'Suite Life' co-star Phill Lewis "my second father"

By Sophia Soto | Last updated May 18, 2025 1:09 PM ET

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Brenda Song recalls a recent reunion between her and Phill Lewis' daughter, Annie. The two actors starred together on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, The Suite Life on Deck, and 2011's The Suite Life Movie.

"I ran into Phill Lewis' daughter, who I've known since she was 3 years old, and she's like a full-grown woman, and it made me so emotional. And she's like, 'Mama Brenda,'" the actress shared. "Annie was like, 'You would come babysit.' Because I remember Phill, who played Mr. Moseby, and his wife Megan, I would go and babysit the kids because I was like, 'They need a night off because parents need nights off.' And I loved being with them."

She said the reunion was "this weird kind of full-circle moment," adding, "I was like, we are really a family. We still see each other. I love them to death. They are truly my second family. He is my second father."

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The Suite Life of Zack & Cody aired from 2005 to 2008 on Disney Channel. Song played London Tipton. The rest of the cast included Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Ashley Tisdale, Kim Rhodes, Adrian R'Mante, Brian Stepanek, and Estelle Harris.

The Sprouse twins, Song, and Lewis all reprised their roles alongside Debby Ryan in The Suite Life on Deck, which ran from 2008 to 2011.

While speaking with BuzzFeed, she expressed, "I just felt so lucky that I got to literally play my dream character at 15 years old, and I got to grow with her, and I got to be in a place where I got to grow up in a safe environment on a show that I really loved. I had a lot of fun and grew up with people that are like my second family. I had such a beautiful time on Suite Life. I mean, it was hard, and, like, as with everything, there are ups and downs, but that show is so special. I mean, I obviously wouldn't be here without that show or without London Tipton, so I look back with nothing but happy nostalgia and smiles."

Song can most recently be seen in The Last Showgirl and Netflix's Running Point, which has already been renewed for a second season.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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