Here’s What These Disney Channel Heartthrobs Look Like Now And What They’re Up To

From adorable to hubba-hubba, here’s how’s your Disney crushes are doing now

Chelsi

• Published in Film & TV
• April 4, 2022

Disney Channel has always produced generations of young actors and actresses that go on beyond the company to be recognized in mainstream media. A lot of people would have fond memories of watching those stars whenever they chill out and watched TV when they were younger.

There had been numerous A-list stars who have had their start being in Disney movies and shows. Some of them may have just had a short stint acting in those shows but others are branded as actual Disney royalty.

But now your former crushes are now stunning bombshells and hunks. And you can’t help but remember when they were just that kid you had a crush on when you were younger.

Some of these actors on their list have continued to be active in the limelight and possibly remained your crush from then until now. Others however have tried to get into different roles like directing and writing.

There are a few who withdrew from the entertainment industry altogether to focus on their families and find their passions in another way. It still doesn’t beat the fact that they are Disney’s hunks.

In this list, we’re going through different loved DCOM shows and films to see who these actors are and what they’ve been up to. We’re starting off with Ryan Merriman.

1. Ryan Merriman is the first on the list. Known to star in the shows Smart House and The Luck of the Irish, Ryan’s acting career has been fruitful. This hunk has a few horror movie roles up his sleeves.

2. Who could forget Princess Mia’s high school crush? Erik von Detten not only had that special role in The Princess Diaries and Brink, but also some known voice roles in Recess, Toy Story, and Tarzan.

3. Brink had another hunk, Sam Horrigan. Sam had appeared in a line-up of impressive shows including CSI, True Blood, One Tree Hill, and Modern Family.

4. Philip Rhys, better known in the Disney world as Superstar Proto Zoa, is still as charismatic as ever. Although there haven’t been many sightings of this hunk being on stage, his appearance in TV shows is enough for his talent to shine through.

5. Gregory Smith is not only a hunk but a talented director as well. He continued his acting career post-Zenon but found his calling directing shows such as Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. He’s one of the guys on this who are also already married.

6. Brandon Baker from Johnny Tsunami ultimately stepped out of the limelight after starring in The Formula. He now has a different career but would still be known for his great roles.

7. Riley Smith has also been notorious to steal hearts everywhere. With a steady stream of acting jobs, he has proved that he’s more than just a pretty face.

8. From the Disney movie The Thirteenth Year, Chez Starbuck is next on the list. And although life in front of the limelight hasn’t been as eventful, he worked on his craft of building custom products.

9. Taylor Ball from Eddie’s Million-Dollar Cookoff had kept a low profile both in the industry and on social media platforms. Still, he deserves a spot on the list of Disney hunks.

10. Like Taylor Ball, Chris Olivero from Double Teamed hasn’t had much on his acting plate. He did however play Declan on Kyle Xy and participated in Now You See It.

11. The Mickey Mouse Club had a lot of famous alumni including Justin Timberlake. He grew up to be common knowledge whether you follow the entertainment industry closely or not. Justin is married to actress Jessica Biel who’s also a household name.

12. Robert Ri’chard from Alley Cats Strike has had an active acting career. He appeared in shows such as Empire, The Vampire Diaries, and Veronica Mars.

13. This hunk is also a proud dog owner. Kyle Schmid from Alley Cats Strike has starred in a Netflix show as well Lost Girl and Being Human.

14. If Zenon had Superstar Protozoa, Stuck in the Stuck in the Suburbs had Jordan Cahill. Played by Taran Killam, the Disney hunk continued his career as an SNL cast member for quite a while.

15. Lizzie McGuire was part of the Disney generation of unforgettable shows. Clayton Snyder played Lizzie’s crush during that time and although he’s moved on to other things besides acting, he was set to play his old role again in the Lizzie McGuire revival.

16. Another Lizzie McGuire cast member is her trustworthy best friend, Gordo. There weren’t many acting gigs that he participated in after being in the show but he now works in NYC’s Irish Arts Center in NYC.

17. Zac Efron is Disney Channel royalty after starring in the global phenomenon High School Musical. This hunk has continued on to star in movies with diverse roles such as The Greatest Showman, 17 Again, and Baywatch.

18. David Henrie from Wizards of Waverly Place has played the smart older brother to mischief Alex. He was juggling two roles at that time as the son on How I Met Your Mother but in 2016, he tried his hand at directing and co-writing for This Is The Year.

19. Lucas Till appears as the love interest of Miley in Hannah Montana: The Movie but he also appeared in another singer’s music video. He played the boy next door in Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me. Other than that his acting resume is no joke as he stars in famous series and movies too.

20. Last but certainly not least are Cole and Dylan Sprouse from one of the most known Disney series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. They both went to pause their career to go to college and although they are now in the industry again, they are still trying out their hand in different businesses.

All of these hunks were promising. The way that they were rightfully remembered as part of what made Disney Channels’ shows and movies great was telling enough.

A number of them had remained in the entertainment industry and tried to work their acting magic but some found their true calling in other aspects of life. It does not take away from their Disney hunk title either way.

Chelsi