Lindsay Lohan, Selena Gomez and More Disney Stars Through the Years

Lindsay Lohan, Selena Gomez and more prominent personalities received their start on the Disney Channel back in the day — and they’ll never forget their origins.

Gomez appeared on Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012, and though the kids’ network helped her establish her career, she hasn’t been hesitant to speak out about the darker aspects of life as a child celebrity.

“When I was younger, it was all fun to me,” Gomez told Business of Fashion magazine in September 2017. “But when I got older, I started to become exposed to the truth behind some stuff and that’s when it flipped a little bit. I recognized that, ‘Oh this is actually really challenging, and kind of slimy in certain areas,’ and I didn’t realize that certain individuals desired certain things from me.”

As she matured into herself, Gomez acknowledged that she began to feel “violated” by remarks about her changing appearance and noticed that the focus on her became less and less “about [her] art.” Even after departing the Disney Channel, she began to doubt whether or not she really wanted to be in the spotlight.

“‘Do I really love this? Is this worth it anymore?'” she said. “I would look at my crowd on tour and think, ‘Yes, this is worth it, right?’ But then I would look at myself in the mirror and I just felt like, ‘I’ve had enough, I don’t know if I can go on anymore.’ And I halted it for a second. But it didn’t mean that I didn’t appreciate it, I just had to discover what I was going to do with it. As long as I’m healthy and joyful in my psyche, I’m all about it.”

Lindsay Lohan

The actress made her start by portraying twins in 1998’s The Parent Trap. She subsequently starred in more Disney films, including Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Herbie: Fully Loaded. The New York native struggled in the spotlight for a number of years, but made a return to the entertainment world with the British series Sick Note (2018), the MTV reality show Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club (2019) and as a judge on The Masked Singer Australia (2019).

Us confirmed in July 2022 that Lohan married Bader Shammas. The couple declared in March 2023 that they were expecting their first child. Their newborn son, Luai, arrived in July 2023.

Raven-Symone

For four seasons, the actress portrayed an adolescent psychic on Disney Channel's That's So Raven. The series helped spawn the network's first spinoff, Cory in the House, which starred Kyle Massey. After departing the Disney Channel, the Georgia native was a cohost of ABC's The View from 2015 to 2016. She ultimately parted from the daytime talk program to begin production of a spin-off based on her former Disney series, Raven's Home.

Raven-Symoné sealed the knot with Miranda Maday in a surprise ceremony in June 2020.

Hilary Duff

The actress portrayed the titular character in Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire from 2001-2004. In 2003, she starred in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, which debuted at No. 2 behind X2: X-Men United. She later co-authored a trilogy of novels, commencing with Elixir (2010) and followed by sequels Devoted (2011) and True (2013). She starred on Younger from 2015 to 2021 before earning the role of Sophie on How I Met Your Father in 2022.

The Texas native was married to hockey player Mike Comrie from 2010 to 2016. The exes share son Luca, who was born in March 2012. Duff married musician Matthew Koma in 2019.  The couple share three daughters: Banks, Mae and Townes, born in October 2018, March 2021 and May 2024, respectively. 

Shia LaBeouf

Long before he was cast in Transformers, LaBeouf portrayed Christy Carlson Romano's manipulative little brother, Louis, on Even Stevens. The program endured three seasons and spawned 2003's Even Stevens Movie. Since departing from the Disney Channel, the California native appeared in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), Fury (2014) and The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019). He made his screenwriting debut with the semi-autobiographical Honey Boy (2019), which drew inspiration from LaBeouf's own experience with PTSD and his troubled relationship with his father.

The True Love actor married Mia Goth in 2016 but the couple separated two years later. The duo ignited reconciliation rumors in 2020 when they were seen donning wedding rings. LaBeouf, however, dated other individuals in the years that followed. In April 2022, reports emerged that the BAFTA Award winner welcomed his first child with Goth.

Zac Efron

While Efron made an impact as Cameron Bale on Summerland in 2004, it wasn’t until he was cast as Troy Bolton in High School Musical that he rose to superstardom. The actor reprised the role in two more HSM films before becoming a box office success for starring roles in 17 Again (2009), Charlie St. Cloud (2010), Neighbors (2014), Baywatch (2017), The Greatest Showman (2017) and The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022). The California native has also worked behind the camera as an executive producer on Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and his TV series Down to Earth With Zac Efron, in which he both starred.

Efron famously dated his HSM love interest Vanessa Hudgens from 2005 to 2010. He then had romances with Lily Collins and Halston Sage before dated Vanessa Valladares from 2020 to 2021.

Vanessa Hudgens

Hudgens made an impact on Disney Channel in 2006 when she portrayed Troy Bolton’s love interest, Gabriella Montez, in the DCOM High School Musical. That same year, she had a recurring role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The California native subsequently portrayed Gabriella in High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. She moved on to star in Beastly (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), Grease Live! (2016), Second Act (2018) and Netflix’s The Princess Switch franchise (2018-2021). In addition to film roles, Hudgens has had a successful stage career with appearances in 2015’s Gigi and 2018’s In the Heights.

Hudgens dated Zac Efron from 2005 to 2010. The following year, Hudgens started seeing Austin Butler. The couple called it quits in December 2019 after eight years together. The former child celebrity announced her engagement to MLB player Cole Tucker in February 2023.

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Jonas Brothers

Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas starred in the 2008 Disney Channel film Camp Rock. They later filmed a sequel and even starred on their own short-lived Disney Channel series, Jonas L.A. The pop-rock trio disbanded in 2013, but reappeared seven years later with their fifth studio album, Happiness Begins.

In 2009, Kevin sealed the knot with longtime love Danielle Jonas (née Deleasa), with whom he shares two daughters. Nick exchanged vows with Priyanka Chopra Jonas nine years later and Joe wed Sophie Turner in two ceremonies in the summer of 2019.

In February 2020, Us confirmed Joe and the Game of Thrones alum were expecting their first child together. The couple welcomed daughter Willa in July 2020. Us confirmed that Joe and the Barely Lethal actress expanded their household with a second daughter two years later. Nick, for his part, welcomed his first child with Chopra Jonas, daughter Malti, via surrogate in January 2022.

Miley Cyrus

On Hannah Montana, Cyrus portrayed a Tennessee immigrant leading a double existence as a high school student by day, and an international music sensation by night. The series endured four seasons and even made it to the big screen with 2009's Hannah Montana: The Movie. She later starred in 2010's The Last Song, where she met longstanding beau Liam Hemsworth.

The couple clasped the knot in December 2018 after several years of dating on and off, but ended their marriage just eight months later. Their divorce was made final in January 2020. Following her Disney days, Cyrus transferred her focus to music, publishing eight albums from 2007 to 2023.

Dylan and Cole Sprouse

The duo portrayed troublemaking twins who reside in the Tipton Hotel on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. After three seasons, Disney Channel rebranded the series to follow the siblings aboard the S.S. Tipton on The Suite Life on Deck. The twins both pursued college degrees at New York University after departing the Disney show and eventually returned to acting, Cole in the CW's Riverdale and Dylan in the 2020 rom-com After We Collided.

Cole dated his Riverdale costar Lili Reinhart on and off for three years before their divorce in March 2020. He began courting Ari Fournier in early 2021. Dylan, for his part, ignited a romance with model Barbara Palvin in June 2018. The couple declared in June 2023 that Dylan had proposed in September 2022. In July 2023, Dylan wed Palvin in Hungary.