20 Years Of Disney Superstars

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June 7, 2022 6:33PM EDT

There have been many memorable Disney stars over the years. See pics of some of them here.

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20 Years Of Disney Stars

20 Years Of Disney Stars — For 20 years, Disney has been churning out some of its young audience’s favorite shows and most recognizable stars! Although Disney is ushering in a new era with fresh faces, shows, and more, we cannot help but admire how so many of the stars have gone on to have flourishing careers. Some stars have even maintained their close relationship to Disney, reappearing in various specials and series to pay homage to where it all started!

The 2000s gave so many millennial audiences the first glimpse of stars we know and admire today. From major celebs like Hilary Duff and Raven-Symone, to stars who have appeared in Oscar-nominated films like Brenda Song and Laura Marano! Even stars like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez have gone on to wildly popular singing careers.

Of course, these starlets have matured so much, too. Some stars, like Christy Carlson Romano, have even gone on to start their own family, paving the way for the next generation of Disney fans! To see some of your favorite stars over the last 20 years of Disney, check out the rest of the gallery!

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Christy Carlson Romano

Christy Carlson Romano — Christy Carlson Romano was a major Disney star in the 2000s. She first starred on the series ‘Even Stevens’ in 2000, and lent her voice to the animated series ‘Kim Possible’ as the titular character. She starred alongside her ‘Even Stevens’ cast members in the ‘Even Stevens Movie’ in 2003, and also appeared in the 2002 TV movie ‘Cadet Kelly’ with Hilary Duff!

Since her time with Disney, the actress and singer has gone on to appear as Belle in Broadway’s ‘Beauty & the Beast,’ as Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut in Broadway’s ‘Avenue Q,’ and married her husband in 2013. She now has two children of her own.

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Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff — Hilary Duff burst onto the scene in 2001 as the titular character on ‘Lizzie McGuire.’ The series led to her big screen appearance as the character in the film, and kicked off her singing career.

After Disney, the star went on to appear in films like ‘Raise Your Voice,’ ‘The Perfect Man,’ ‘Material Girls,’ and more. She’s also maintained her singing career, having a resurgence with the debut of her 2015 single ‘Sparks.’ From 2015-2019, she starred on the series ‘Younger.’ In 2020, she nearly reprised her role of Lizzie with a mature follow-up to the series that was eventually shelved by Disney+. The actress and singer is now a mother-of-two and married.

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Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan — Lindsay Lohan was a Disney golden girl for years after appearing in 2002’s ‘Get A Clue,’ following her big break in ‘The Parent Trap.’ She went on to appear in movies like ‘Freaky Friday’ and ‘Herbie Fully Loaded,’ while also maintaining an impressive singing career.

Lindsay flexed her dramatic and comedic chops in 2004’s ‘Mean Girls,’ which quickly became a modern day classic among millennial audiences. After a very public battle with substance abuse, Lindsay tried to take stock of her life, but did so under the scrutiny of cameras. Now, the star seems to making a comeback, releasing her first single in years, ‘Back To Me.’

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Raven-Symone

Raven-Symone — In 2003, audiences were introduced to psychic Raven Baxter on the Disney Channel series ‘That’s So Raven.’ Along with her role as Raven Baxter, Raven-Symone also appeared in the first two ‘Cheetah Girls’ movies. While acting, Raven also balanced a successful singing career.

After Disney, Raven appeared as a co-host on ‘The View’ for a stint before returning to the House of Mouse for the series ‘Raven’s Home.’

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Aly Michalka

Aly Michalka — Aly Michalka rose to fame on the Disney Channel series ‘Phil of the Future,’ which ran from 2004-2006. During her time with Disney, she also appeared in the original TV movies ‘Cow Belles’ and ‘Now You See It.’

She and her sister, Aj, have gone on to continue their singing careers, releasing albums and singles for well over a decade. As for acting, she appeared alongside Emma Stone in ‘Easy A’ and had a recurring role on the series ‘iZombie’ from 2015-2019.

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Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Tisdale — Ashley Tisdale got her big break in 2005 with the series ‘The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’ playing Maddie Fitzpatrick. One year after making her debut on the show, she went on to stary as Sharpay Evans in the worldwide phenomenon ‘High School Musical,’ appearing in all three films.

Ashley has since continued to pursue her singing career, while also appearing in a number of films and TV shows. But her bond with Disney remains incredibly close!

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Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus — The world came to know Miley Cyrus after her star-making role as Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel series in 2006. After four seasons and a movie, Miley let the world know that she ‘Can’t Be Tamed,’ by entering a new chapter of her career.

She appeared in the film ‘The Last Song,’ where she met her future husband Liam Hemsworth. Although Miley had a bit of a rebellious phase, she has since put her focus on her music, and after her January 2020 divorce started dating singer Cody Simpson.

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Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez — Selena Gomez brought the magic as Alex Russo on ‘Wizards of Wavelry Place.’ She starred in the series from its 2007-2012 run and two TV movies. Although Selena has dabbled in acting since her time on series — in films like ‘Spring Breakers’ and ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ — she’s put her focus on her music.

Citing inspiration from her personal life, and her high-profile relationhsip with Justin Bieber, her album ‘Rare’ showed a completely vulnerable side of the former Disney star.

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Brenda Song

Brenda Song — Brenda Song was widely known as London Tipton on ‘The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’ from 2005 until the series’ end in 2008. Two years later, she went on to star in the Oscar-nominated film ‘The Social Network’ and has since starred in movies and shows like ‘New Girl,’ ‘Dollface,’ and ‘Scandal.’ Between 2018-2020 she has starred on ‘Station 19’ as JJ.

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Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato — After her debut in 2008’s ‘Camp Rock,’ Demi Lovato led the series ‘Sonny With A Chance’ from 2009-2011. Demi was a major star with an incredible voice on the Disney Channel, showing off her talent on the series and in the ‘Camp Rock’ sequel.

Since then, she’s been incredibly open about her struggle with substance abuse, and has turned to music as a way to focus her talent and energy.

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Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne — From 2010-2013, Bella Thorne was known as CeCe Jones on the series ‘Shake It Up.’ Working frequently with Zendaya, the pair skyrocketed to fame from the series.

After her time with Disney, the actress and singer began pursuing more mature projects, appearing in films like ‘The Duff,’ ‘Assassination Nation,’ and ‘Midnight Sun.’ She also stars in the forthcoming film ‘Infamous.’

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Laura Marano

Laura Marano — Laura Marano became a sensation when she appeared on ‘Ausin & Ally’ in 2011. The series lasted until 2016, but Laura has seriously managed to build an impressive filmography since.

Following her time with Disney, she appeared in the 2017 Oscar-nominated film ‘Lady Bird’ while continuing her singing career. She also appeared alongside Noah Centineo in the Netflix film ‘The Perfect Date’ in 2019.

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Debby Ryan

Debby Ryan — In 2012, Debby Ryan became known as the ‘Radio Rebel’ in the TV movie. She went on to appear in a number of Disney-related series, including ‘Austin & Ally’ and ‘Girl Meets World.’

Post-Disney, she starred in the Netflix series ‘Insatiable’ from 2018-2019, and the 2020 film ‘Horse Girl.’

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Dove Cameron

Dove Cameron — Dove Cameron became a household name when she played Liv and Maddie on the series of the same name! She also went on to play Mal in the Disney Channel original film series ‘Descendants.’

Dove still has very close ties to Disney, though she has branched out to films like Netflix’s ‘Dumplin.”

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Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter — Sabrina Carpenter earned the coveted role of Maya Hart on the series ‘Girl Meets World’ in 2014. For over 70 episodes, she continued the next chapter of the beloved original show ‘Boy Meets World’ while also balancing her burgeoning singing career.

Sabrina has since continued to pursue her singing career while taking on more intense and mature roles in films like ‘The Hate U Give’ and ‘Tall Girl.’

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Zendaya

Zendaya — Zendaya became a beloved Disney star when she took on the title role in ‘K.C. Undercover.’ While balancing her work with Disney, she also appeared in films like ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and ‘The Greatest Showman.’ Once ‘K.C. Undercover’ wrapped in 2018, Zendaya showed audiences how far her talents could go in the HBO series ‘Euphoria.’ The talented actress and singer will next appear in the highly-anticipated film ‘Dune.’

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Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo — Olivia Rodrigo joined the Disney family with the 2016 series ‘Bizaardvark,’ where she played Paige Olvera until 2019. Once the series wrapped, Olivia stayed on with Disney for her latest role in ‘High School Musical: The Musical – The Series,’ where she playes Nini.

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Sofia Wylie

Sofia Wylie — In 2017, Sofia Wylie made her debut as Buffy Driscoll on the series ‘Andi Mack.’ For over 50 episodes, she played the character until the series wrapped in 2019. Now, she’s best known for playing Gina in ‘High School Musical: The Musical – The Series.’

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Meg Donnelly

Meg Donnelly — Meg Donnelly made her Disney debut in 2018, playing Addison in the TV movie ‘Z-O-M-B-I-E-S.’ She reprised the role again in 2020, while continuing to play Taylor Otto on the series ‘American Housewife.’ She has starred on the aforementioned sitcom since 2016.

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Sofia Carson

Sofia Carson — Sofia Carson has been a mainstay on the Disney Channel for years, most recently reprising her role of Evie in the TV movie ‘Descendants 3.’ Beyond the ‘Descendants’ series, Sofia has appeared on ‘Austin & Ally’ and has continued to have a flourishing singing career. She’ll next appear in the Netflix film ‘Feel The Beat!’

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