The Disney Channel was a television network that was created in order to provide family-friendly TV at all hours of the day, and has been going strong for a very long time.
As a result, it has aired a huge amount of content over that time and helped to create an incredibly long list of stars that went on to do big things. Some of the actors they featured in prominent roles no longer take part in the business, sometimes because of trouble that they’ve gotten into.
Predominantly employing young people in their starring roles, no matter what their career prospects are today, the Disney Channel stars of the 2000s have changed a lot in the years since then.
In some cases, that just means their position in life is different, but there are others who’ve undergone a major physical transformation.
In order for someone to be up for possible inclusion on this list, they first and foremost need to have appeared in content that was created in order to air as a part of The Disney Channel’s programming.
For our purposes, it makes no difference whatsoever if they were involved in the production of an original movie or TV show. Other than that, the only other requirement is that they look markedly different than they did in the 2000s.
The history of the network inspired us to put together this list of 20 Disney Channel Stars Who Look Completely Unrecognizable From The 2000s.
Alyson Stoner - The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
Alyson Stoner was a big deal early in her life, as she was someone who first rose to prominence as a part of several music videos, including clips for Missy Elliott’s “Work It” and Eminem’s “Just Lose It”.
Not satisfied with that alone, she also became a movie star and television personality, appearing in Disney Channel series like The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, in which she had a recurring role.
She took part of the show’s first two seasons as Max, a friend of the two male leads.
Her character often wore pigtails and was seen as a tomboy, even often being mistaken for a boy. Twenty-four years old at this point, she has since developed into a beautiful young woman who carries herself with confidence and would never be mistaken for a guy.
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle – Hannah Montana/Camp Rock series
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle is a multi-talented person who has had a great deal of success as both an actor and singer. She was able to land a recurring role in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, where she played Ashley – one of the main rivals to the lead played by Miley Cyrus.
A great boon to her career, fans of that show may not have liked her character very much, but we’re sure that she loved what it did for her career.
However, she also appeared in two Camp Rock movies, both of which were Disney Channel original movies. Twenty-seven years old today, her look has absolutely matured. Although she was cute when she was younger, time has definitely graced her with a demure glow.
Jake Thomas – Lizzie McGuire/Cory in the House
Jake Thomas was cast in more than one Disney Channel program, much like other Disney Channel stars.
First becoming a star because of his role in Lizzie McGuire as the mischievous little brother of the show’s titular character, Thomas instantly grew in popularity. Continuing on the series until its demise, he then went on to have a recurring role in the series Cory in the House.
This time around playing the chief rival of the show’s lead, he always ended up on the losing end of their battles.
No longer looking like someone who should be cast as a villain, Thomas has aged really extremely well and looks like he would now make a fine leading man in any series or movie.
Debby Ryan - The Suite Life on Deck
Debby Ryan is in the midst of trying to transition into more mainstream success, but she began her career in children’s programming like Barney and Friends.
She then gained the attention of the Disney Channel and spent years acting on their shows. This included landing a starring role in the series The Suite Life on Deck.
Cast as Bailey Pickett, her character stood out for her extreme intelligence and for the fact that she grew up on a small town farm. Portrayed as the girl next door in the show, her image could be pretty sticky sweet, which was totally fitting for a show aimed at kids.
Twenty-four years old today, Ryan is now all grown up and seems to enjoy wearing outfits that accentuate her curvy figure.
Daniel Curtis Lee - Zeke and Luther
The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon have a lot in common– they’ve both spent years competing with one another for young talent. As a result, you don’t see an awful lot of young actors working on series for both entities. However, Daniel Curtis Lee is the exception.
Starting out on Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, he then moved over to the Disney XD series Zeke & Luther.
Cast in Zeke & Luther as Kornelius “Kojo” Jonesworth, his character was the rival of the two leads. However, over time they eventually became friends.
Though he was dressed as a skater on television during his younger years, at twenty-six years old, he has now become an extremely good-looking fellow who dresses to the nines.
LaLaine Vergara-Paras – Lizzie McGuire/You Wish!
As a real mainstay of The Disney Channel at one time, LaLaine Vergara-Paras was all over the network in the early 2000s.
As one of the stars of the series Lizzie McGuire, she played Miranda Sanchez, the best friend of the series’ lead.
Evidently not busy enough working on that show at the time, she also starred in a movie called You Wish! which came out in 2003, part way during the original run of Lizzie McGuire.
Thirty years old now, Vergara-Paras no longer seems to act much these days, as her music is taking center-stage. Seemingly a colorful person, she could still be a lot of fun but her look has definitely changed, especially considering the fact that she is no longer sporting her infamous pigtails.
Nick Jonas – Jonas/Camp Rock
Nick Jonas is one of the three siblings who became known as the Jonas Brothers, who were once among the most talked about pop acts in the world.
The Jonas Brothers were a real-life band that released several songs. Nick Jonas and his brothers also signed on to star in the Disney Channel show Jonas, which stood out on the network because it was filmed like a classic sitcom.
Jonas also appeared in an episode of Hannah Montana and had a supporting role in Camp Rock before Jonas.
In the years since, Nick and his brother’s band broke up. As a solo singer, Nick is arguably the most successful of the trio.
Still a world-famous pop star, Nick is more popular than ever and his looks have only improved. He has lost his once-goofy hair and traded-in his stick thin body for a ripped superhero look.
Amy Bruckner – Phil Of The Future
As one of several series that the Disney Channel aired that had a sci-fi aspect to it, Phil of the Future focused on a family from the future that travels back in time and attempts to fit into society there.
Featuring the titular Phil in the main role, it also relied heavily on the performance of Amy Bruckner as his younger sister Pim.
Bruckner was cast as a character who thinks highly of herself and was likely to get into loads of trouble – she was a major part of what made the show fun to watch.
Twenty-seven years old now, Bruckner has lost her once-chubby cheeks and now sports short hair, which frames her face completely differently.
Bobb’e J. Thompson – That’s So Raven
As an actor who was great at playing frustrating characters, Bobb’e J. Thompson was a very talented child star. Though he was probably best known for his potty-mouthed character in the movie Role Models, only a couple of years earlier he was still a major part of the Disney Channel show That’s So Raven.
Cast as Stanley, his character was obsessed with Raven and had a real love-hate relationship with Eddie and Cory.
As a youngster at the time, Thompson’s over-sized personality and tiny body allowed him to get away with a lot of hijinks on the show.
This is something that he certainly couldn’t rely on any longer, as at the age of twenty-two, he has become totally ripped and sports many tattoos that match his older, more rugged look.
Olesya Rulin – High School Musical series/Halloweentown High
Although Olesya Rulin was never cast as one of the main characters in the Disney Channel movies that she was a part of, we feel totally comfortable including her on a list focused on the network.
She was a memorable part of the High School Musical series – a trilogy of movies that became a sensation upon their release and aired on the channel multiple times over.
Portraying Kelsi Nielsen in High School Musical, Rulin’s character was good friends with two of the main characters, which allowed her to share the screen with them.
On top of that, she also played a supporting role in the Disney Channel original movie Halloweentown High.
She may have looked like she could easily fade into the background before, but these days Rulin is thirty-two and would stand out in just about any crowd.
Dylan Sprouse - The Suite Life of Zack & Cody/ The Suite Life on Deck
As a former child star who landed his first starring role in Grace Under Fire when he was still an infant, Dylan Sprouse later managed to land a starring role in the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy.
As one of of two identical twin brothers that shared roles at times, Dylan and his brother Cole became the leads in the Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, each playing their own roles on the show.
Continuing to play his character in the spin-off, Sprouse was integral to the success of The Suite Life on Deck as well.
Though he appeared alongside his brother in the series, over time it became impossible to ignore that Sprouse had put on some pounds and it became easier to tell them apart.
Twenty-five years old now, Sprouse has dropped all of the excess weight that he once carried, but has added a great deal of length to his hair.
Moisés Arias - Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana’s lead character had a lot of loyal friends and family around her in each episode.
It doesn’t mean that everyone liked her, though, and it wasn’t just the so-called mean girls who were a problem. Instead, the show’s main antagonist was Rico Suave, a young boy who was played by an actor named Moisés Arias.
Rico was the only main character who wasn’t trustworthy enough to know Miley’s secret, but that’s okay considering that he had a billionaire father to brag about instead.
Twenty-three years old today, Arias doesn’t look like he wants to flaunt his riches at all. Instead, he dresses like any college kid and he looks like a bit edgier which makes him also unrecognizable, his distinctive nose aside.
Liliana Mumy - Higglytown Heroes
Higglytown Heroes was a show on Disney Junior that ran from 2004 to 2008. Unlike the other actors on this list, Liliana Mumy only provided her voice to Disney Channel series.
With that said, she also appeared on screen several times during the same era in movies like Cheaper by the Dozen and the Santa Clause series.
Cast as Twinkie in Higglytown Heroes, her character was one of the nesting dolls at the core of the show. Higglytown Heroes featured celebrity guest stars in each episode.
Mumy was an adorable, little redhead as a child. She is now a twenty-three-year-old woman with hair that is still the same color, but her face has dramatically changed as she matured.
Orlando Brown – That’s So Raven
Though Orlando Brown’s life has not been easy in recent years, most longtime fans of the Disney Channel will recognize the star from his role on That’s So Raven.
Previously a highly coveted child star who appeared in sitcoms like Moesha and Family Matters, he is most famous for his role on That’s So Raven as Raven’s close friend Eddie Thomas.
He was a core part of the series and his character was very entertaining to watch.
No longer a working actor, Brown has received a lot of coverage since 2016 due to a large number of criminal acts that he has committed.
No longer seeming like the fun loving guy that used to appear as on television, Brown now has more than one visible tattoo, and judging from his mugshots, he has become a lot more stern.
Demi Lovato – Camp Rock series
As a former star of the children’s show Barney and Friends, Demi Lovato seemed to be extremely focused on her acting career when she was younger.
Best known as a singer these days, Lovato appeared on The Disney Channel as the star of the Camp Rock movies, which featured both her acting and singing skills.
Cast as Mitchie Torres, her character came from a humble background. In order to attend the titular Camp Rock, she and her mother had to work in the camp’s kitchen.
Playing a down to earth character in this movie, she often looked unassuming whenever she wasn’t singing.
As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder in the past, Lovato now fully embraces her body as it is and dresses in a flashy way, which can be seen through her amazing makeup and hairstyle.
Keke Palmer – Jump In!
As one of the most talented people on this list, Keke Palmer seems to be good at everything she tries. For instance, she landed a recording contract during her teen years, and there is no doubt that she has the looks to be a major model if she wanted to.
Despite all of that, Palmer put aside her music career and has chosen to focus on acting.
Palmer was one of the stars of the 2007 Disney Channel original movie Jump In! The movie itself revolves around competitive jump rope.
As teenager at the time of the movie, Palmer was pretty cute and charming. However, we never expected her to grow into the exquisite beauty she has become today.
Alana Austin – Motorcrossed
Alana Austin initially was best known for starring in the sitcom Ink, which featured the real-life couple Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.
However, unfortunately the show did not last, and Austin was later set to appear in the 2001 Disney Channel original movie Motorcrossed.
In a movie that revolved around motocross racing, Austin played a young woman who loved to race but had a father who did not approve of her involvement in the dangerous sport.
Though she sported short hair and was often seen with dirt on her face in Motorcorssed, Austin has changed a lot in recent years.
She is now thirty-five years old and looks like nothing like she used to. Her stunning blue eyes remained the same, but her longer hairstyle, and confident appearance shine through.
Phillip Van Dyke – Halloweentown series
Considering that Phillip Van Dyke is no longer in the Hollywood scene, we were surprisingly still able to find a recent image of the former star out there.
Best known for his role in the Halloweentown movies, which were Disney Channel original productions, his character Luke was extremely memorable.
Revealed to be a goblin who briefly worked for the series’ villain in exchange for making him handsome, Luke later does his best to make up for aiding the bad guy.
On top of that, it also seemed like Luke and the series’ main character could have become a couple at any moment. However, this never came to pass, as Luke was absent from the third and fourth movie.
As redhead in his earlier years, Dyke’s hair has gone grey and it is amazing how much it changed his look.
2. Raven-Symoné - That’s So Raven
As someone who has shown herself to be amazingly adept at surviving in the entertainment business, Raven-Symoné was introduced to the television audience as a part of The Cosby Show’s cast.
Remaining a part of that series until it ended, Raven-Symoné then went on to appear in several other shows.
Opting to become a part of the Disney Chanel in 2002, she started out appearing in between shows as a part of the Express Yourself interstitials, but eventually landed a role as the titular character in That’s So Raven.
Raven-Symoné has reprised her character in a new series named Raven’s Home, and she now looks quite different.
She is someone who seems to enjoy expressing herself with her look– from one year to the next, her hairstyle and color is bound to change.
Bella Thorne – Shake It Up
Bella Thorne managed to find success after her first show, Shake It Up, ended in 2013.
Currently the star of a show called Famous in Love, she also seems to pop up in an endless array of movies.
In fact, in the year 2017 alone, she had four movies come out. Currently, she is featured in five movies set to be released in 2018.
Of course, everything really took off for her when she landed the lead role in the show Shake It Up, which premiered in 2010.
Though the show was as innocent as the rest of Disney Channel’s content, it seems like Thorne felt stifled by that because, as a twenty-year-old, she sports piercings, outrageous makeup, and colorful hair.
Which Disney Channel Star had the most dramatic transformation? Let us know in the comments!
