[PHOTOS] Where 2006 Disney Stars Are Now
by Angelica MartinezBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffAngelica Martinez is the Latine Editorial Lead at BuzzFeed and covers a little bit of everything, from quizzes and true crime to celebrities and pop culture.
Recently, Hannah Montana celebrated its 20th anniversary with a Disney+ special, and aside from making me feel thoroughly and wholeheartedly ancient, it's also made me more than a little nostalgic for the golden era of Disney Channel back in the day. Juice box in hand...Suite Life of Zack & Cody on my screen...and not a care in the world? That was the life!
Joel Warren / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
So, in honor of 20 years, here's what all your Disney faves looked like back in 2006 vs. what they look like now, and what they've been up to since you last saw them:
1.
Here's Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana in the first episode of the show back in '06:
Disney
And here she is now, at the 20th reunion premiere. Her ninth studio album, Something Beautiful, came out last summer:
Julian Hamilton / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Here's a side-by-side:
Disney / Julian Hamilton / FilmMagic
2.
Here's Emily Osment in the first episode:
Disney
And her today. She wasn't at the 20th anniversary reunion, but she's been booked and busy starring in the CBS sitcom Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage:
Savion Washington / WireImage / Getty Images
Here's a side-by-side:
Disney / Savion Washington / WireImage / Getty Images
3.
Here's Mitchel Musso:
Disney
And here's what he looks like most recently, in 2018. Since his time on Disney, he released a mixtape in 2022:
Alberto E. Rodriguez / WireImage / Getty Images
Here's a side-by-side:
Disney /Alberto E. Rodriguez / WireImage / Getty Images
4.
Here's Moisés Arias in his first episode of Hannah Montana:
DIsney
Here he is now, at the anniversary premiere. He's currently playing Norm MacLean in Prime Video's Fallout series:
Julian Hamilton / FilmMagic / Getty Images
And here's a side-by-side:
DIsney / Julian Hamilton / FilmMagic / Getty Images
5.
Cody Linley played Jake Ryan on Hannah Montana back in the day:
Disney
And here he is today. His social media describes him as an actor, writer, director, and musician nowadays. He also teaches acting classes:
Julian Hamilton / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Here's a side-by-side:
Disney / Julian Hamilton / FilmMagic
6.
Here's Raven-Symoné in 2006, who was on her fourth season of That's So Raven at the time:
Theo Wargo / WireImage / Getty Images
And here she is today. That's So Raven got a spinoff, Raven's Home, back in 2017, which she starred in. Since, Raven married her wife, Miranda Pearman-Maday, in 2020, and the pair host a podcast together. Raven continues acting, producing, and teased an upcoming memoir about being a child star:
Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for Family Film and TV Awards
Here's a side-by-side:
Theo Wargo / WireImage / Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for Family Film and TV Awards
7.
Here's Anneliese van der Pol, who played Chelsea, in a 2006 episode of That's So Raven:
ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
And here she is now. She, too, reprised her role in Raven's Home, where she met her costar and now-husband, Johnno Wilson. They got married in 2024 and late last year, had their first child together:
Dominik Magdziak Photography / Getty Images
Here's a side-by-side:
ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images / Dominik Magdziak Photography / Getty Images
8.
Here's Hilary Duff in 2006. Lizzie McGuire had wrapped two years prior, but she was still making the rounds with her film and music career:
Peter Kramer / Getty Images
And here she is today. She's been consistently acting over the years, starring in shows like Younger and How I Met Your Father. She also returned to music this year after a decade-long hiatus, and is touring her new album luck… or something:
NBC / Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
Here's a side-by-side:
Peter Kramer / NBC / Todd Owyoung / NBC via Getty Images
9.
Here's Adam Lamberg in 2005, at the time starring in the indie film When Do We Eat?, which ultimately ended up being one of his last acting roles:
Rebecca Sapp / WireImage / Getty Images
Here he is most recently in 2019. He was set to reprise the role of Gordo in the Lizzie McGuire reboot, which was ultimately scrapped in late 2020. Since otherwise retiring from acting, he went on to attend UC Berkeley and works in "fundraising and special events consulting."
Ali Goldstein/Disney Channel
Here's a side-by-side:
Rebecca Sapp / WireImage / Ali Goldstein/Disney Channel
10.
Here's Lalaine, who played Miranda Sanchez on Lizzie McGuire until her early departure in 2004. At the time, she was pursuing music:
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
And here she is now. In 2024, she narrated the audiobook for Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire. While not confirmed, her agent