These Nickelodeon And Disney Channel Stars Are Now Parents
In the 90s and early 2000s, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel were on the top of the tween entertainment game. Now, decades later, some of those famous stars are parents. From Big Time Rush's Carlos PenaVega being a father of three to the Drake & Josh's Josh Peck having a family of his own, here are some stars who are now all grown up with kids of their own.
Then: Erik von Detten From Brink!
Erik von Detten was the boy next door on Disney Channel. He had the 90s shaggy skater hair, and he even played a skater in the DCOM Brink!, arguably one of the greatest original movies to come out of the network.
Not only that, but he worked with Disney on other projects, including voicing Sid in the Toy Story franchise and playing Josh Bryant, Princess Mia's crush in The Princess Diaries.
Now: Erik von Detten
Alas, von Detten has since put Hollywood, Brink!, and acting behind him and is focusing on his growing family.
He married his wife Angela, a real estate agent, in 2018, and they now have two children together, a daughter named Claire Elizabeth and a son, Thomas Henry. Searching on his social media accounts, the family is very active, going on hikes around California and, being a Southern California boy, going to the beach.
Then: Hilary Duff From Lizzie McGuire
In the early 2000s, Hilary Duff was the lovable, quirky character of Lizzie McGuire on the Disney Channel series of the same name. The show ran from 2001-2004. But that wasn't Duff's only stint on the popular network. She also starred in the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) Cadet Kelly.
During her time with Disney, Duff was also very active in the music scene, releasing some hit singles such as "Come Clean" and "Yesterday."
Now: Hilary Duff
Her characters and persona were so popular that recently there talks of a Lizzie McGuire revival. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. According to Duff, Disney+ wasn't hearing her out when she explained how she wanted Lizzie's narrative to go -- she wasn't a little kid anymore.
Even so, Duff is fully busy in mom-mode, having three children to look after, one son and two daughters. Most recently, she's been slotted as the star of a How I Met Your Mother spin-off.
Then: Kenan Thompson From All That
Between being one of the original cast members of the 90s teen sketch series All That and getting his own sitcom Kenan & Kel, it's no wonder Kenan Thompson is considered one of the greatest teen stars.
He also worked with Disney on various other projects, including the Mighty Ducks franchise and the comedy film Good Burger, which brought Thompson back together with the comedic talents of Kel Mitchell. Now, he's funnier than ever
Now: Kenan Thompson
Actor Kenan Thompson is now one of the leading forces on Saturday Night Live, having been a cast member since 2003. He's even been nominated for four PrimeTime Emmy Awards for his work on the show. And, as of 2021, he is starring in his own sitcom on NBC, Kenan.
In 2011, he married model, Christina Evangeline. Now, the happy couple is the proud parents of daughters Georgia and Gianna. Here's to hoping they get their dad's wicked sense of humor!
Then: Britney Spears From The Mickey Mous Club
While Britney Spears is arguably best known for being the Princess of Pop, aka an international superstar, she was a Disney Channel star once upon a time. From 1992 to 1996, she, along with a lot of well-known stars, participated in the reboot of The Mickey Mouse Club.
Spears didn't do much in the realm of Disney after her time on The Mickey Mouse Club, opting to focus on her music career.
Now: Britney Spears
Fast-forward many years, and Spears married her now-ex-husband Kevin Federline. While their marriage only lasted from 2004-2007, they did have two sons named Sean Preston Federline and Jayden James Federline.
Spears has recently been hanging around her new Thousand Oaks, California, mansion she lives in with her partner, Sam Asghari, posting numerous dance videos on her Instagram page that will transport any viewer back to the music videos of the late 90s.
Then: Josh Peck From Drake & Josh
Josh Peck went from being a side character on the Amanda Show to being a full-blown star on the popular Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh. Funny, quirky, and obsessed with Oprah, his character was very much loved.
The series brought many viewers to the network, prompting more than one spin-off television movie, including Drake & Josh Go Hollywood, Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp, and Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh.
Now: Josh Peck
In 2017, Peck married his long-time girlfriend, fellow actor Paige O'Brien. In 2018, they welcomed their first child into the world, a son named Max. Here's to hoping they have another kid and they reenact the "Soul Man" skit from Drake & Josh with Max.
As of 2021, actor Josh Peck is gearing up for the role of U.S. Marshal Scott Turner II, the son of Tom Hank's Scott Turner, in the Disney+ reboot of Turner and Hooch.
Then: Carlos PenaVega From Big Time Rush
In 2009, Carlos PenaVega landed the gig of a lifetime as one of four members of the upcoming boy band Big Time Rush. Eventually, the band got a deal with Nickelodeon for their own show.
PenaVega played the fun-loving character of Carlos Garcia, the guy who always wore a hockey helmet because, hey, they were hockey players from snowy Minnesota before moving to sunny Hollywood. He performed with Big time Rush until 2014.
Now: Carlos PenaVega
Years after his big-time break, PenaVega met Alex Vega from Spy Kids fame. The two got married in 2014 and welcomed their first child, a son named Ocean, in 2016. They continued to grow their family, having another son in 2019 and a daughter in 2021.
While PenaVega isn't really in the acting circuit anymore, he reunited with his former bandmates for a virtual reunion in 2020. And, on June 16 of that year, they released an acoustic cover of their hit song "Worldwide."
Then: Tamera Mowry From Twitches
In 2005, Tamera Mowry became one of two twin witches, Camryn "Cam" Elizabeth Barnes, aka the Goddess of the Sun, in Twitches, opposite her twin sister, Tia. In 2007, she reprised her role in a sequel film. Both Twitches and Twitches Too have become Halloween staples on the Disney Channel.
But Tamera has since moved on from tween and teen fame. What is she doing now? It's coming up next!
Now: Tamera Mowry
After her stint as a DCOM star, Tamera married Fox News correspondent Adam Housley in 2011. Together, they've added two adorable children to the family, a son named Aden John Tanner and a daughter, Ariah Talea.
From 2013 to 2020, the actress was one of the co-hosts of the talk show The Real. Most recently, though, she's hopped back into acting and is starring on the Hallmark show Home & Family.
Then: Nick Cannon From All That
In his youth, Nick Cannon was one of the stars of Nickelodeon. First, he was part of the main cast of the teen sketch series All That. After his popularity grew, Cannon wound up being offered his own show, The Nick Cannon Show.
Aside from his time on Nickelodeon, the actor has also worked as a host for the rap battle show Wild 'n Out, the talent competition America's Got Talent, and The Masked Singer.
Now: Nick Cannon
Cannon's first two children, fraternal twins Monroe and Moroccan, were from his marriage to singer Mariah Carey. He then had two more children with model Brittany Bell, a son named Golden "Sagon" Cannon, and a daughter, Powerful Queen Cannon.
Most recently, it was announced that Cannon would be hosting his own daytime talk show. With all of his former hosting experience with the talent competitions, it is sure to be something worth watching!
Then: Kyla Pratt From The Proud Family
Former Disney Channel star Kyla Pratt is arguably best known for her voice work on the animated series The Proud Family. Pratt voiced main character Penny Proud, a 14-year-old girl trying to navigate life.
But the popular animated series wasn't the only project Pratt worked on, on Disney Channel. The actress also guest-starred in the hit series Lizzie McGuire and even The Proud Family Movie, not to mention she was in all three of the original Dr. Dolittle films opposite Eddie Murphy.
Now: Kyla Pratt
Kyla Pratt has been with her partner Danny Kirkpatrick since 2005. Together, they have two daughters, Lyric Kirkpatrick and Liyah Kirkpatrick. It will be interesting to see if they wind up watching their mom's show, considering The Proud Family is getting a Disney+ reboot!
In 2020, it was announced that Pratt would be reprising her voice work for the character of Penny Proud in the revamped series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
Then: Danielle Panabaker From Read It And Weep
Actress Danielle Panabaker rose to prominence as a young Disney Channel star, performing in DCOMs such as Stuck in the Suburbs and Read It and Weep. She also began her superhero stint, playing Layla Williams in the Disney movie Sky High.
Now, Panabaker is branching out of Disney but sticking to her superhero roots. What does that mean? Well, the next slide will explain where Panabaker has gone since her time starring in DCOMs.
Now: Danielle Panabaker
Now, Danielle Panabaker is a superhero on and off the screen. She stars as Caitlin Snow and Killer Frost in the hit CW series The Flash. And she's more than a superhero on screen. Panabaker is a superhero off-screen, too.
While filming The Flash, Panabaker was actually pregnant with her and her husband Hayes Robbins' first child. She gave birth in 2020. Hopefully, the little baby knows how epic their mom is!
