Former Disney Stars Who Grew Up To Be Stunning

Which former Disney stars grew up to be stunning? No matter how old you are now, there was probably a time in your life when watching the Disney Channel was part of your daily routine. Whether you watched Hannah Montana or Even Stevens or anything else, the network had a ton of great shows for everyone, filled with great actors.

And no matter how much time goes by, one thing seems to remain the same and it's that there's never really been such a thing as an ugly Disney star. Seriously, everyone who's ever appeared on the network has always been stunning, but as they've grown up they've really come more into their looks, and their careers. Indeed, there are more than a few former Disney stars who have grown up to be seriously gorgeous, and many of them have gone further than you might have thought possible back in the day. From the Disney stars of the '90s and beyond, these former Disney stars grew up to be stunning.

Demi Lovato really took the Disney Channel by storm when she arrived. Not only did she land the titular role on Sonny With a Chance, but she also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movies Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2. Lovato acted, sang, and danced her way across the Disney Channel, and unfortunately faced some rocky roads after she left. In fact, in 2010, Lovato entered rehab for the first time, having to cut her tour with the Jonas Brothers short (via TMZ).

Since then, Lovato has come a long way with her addiction issues (after surviving an overdose in 2018, as noted by TMZ), and hasn't shied away from sharing her struggles with her fans. Additionally, Lovato has made her career even more interesting by merging politics with music, and not being afraid to take a stand for what she believes in. Her support of President Joe Biden and strong condemnation of former president Donald Trump speak for themselves, and Lovato isn't going anywhere as people love her passion.

Most anyone who watched the Disney Channel growing up would easily be able to recognize former Disney star Brenda Song. The actor who played Londton Tipton on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody was already a full-on teenager when she landed the show, but she still struggled trying to break out of the Disney mold after her time on the program was done. Still, she's definitely transformed over the years. As she told Teen Vogue, Song found herself "breaking into this adult world but still able to play my age and do things that I felt comfortable doing."

But since leaving the Disney Channel, Song has landed roles in made-for-TV movies, Netflix originals, and even a Hulu original series that really took off, Dollface. And with that, Song has truly blossomed. "It's taken me almost 10 years from Disney to really feel like I found a niche for myself," she continued. "At 31 I finally feel like I know what my strengths are, and I'm trying to steer into that." As an adult, playing adult roles, Song has found exactly where she's meant to be, and she's crushing it.

Much like her costar, Bella Thorne, Zendaya didn't take her time on Shake It Up lightly. The Disney Channel original series really helped the former Disney star see just how far she could go with acting, and since it ended, she's become a full-blown movie star.

In an interview with Variety, Zendaya explained how her career took off because of her time on the Disney Channel. "I had just been doing Disney Channel for so long. I started when I was 13 years old," she recalled. "By the time I was 17, I had a better understanding and focus of what I wanted." Specifically, Zendaya sought more roles behind the camera. "I wanted the title of a producer when I was younger because I wanted to learn what it was like to do all that stuff behind the scenes," she added. 

And she got what she wanted. Since Shake It Up, Zendaya has produced several television shows, and starred in films like Spiderman: Homecoming and Malcom & Marie. To say that Zendaya is a total A-lister now would be a massive understatement.

Though he really only starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical (and it's two sequels), Former Disney star Zac Efron did make some guest appearances on other shows on the network, such as The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Efron was adorable during his time at Disney, but afterwards he really grew up and people noticed.

In fact, Efron got in some trouble when he was in his twenties for getting into a fight with a homeless man in Los Angeles, something he regrets but also admits had to do with his youth. "When you have success young, and you accept the good things, you have to accept all of it," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "You have to accept the moments of glory but also a great responsibility. And that responsibility, to some degree, involves being a role model." 

The pressure of younger people looking up to him was stressful, Efron admitted. "I'm a human being, and I've made a lot of mistakes," he added. Then in 2020, Efron hosted his own Netflix series, Down to Earth, making it clear that he's a man of many talents.

Whether you recognize Ashley Tisdale from her shining role in High School Musical as Sharpay Evans or her time on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as brainiac Maddie Fitzpatrick, Tisdale was a staple on Disney Channel for many years. But since then she's done quite well for herself, too. Tisdale has had roles on Hellcats, Young & Hungry (which she also produced), and the Netflix original Merry Happy Whatever. But perhaps the biggest change Tisdale has gone through since her Disney days has been becoming a mother.

In an interview with People, the former Disney star explained that becoming a mother felt totally natural to her, and that she was so excited to be having a little girl. Additionally, Tisdale explained how important nontoxic living was to her, especially now that she's becoming a parent. "My choices in everything from the materials the baby wears to cribs to diapers is really on the nontoxic journey," Tisdale said. Despite all the ways Tisdale has changed since she was on Disney Channel, she has remained quite stunning.

One of the most adorable actors to ever appear on Disney Channel is definitely Skai Jackson, who had a ton of roles on the Disney Channel. She made small guest appearances in everything from K.C. Undercover to Austin & Ally, and starred in the long-running series Jessie as well. What's interesting about Jackson is that she started her career on Disney super young, so it's pretty shocking to see how much she's grown up in just a short period of time.

Perhaps the most notable thing Jackson has done since leaving Disney and creating her own career has been her time on Dancing With The Stars, in which she performed quite well, though she got eliminated in a double-elimination just before the finals. In addition to her stunning performances on the reality dance series, the former Disney star has become quite popular on social media, where she often takes a stand for racial justice. Jackson also reportedly has quite a few more projects in the works, so she's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Just like the Disney Channel aired plenty of Christmas and other holiday-themed movies, the network was also kind of known for its Halloween feature films. Specifically, the Halloweentown franchise on Disney Channel is kind of a cult classic still to this day. And the star of those films, Kimberly J. Brown, was like the queen of Disney Channel back in the day.

In an interview with Vulture, Brown explained that acting was in her DNA. "There's really no wonder as to why I took to acting so quickly when I was young. Any opportunity for me to become a different character, I was all over it," she revealed. 

Brown has definitely stuck to acting as her career. Though she's no longer as involved as she was during her Halloweentown days, she's still landed some impressive roles. More than that, though, it's clear that Brown loved her time on the Disney Channel, and for as much as she's grown and changed over the years, it will always be a part of her.