What The Cast Of Zoey 101 Looks Like Today
Zoey 101 was one of those odd, middle-of-the-road Dan Schneider-Nickelodeon collabs that didn't quite reach the heights of Drake & Josh nor the lows of Sam & Cat. Funnily enough, a selection of its young cast-members actually went on to star in other Schneider vehicles (Victoria Justice and Daniella Monet appeared as sisters in Victorious, for example).
The show ran for four seasons, tying it with both Drake & Josh and Victorious (Sam & Cat lasted just one season), which is kind of hard to believe a decade later. It seems like the cast of Zoey 101 never really got any older, as though they were cartoon characters or something. With the show having wrapped all the way back in 2008 (eek), it's the ideal time to reminisce about everything we learned at Pacific Coast Academy. This is what the cast of Zoey 101 looks like now, with PCA and all its inexplicably amazing amenities fuzzing at the corners of our collective memories.
Jamie Lynn Spears (Zoey)
Jamie Lynn Spears, sister of Britney, was rumored for years to have tanked her own show by having the gall to get pregnant at 16. As Spears explained to Glamour, she chose to retreat from the limelight, moving to Mississippi with her baby daddy to avoid the harsh tabloid coverage. Then, in 2009, she and her young daughter moved to Nashville so Spears could focus on her music career. That's been her focus ever since (though, they've since relocated again — back to her home state of Louisiana).
Spears told Cosmpolitan that she wasn't necessarily taking a break from the entertainment industry, explaining, "I was working very hard on creating a great song catalog and setting some real cemented foundation for a future for us." The singer-songwriter welcomed another daughter in early 2018 with long-time partner Jamie Watson.
On being a teen mom, Spears told People there's no real difference, noting "being a mom is being a mom: It doesn't matter if you're in your teens or not, there should be no excuse to not be a great mother."
Sean Flynn (Chase)
Sadly, unlike Victorious' Cat and Robbie, who sort of ended up together via Ariana Grande's "One Last Time" music video, Chase and the love of his life Zoey did not get together — even within the confines of a pop song. Chase's lifelong crush was dealt with again, however, in a hilarious 2015 YouTube video from Zoey 101 creator Dan Schneider. In the clip, entitled "What Did Zoey Say?" Chase (Sean Flynn) and his best bud Michael (Christopher Massey) delve into the time capsule the gang buried ten years ago.
Even though Chase is midway through proposing to another woman (who witnesses his and Michael's ecstatic freak-out upon learning the truth about Zoey), he immediately ditches her in favor of his long-time lady love. That was Flynn's last TV appearance to date, according to IMDb. He's even quiet on social media, though there are several accounts claiming to be him, and he has steered clear of red carpets for the majority of his post-Zoey career. Maybe he just never got over the heartbreak?
Christopher Massey (Michael)
Chase's best buddy Michael, aka Christopher Massey, appeared alongside him in the hilarious throwback video "What Did Zoey Say?" back in 2015, to nostalgia-stoking effect. Unlike fellow actor Sean Flynn, however, Massey's post-Zoey love didn't end there. Massey frequently posts sweet throwbacks to the hit show on his Instagram page. He's also acted consistently in the intervening years, mostly on TV.
He and brother Kyle Massey, who appeared on That's So Raven, were even honored for their outstanding achievements in entertainment and humanitarian work by the Georgia General Assembly. Later that same year, the father-of-one found himself in a spot of legal trouble after he was arrested for a domestic violence incident in Las Vegas. Massey allegedly shoved his baby mama, Cassalei Jackson. The situation got slightly more complicated when Massey took a restraining order out against Jackson's mother, Shar, but things seem to have cooled down since and no formal charges were made in either case.
Erin Sanders (Quinn)
Of all the Zoey 101 kids, unassuming nerd Quinn, played by Erin Sanders, has arguably had the most prolific post-Zoey career (except for maybe Victoria Justice — see below), at least when it comes to acting roles. In the decade since the show wrapped, Sanders has rarely had a gap in work. That said, she has been a bit interview shy, preferring to stick to posting on social media as way to update her fans.
The stunning young actress has appeared in the varied likes of fellow Nickelodeon show Big Time Rush, hit ABC Family sitcom Melissa & Joey, and miniseries Six Degrees of Separation. And, judging by her arty Instagram account, Sanders is the furthest thing from dorky Quinn imaginable. She also has a super-cute boyfriend who blows Logan out of the water, and most likely isn't worried about being seen in public with her.
Matthew Underwood (Logan)
In the wake of caddish Logan, actor Matthew Underwood has re-imagined himself as a serious filmmaker, frequently posting shots on Instagram of himself looking pensive en route to/from a job or behind the scenes in a green screen covered studio. He also posted an adorable throwback shot with Sean Flynn, who played Chase, back in 2016 and teased a collaboration between the two.
It hasn't all been smooth sailing, however, as Underwood had some legal troubles back in 2012. The actor was arrested in Florida on suspicion of cannabis and paraphernalia possession, along with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after police found him cohabiting with a 17-year-old girl. In 2017, Underwood caught the attention of law enforcement again, but for a very different reason. He rescued a 4-month-old baby from a car after the parents, who were both heroin addicts, passed out and crashed into a tree.
Underwood said at the time that the police officer who gave CPR to the couple was the real hero, in a moment of humility of which Logan would never have been capable.
Victoria Justice (Lola)
Victoria Justice first showed up as loopy but lovable Lola on season 2, making an impact with her wild, wannabe actress shtick. In reality, Justice is a more low-key kind of starlet. Her biggest post-Zoey role was as the lead of another Dan Schneider hit, Victorious, but Justice has also appeared in a variety of high-profile movies and TV shows including Eye Candy, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, and as virginal Janet in the live TV reboot The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do The Time Warp Again.
She told The New Potato about being a lifelong fan of the cult movie, explaining, "I saw it for the first time when I was in 5th grade, and I went to my first midnight showing when I was fifteen." In an interview with Cosmo for Latinas, Justice looked back on her child actor beginnings fondly, telling the publication, "When I was on Nickelodeon I was very aware I had a responsibility to represent the brand. There were a lot of young girls looking up to me."
Alexa Nikolas (Nicole)
Zoey's BFF Nicole, the flighty, boy crazy but super optimistic yin to her yang, was dearly missed when she left after two semesters at PCA. Actress Alexa Nikolas enjoyed a sporadically successful career in the wake of the show, appearing in TV super-hit Mad Men, Kevin Smith's religious horror Red State, and zombie phenomenon The Walking Dead, among others. It's been several years since she's appeared onscreen, but Nikolas' Instagram suggests there are more exciting artistic endeavors on the horizon for her.
She had a messy divorce from her husband, singer Mike Milosh, which led the recording artist to write a song about their relationship harshly entitled "Waste." In an interview with Billboard, Milosh described it as, "one of those slow-motion explosion breakups." Nikolas opened up to Verse about how difficult the situation was, explaining, "it felt like playing an instrument with the wrong key. ... We were this beautiful, life-changing song, but we were playing out of tune." Nikolas described her art to Verse as her way of making sense of everything.
Paul Butcher (Dustin)
Dustin isn't singing the "Gummy Worm Blues" anymore, thankfully — actor Paul Butcher launched a successful music career in his own right since finishing up on Zoey 101, frequently sharing his songs on his popular YouTube channel. Butcher's acting career hasn't stalled since the show wrapped, either, with appearances on Criminal Minds, King of the Hill, Destiny 7, and more.
He also, as was hilariously noted by Buzzfeed, grew up to be a bit of a hunk — as in, long lost Sprouse triplet levels of gorgeous. Butcher is pretty active on Instagram, where fans noticeably drool over his many, many, many gorgeous photographs (mostly of himself). He also finds time to post adorable throwbacks to his time on Zoey 101, including this shot of the gang, which he captioned as "incredibly happy days with these amazing people."
Dustin may have grown up (and lost that mop of blonde hair), but he's still just as adorable as ever.
Abby Wilde (Stacey)
Fan favorite Stacey Dillsen made such an impact in Zoey 101 that she reappeared in other Nickelodeon/Dan Schneider shows, too. Actress Abby Wilde reprised her role as Stacey during the "iStart a Fan War" episode of iCarly, in which a trio of memorable Drake & Josh characters also featured (she showed up in two other episodes, as well as in an episode of spin-off Sam & Cat, too).
Speaking to MTV back in 2016, Wilde shared several brilliant behind-the-scenes secrets about everybody's favorite PCA residents. Most notably, Stacey was only supposed to be a one-off character, but Wilde made a big enough impression that she ended up appearing on 31 episodes of the hit show. The actress also kept some of her character's ever-present cotton swabs as souvenirs from her time there.
These days, Wilde is still pretty close with Erin Sanders, who played Quinn. As well as performing frequently on both stage and screen, Wilde teaches acting, as per her official website. Stacey would be proud (even if Wilde reckons she'd either be Etsy famous or in jail by now!)
Jack Salvatore Jr. (Mark)
The incomparable Mark Del Figgalo was never one to blend into the background, as much as he might have tried. Post-Zoey 101, Jack Salvatore Jr., the actor who played him, has enjoyed a diverse and impressive career. Over the years, the actor has appeared in The Secret Life of the American Teenager, the 10 Things I Hate About You TV show, and even another Nickelodeon show, Victorious. Salvatore Jr. also worked as a writing assistant on both Victorious and its spin-off Sam & Cat.
He subsequently turned his attention to stand-up comedy, dedicating his YouTube channel to showing off his skill-set. As noted by MTV, it's a shrewd move for Salvator Jr., whose Mark was arguably the funniest character on Zoey 101. According to his official site, he's pretty busy these days, noting, "in my free time I produce, direct, and act in my own web shorts. I perform stand-up and improv in L.A. My goal is to write, direct, produce, and maybe even act in my own television series one day."