What The Cast Of Big Time Rush Looks Like Today
By the year 2009, the Jonas Brothers already had four albums, their own Disney Channel series, a concert special, and a hit Disney Channel Original Movie. Clearly, the boy band content was a boon for Disney, and Nickelodeon wasn't about to be left in the dust. "Big Time Rush," which ran from 2009 until 2013, followed the misadventures of four high school hockey players from Minnesota who moved to Los Angeles and became producer Gustavo Rocque's latest music group, Big Time Rush. If you were a "Big Time Rush" fan way back when, we'll bet you had a favorite member of the band. There was Kendall, the level-headed leader; Logan, who was both smart and sweet; the amusing and energetic Carlos; and the sometimes egotistical, yet caring, James.
In 2013," Big Time Rush disbanded and the guys went on to pursue solo projects. For nearly a decade, it seemed like we'd never hear from the band collectively again, but in 2022, Big Time Rush reunited for a tour — and yes, those tickets sold out. Given what a hit the tour was, it shouldn't be a surprise that there have been discussions regarding a potential reboot of the sitcom. We'll just have to wait and see what happens there. In the meantime, let's check out what the cast of "Big Time Rush" looks like today, what they've been up to since the end of their Nickelodeon reign, and which member has since become a major Hallmark movie star.
Kendall Schmidt learned to live within his means
Kendall Knight (Kendall Schmidt) demonstrated fierce loyalty to his bandmates when, in the "Big Time Rush" pilot, he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime by Gustavo Rocque to move to Los Angeles and become a pop star. After insisting that his three friends join, Kendall promptly became the leader of their group, Big Time Rush.
Since his time on Nickelodeon, Schmidt has shown that he's not all that different from his onscreen character. He continues to make music with his childhood friend and guitarist Dustin Belt as the alternative pop duo Heffron Drive. The two formed the band in 2008, with Schmidt as lead singer, but took a break while Schmidt was in "Big Time Rush." Following the end of the show, Heffron Drive was revived and the two released music and toured the world, seemingly until 2017 when their website was last updated.
Since his time on "Big Time Rush," Schmidt has also begun to live within his means. As he said on the "Growing Up With Devon Werkheiser" podcast, it was something he had to learn after starring on a show, like many child actors. "When you're on a TV show ... you're making money, but you're not making lifetime money. ... In a lot of cases, myself included, sometimes it doesn't even last 10 years," he explained.
James Maslow went solo
Playing James Diamond in "Big Time Rush," the pretty boy who was a hit with the fans and always wanted to be famous, actually wasn't James Maslow's first experience acting on Nickelodeon. In 2008, he appeared on "iCarly" as Sam and Carly's crush (he was even rumored to be dating Miranda Cosgrove), and the following year he found success as a multi-talented singer and actor.
Since "Big Time Rush" ended, Maslow has had roles in a handful of shows like "See Dad Run," "Sequestered," and "The Big Band Theory," as well as a few films. In 2014, he landed fourth place on "Dancing With the Stars," showcasing his dance skills, and in 2017, he released his first album as a solo artist, titled "How I Like It." Speaking on the "Zach Sang Show" after his album's release, Maslow explained why he has "Big Time Rush" to thank for his success in recent years. "I'll never say anything negative about [my time on the show], it was such a dope experience. It just, to me, was always a stepping stone to be able to do my own music, my own film, my own TV, which is what's finally happening this year," he said.
Maslow has since released several more singles and fans are eagerly awaiting his second album to drop. In the meantime though, he kept audiences entertained with his "Celebrity Big Brother" appearance in 2019.
Carlos PenaVega and his wife became Hallmark stars
Carlos Garcia (Carlos PenaVega) was the fun-loving goofball on "Big Time Rush," often getting into trouble for his unpredictable and immature shenanigans. As lovable and charming as the character was, it took a while for him to find love. The wait was worth it: In the Season 4 finale, Carlos PenaVega's real-life significant other guest starred on the show as his character's love interest. Alexa PenaVega of "Spy Kids" fame shared an on-screen kiss with the singer just a few months before their engagement was announced.
When couple tied the knot in 2014, they combined their last names, Pena and Vega. The PenaVegas have worked together on tons of projects ever since, including competing on Season 21 of "Dancing With the Stars," starting up a YouTube channel, co-authoring the book "What If Love Is the Point? Living for Jesus in a Self‑Consumed World," and starring together in several Hallmark movies. They first worked on the network together in 2017 on "Enchanted Christmas," with "Love at Sea" released the following year. Then, a Hallmark movie series titled "Picture Perfect Mysteries" saw the PenaVegas working together to solve crimes.
Speaking with KTLA 5, Alexa PenaVega gushed about how much she and her husband love to work together. "If we could do every project together, we would. ... For us, we have so much more fun. We get to play more" she said. Carlos PenaVega interjected playfully, "I don't want her kissing some other dude, like come on!"
Logan Henderson disappeared for a while
The band's critical thinker, academic star, and constant worrier was Logan Mitchell (Logan Henderson). The character's loyalty and dependability often served as the glue that held the group together, however, after "Big Time Rush" ended, Henderson actually disappeared from the spotlight for a while.
On the "Zach Sang Show" in 2017, Henderson reflected on how he felt about the series drawing to a close. "I think the first initial was kinda like, 'freedom!'" he said. "I loved every second of it but, I mean it was a big deal, you know, and it took up a lot of my time and I think towards the end I just, I kinda wanted to do my own thing. And there's a few things ... I kinda was like 'this is not quite me, this is not the way that I want to do things anymore.'"
Nowadays, Henderson says he likes to take things in his own time and at his own pace, compared to his time with Nickelodeon, which he considered to be a very "in your face" approach. After taking a few years away to figure out what he wanted to do after "Big Time Rush," he continues to make alternative pop music. Henderson has dropped several singles, including acoustic sessions and covers, and his debut album, "Echoes of Departure and the Endless Street of Dreams, Pt. 1," was released in 2018.
Ciara Bravo worked with Tom Holland
Ciara Bravo was just 12 years old when she played Katie Knight, Kendall's little sister, in "Big Time Rush." Previously, Bravo had been voice acting and working on smaller projects, but she struck the big time playing the young mastermind on the Nickelodeon series and it launched her career beyond child stardom.
After "Big Time Rush" ended, the young actor continued to work on other Nickelodeon projects, including TV movies like "Swindle" and "Jinxed." Bravo's career then seamlessly transitioned, as she began landing recurring roles on television shows like "Red Band Society" and "Second Chance," but it was in 2021 that she finally began working with big names in the industry.
The film "Cherry" starred Bravo and Tom Holland as college sweethearts who endure a tumultuous, drama-fueled relationship. The role landed her a MovieGuide award that year for Most Inspiring Movie Acting, and according to Bravo, she had Holland to thank for her success in the film. Speaking with JoBlo.com in 2021, she recalled, "I had a sneaking suspicion from the first time we met that it was gonna work. ... I immediately felt welcomed and safe in his presence and ... he really put in the effort to get to know me as a human being and I him so we could develop that friendship and respect for each other that you really need to film a movie like this."
Stephen Kramer Glickman is a jack of all trades
Perhaps best known for his role as Gustavo Rocque, the hotheaded producer who discovered the boys in "Big Time Rush," Stephen Kramer Glickman is incredibly different from his on-screen character, exuding a much more lighthearted persona. Although he has dabbled in the world of production — including spoof films like "The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It" — he is primarily known as a comedian, wrier, television host, and most recently, a musician.
During the pandemic, Glickman was eager to put his TikTok to good use. "I started doing Livestreams on TikTok and the numbers were really crazy. 40,000 to 50,000 people were tuning in for a live stream and pretty quickly I had 1 million followers," he told Revamp. During those live sessions, he would play covers of hit songs. Eventually, this led to him reaching out to other musicians, such as "American Idol" alum Casey Abrams, for duets. In 2021, he released a covers album called "The Moving Company."
Kramer Glickman also teamed up with a fellow "Big Time Rush" alum. In 2021, he and Kendall Schmidt released a cover of The Fray's "How to Save a Life." In addition to playing on the track, Schmidt acted as producer — talk about a full-circle moment. As Glickman told Nerds&Beyond, "It was awesome and also is a fun role reversal, me pretending to be his producer for so long and then him actually being my producer."
Tanya Chisholm has branched out into other creative fields
Kelly Wainwright (Tanya Chisholm) was Gustavo Rocque's assistant who frequently played peacemaker and mediator between the producer and boy band. Having appeared in nearly every episode of "Big Time Rush," Chisholm was a staple cast member and continued to showcase her acting chops in a handful of television shows and movies, like "The Deadliest Lie" and "Sistas," following the end of the series.
In a 2018 interview with Chatz with Cinta, Chisholm admitted that her role on "Big Time Rush" has been her favorite to date. "In addition to it being my longest job, it was also the most fun. I developed such valuable friendships being on the show and ... It was also dope to have been a part of a whole generation of people's childhoods," she explained. And while she has continued to pursue her acting career, Chisholm has also explored other creative fields outside of the film and television industry.
"Since discovering that my actual passion is not just acting itself, but creating content in general, I have branched out into a few different creative arenas. I do editorial and interior styling, photography and I am currently branching out into branding and creative direction (which is basically visual storytelling)," Chisholm remarked. While she'll always be remembered for her time on Nickelodeon, her Instagram page highlights artistic photography, poetic captions, and snapshots of Chisholm living her best life.
Challen Cates is in the wine industry
Kendall's mother, Jennifer Knight (Challen Cates), was the only recurring parental figure on "Big Time Rush." She was often quick to forgive her son's mischief and gave her support to the boys when they got into trouble. Cates has been acting since the '90s, popping up in soaps like "Passions" and hit sitcoms like "Roseanne."
Despite her consistent work in television and films, Cates is also part of the wine industry. In a 2019 interview with Voyage LA, she said, "I've been working in LA as an actress for over 20 years and going to the winery with my dad was sort of my escape from the entertainment business. It was so therapeutic to spend time with my family around the grapes." Cates explained that "Big Time Rush" ended around the time that her father was leaving the wine industry, and she wasn't ready to close doors on both chapters. So, she picked up the baton that her father had set down and got into the world of wine.
Cates created her own boutique winery with her dad's help, specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and called it Challen Winery. "And now that my father has passed away, I am grateful to be able to honor his legacy," she said.
Erin Sanders strives for female representation
Camille Roberts (Erin Sanders) was known as the method actress queen in "Big Time Rush," as she was frequently spotted rehearsing for roles and falling deeply into character. She had liked Logan early on and became his on-again off-again girlfriend throughout the series. Where Sanders' character on the show primarily served the plot of her boyfriend, the "Zoey 101" alum is now striving for more fair and equal female representation in her work.
While she's still acting and has even reprised her role as Quinn Pensky in "Zoey 102," Sanders has taken up screenwriting to push stories she felt she hasn't seen enough of. Speaking with Killin' It Magazine in 2018 (via Hawt Celebs), she said, "I realized I needed to stop waiting for other people to tell the stories I want to tell."
Sanders added later on that she no longer subscribes to the previous stereotypes imposed on women in Hollywood. "As a woman in the entertainment industry, you're made to feel like you have an expiration date. ... I no longer fear the passage of time. I feel excited about it now because I know that every year I'm a better version of myself," she said. Although she's yet to debut her writing, we can't wait to see what Sanders has up her sleeve, now a decade after the end of "Big Time Rush" and her time as a child actor on Nickelodeon.
David Anthony Higgins has been a television icon for decades
As if the characters' lives on "Big Time Rush" didn't already sound like something out of an aspiring musician's wildest dreams, the boys were moved to The Palm Woods, a ritzy apartment complex in Los Angeles for performing children and their families. Of course, there was a catch: Mr. Reginald Bitters (David Anthony Higgins) served as the mean-spirited manager of the complex and an antagonist to the members of Big Time Rush.
As iconic as Anthony Higgins' character was, this actually isn't the role he's best known for. Fans of '90s to '00s television will likely recognize the actor from the sitcoms "Ellen" and "Malcolm in the Middle." He's been a television star for decades, with his career spanning all the way back to 1987. Although Anthony Higgins rarely speaks about his roles with the press, he has continued working up to today with recurring parts in shows like "B Positive" and "Call Me Kat."
Katelyn Tarver kept on acting and making music
Jo Taylor (Katelyn Tarver) was an aspiring singer and actor who was incredibly career-driven, and eventually became Kendall's girlfriend in "Big Time Rush." As determined as she was to become a star, we surprisingly hardly ever saw her sing on the show — which is a shame, because the "American Juniors" alum is an incredible singer and songwriter in real life.
Her first album, titled "Brand New Day," was actually released in 2006, just a few years before she was cast on "Big Time Rush." She released a second album, a handful of EPs, and some singles in the time between her Nickelodeon reign and the ending of the show, but it wasn't until 2021 that she put herself back out there with a new album titled "Subject to Change."
Before "Subject to Change" dropped, Tarver chatted with "Fifteen Questions" about her songwriting process. "Currently, I would say personal relationships, conversations with people, and my own self-examination is what inspires most of my music," she shared. "I love having a little seed of a song idea and then watching it become a full grown song." Although Tarver's had a few film and television roles since "Big Time Rush" ended, it seems she's put most of her creative efforts into her music since 2020.