What The Cast Of Victorious Is Doing Today
Back in 2010, it almost seemed like Disney Channel owned the airwaves, as far as young teens were concerned. At that time, the Mickey Mouse network was choc full of stars, with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse on its roster. But then, Nickelodeon had "Victorious," the teen show that boasted a cast including a much younger Ariana Grande, Elizabeth Gillies, and Victoria Justice among others.
Created by Dan Schneider, "Victorious" tells the story of Tori Vega (Victoria Justice), an aspiring singer who transfers to Hollywood Arts High School, a performing arts school where she meets and eventually makes friends with other teens who are just as talented as her. The Nickelodeon series would end up running for four seasons (before the network decided to axe the show) and secure four Emmy nods throughout its run. And though Schneider would be embroiled in controversy years later, the show's stars would each go on to have strikingly different careers after working together for several years.
Eric Lange (Erwin Sikowitz)
By the time Eric Lange landed his "Victorious" role as coconut milk-drinking teacher Erwin Sikowitz, he had already been in the industry for years. Since making his onscreen debut in the late '90s, Lange appeared in some of the most successful shows on TV, including "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Angel," "The West Wing," "Judging Amy," "ER," and "Lost." Not to mention, the actor starred in the Disney film "Secretariat" the same year that he made his debut on "Victorious." For Lange, the Nickelodeon show allowed him to flex his acting muscles, especially since he was playing a rather exaggerated character. "I got to do things on that show because the character was kind of crazy," he once told Backstage. In the end, Lange remained on "Victorious" until its fourth and final season, although he didn't appear regularly each season.
Since wrapping up his time on "Victorious," Lange went on to pursue more television roles, taking on guest stints in series such as "Grimm," Castle," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Once Upon a Time," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Masters of Sex." He also became a Netflix regular, taking on roles in shows such as "Narcos" and "Waco." Later on, Lange also joined the cast of Showtime's Emmy-nominated series "Escape at Dannemora," gaining 40 pounds to play Lyle Mitchell. The series tells the true story of Lyle's wife, Tilly Mitchell, a prison worker who became romantically involved with two of the inmates and eventually helped them escape.
Lane Napper (Lane Alexander)
On "Victorious," Lane Napper played Hollywood Arts High School's guidance counselor Lane Alexander, a role that Dan Schneider specifically wrote for him. And while the actor appeared in relatively few episodes compared to the rest of the cast throughout the show's run, Napper kept working on the show behind the scenes as its dance choreographer. As it turns out, this was also how he found his way to "Victorious" initially.
Long before Schneider started work on "Victorious," the creator was busy with another show called "All That," and because the show needed help with choreography, a friend of Napper's called him up and introduced him to Schneider. Napper ended up working on several of Schneider's other shows. "That's when my life changed. I got really close to the creator of the show, Dan Schneider, who also created "Victorious" and "iCarly," he told Backstage. On the show, he worked closely with several of the cast members, including Ariana Grande. Later on, Napper also choreographed for Schneider's shows "Henry Danger," "Game Shakers," and "Sam & Cat."
After his time on "Victorious," Napper went on to pursue choreography for the most part. That said, he also made appearances on shows such as Kevin James' "Kevin Can Wait," Marvel's "Jessica Jones," and "FBI: Most Wanted." Napper also played a minor role in the Oscar-nominated film "tick, tick... BOOM!"
Michael Eric Reid (Sinjin Van Cleef)
On "Victorious," Michael Eric Reid made recurring appearances as Hollywood Arts High School student Sinjin Van Cleef. Sure, he knew Tori (Victoria Justice) and the gang, but he was rather socially awkward compared to the rest. As fans of the show might also recall, Sinjin had a serious crush on Jade (Elizabeth Gillies). Meanwhile, while working on the show, Reid's Sinjin also made an appearance in creator Dan Schneider's crossover special with "iCarly," "iParty with Victorious."
Since wrapping his time on "Victorious," Reid has also gone on to book guest roles in NBC's Emmy-winning crime drama "The Blacklist" and the fantasy drama "Paradise City" (which also starred the late Cameron Boyce). According to Schneider's website, Reid is also busy working with Prodigy Productions, which is owned and run by a group of teenagers. When he's not doing any onscreen work, the New York native enjoys playing the guitar.
Leon Thomas III (André Harris)
By the time Leon Thomas III joined the cast of "Victorious," he had already built up quite an acting portfolio, snagging roles since he was a little boy. His career began when a family friend recommended having Thomas III audition for a role in the Broadway production of "The Lion King" (because he supposedly resembled Simba). In the end, the actor got cast in the role of young Simba when he was only 9 years old. Soon after, Thomas III also ended up joining the onstage casts of "Caroline, or Change" and "The Color Purple."
Following his success on Broadway, the actor found his way to Nickelodeon. Over the years, Thomas III made appearances in shows such as "Jack's Big Music Show," "iCarly," and "Just Jordan." Eventually, he joined the cast of Victorious where he played Andre who composed songs and often performed with Victoria Justice's Tori Vega. Meanwhile, since "Victorious," Thomas III has also gone on to book other TV roles, like appearances on "Fear the Walking Dead" and "Satisfaction." The actor has also starred in several movies, including "Sins of Our Youth" and "Detroit." At the same time, Thomas III also got busy with his music, even winning a Grammy for his writing credits in Babyface and Toni Braxton's album "Love, Marriage & Divorce." Since then, the actor-musician has also collaborated with the likes of Drake, Snoh, and Boi-1da.
Matt Bennett (Robbie Shapiro)
Long before Matt Bennett became a Nickelodeon star, he was a relatively unknown actor who failed to get cast in the network's sitcom "True Jackson VP." That said, the actor made quite an impression during his audition, and that ultimately brought him to "Victorious." "I didn't get [the role], but the casting director was like, 'Let's put a pin on this guy. Remember him for next time.'... they brought me in for ["Victorious"]. And, yeah, it happened really fast," Bennett told Buzzing Pop.
After "Victorious," Bennett focused on his music, determined to show a different side of himself. "Everybody knows me as a light-hearted guy and I wanted to prove (to everyone AND to myself) that I had more to offer. Real human thoughts," the actor/musician told Northern Transmissions. It also just so happens that Bennett had a lot to deal with at that time. Aside from "Victorious" getting axed by Nickelodeon, the actor's parents also got divorced just months later. "I figured an album would be a proper way to channel that negativity into something creative," he added.
The actor has also made several television appearances over the years. For starters, he reprised his "Victorious" role in Dan Schneider's other show, "Sam & Cat" (where he reunited with co-star Ariana Grande). Bennett also had guest roles in "Shameless," "The Big Bang Theory," "Fresh Off the Boat," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Dynasty." He also starred in some of Grande's music videos.
Daniella Monet (Trina Vega)
By the time Daniella Monet got cast in "Victorious," the actress had already been working steadily in Hollywood for a few years. As a young actress, she made appearances in shows such as "8 Simple Rules," "The Bernie Mac Show," and "Still Standing." Monet also got cast in "Zoey 101," which led to her Nickelodeon debut. At one point, the actress was even a front-runner for the titular role in Disney's "Hannah Montana," though that didn't work out. Just a few years later, she was on "Victorious."
After starring in "Victorious," Monet went on to book several TV guest roles in comedies such as "Melissa & Joey," "See Dad Run," and "Baby Daddy" where she played a recurring character named Sam Saffe. In addition, the actress also reunited with Ariana Grande and several former "Victorious" co-stars when she appeared in Grande's music video for the song "Thank U, Next" where she appeared as a cheerleader. Aside from acting, Monet has also been busy growing vegan business ventures. It all started with Outstanding Foods, a vegan brand that she developed with a chef named Dave Anderson. In the years that followed, the actress invested in the plant-based taqueria chain Sugar Taco. After delving into the vegan food business, Monet also ventured into the vegan beauty industry, partnering with fellow actress Evanna Lynch to work with the company Kinder Beauty.
Avan Jogia (Beck Oliver)
At one point in Avan Jogia's life, he decided to quit high school and move to Los Angeles from his hometown of Vancouver, Canada so he could pursue acting. At that time, he had already worked with Victoria Justice once in another television show in Vancouver and the actress eventually told him about "Victorious." After going through an extensive audition process, Jogia booked a part in the show.
Meanwhile, since wrapping his time on "Victorious," Jogia has gone on to pursue different kinds of onscreen roles. For instance, he portrayed Egyptian King Tutankhamun in the Spike miniseries "Tut" where he starred alongside Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley. In the years that followed, Jogia also headlined the Syfy horror drama "Ghost Wars" and joined the cast of the Starz series "Now Apocalypse" joined by Beau Mirchoff and Tyler Posey.
Jogia also ventured onto the big screen over the years. Among his most popular films is the action-comedy "Shaft," which boasted a cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Regina Hall, Richard Roundtree, and Titus Welliver. Around the same time, Jogia also joined Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Rosario Dawson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Luke Wilson in the horror-comedy "Zombieland: Double Tap." The actor later went for a darker horror project, starring in Johannes Roberts' 2021 movie "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City."
Elizabeth Gillies (Jade West)
Long before Elizabeth Gillies came to Nickelodeon, she was already making her mark on Broadway after being cast in the musical "13" alongside Ariana Grande. Around that time, Gillies also landed guest roles in shows such as "The Black Donnellys" and "The Battery's Down," but she had yet to become a series regular. That all changed when Gillies learned that Nickelodeon was holding auditions for "Victorious." "I auditioned for "Victorious" in New York along with a lot of my former cast mates from the Broadway show '13,'" Gillies once told Seventeen. Eventually, she and Grande landed their respective roles on the show. "This was the fourth consecutive job we had booked together," the actress revealed.
Meanwhile, following the end of "Victorious," Gillies immediately booked several voice-acting gigs, lending her voice to characters in "American Dad!," "The Penguins of Madagascar," "Robot Chicken," and later on, "Family Guy," In the years that followed, the actress was cast in the drama "Dynasty" where she played the uber-rich Fallon Carrington. Aside from these projects, Gillies also appeared in a couple of Grande's music videos.
Ariana Grande (Cat Valentine)
Ariana Grande is, undoubtedly the biggest breakout star of all the "Victorious" cast members, thanks to her incredible singing talent and impeccable comedic timing. For the singer, auditioning for the show had been a huge gamble, as she and her mother tried to decide whether they should remain in Los Angeles. "My mom was like, 'Do you think you can really do this? We'll get a place. Should we get an apartment, you think?'" Grande recalled during an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." "There's a long time between the next callback and the next one, and we were staying at a hotel. ... I was like, 'I hope so, I have no idea.'"
Meanwhile, after "Victorious" ended, Grande went on to reprise her role in "Victorious" creator Dan Schneider's follow-up series "Sam & Cat." At the same time, the actress-singer made appearances in Ryan Murphy's horror comedy "Scream Queens" and the comedy film "Zoolander 2." For the most part, however, Grande chose to focus on her music career, delivering smash hit songs including "Dangerous Woman," "God is a Woman," "7 Rings," and "Thank U, Next." Later on, Grander briefly returned to acting, playing pop singer Riley Bina in Adam McKay's star-studded post-apocalyptic comedy "Don't Look Up."
Victoria Justice (Tori Vega)
After making her Nickelodeon debut on "Zoey 101," Victoria Justice eventually got her own show, "Victorious." The moment had been incredibly special for the actress who was proud to represent her Puerto Rican roots onscreen. "To be able to play those sort of characters and to have kids who can look at me and be like, 'Oh, I relate to this person or I kind of look like this person,' or you know whatever it may be, just to have that representation I think is so important," Justice once explained during an interview with Pop Culture Planet.
Following the end of "Victorious," Justice went on to headline the short-lived MTV crime drama "Eye Candy." The actress also made appearances in shows such as "Undateable," "Man with a Plan," "Queen America," "American Housewife," and "The Real Bros of Simi Valley." In addition, Justice did voiceover work for several animated shows (just like some of her former "Victorious" castmates), including "The Penguins of Madagascar," "Robot Chicken," and "A.C.O.R.N.S.: Operation Crackdown." Between these projects, Justice also ventured into movies, starring in the Netflix fantasy comedy "Afterlife of the Party" and the streamer's romantic comedy "A Perfect Pairing."