What The Phil Of The Future Cast Looks Like Now
In the heyday of the Disney Channel, "Phil of the Future" was one of those shows that absolutely everyone was hooked on. Chances are, you remember the incredibly catchy theme song. The show ran from 2004 to 2006 and followed the Diffy family, who had traveled to the present from, you guessed it, the future — 2121, to be precise. When their time machine broke down, they got stuck in 2004. Of course, the family initially struggled to fit in, thanks to their futuristic gadgets and lack of knowledge about the 21st century. Oh yeah, and the fact that their mom is, well, part robot.
The show starred Raviv Ullman as Phil, Amy Bruckner as his younger sister, and Aly Michalka as Phil's new friend from the "past." While the show featured some of the biggest child actors of the time, many faded out of the public eye. Wondering what happened to them all? Here's what the cast of "Phil of the Future" is up to today.
Raviv Ullman turned his attention to directing films and operas
Raviv Ullman starred as the titular Phil Diffy, a charming teen from the future. Although he had landed a few guest roles throughout the early 2000s, playing Phil was his first big break. It led to small parts in "Kim Possible," "That's So Raven," "Big Love," "Driftwood," "House," and "Phineas and Ferb." He also went on to star in the show "Rita Rocks" in 2008. Although Ullman still occasionally gets in front of the camera — in "Broad City" in 2015, "Strangers" in 2018, and "The Accidental Wolf" in 2020 — most of his time is spent in the theater. "I eventually moved back to New York and spent 10 years doing a lot of theater and doing regional theater all across the country," he told Hey Alma in 2021.
Eventually, his stage work led to an interest in opera and directing. "About a year ago, I worked as a director and an actor in an operatic web series," Ullman explained to E! News in 2017. "I don't sing opera, but I was acting in it. Since then, I've gotten pulled into this group of people that are all young, cool, hip opera makers."
Ullman is now married to Julia Pott, a British animator he met on an app. "We have a cute little house together in Los Angeles, and we're figuring it out as we go," he said. "A couple crazy artists just trying to make some cool stuff."
Amy Bruckner quit acting and studied law
Amy Bruckner starred as Pim, Phil's ambitious and potentially slightly evil little sister. Bruckner already had plenty of experience as a child actor when she joined the show, having appeared in "ER," "Ally McBeal," "The West Wing," and "Malcolm in the Middle." After "Phil of the Future," she landed the role of Bess in 2007's "Nancy Drew" opposite Emma Roberts. She also starred in the animated series "American Dragon: Jake Long." After that, her career slowed down. In 2014, she appeared in the Lifetime movie "The Assault" and in 2017, she landed another role in the indie film "Trust (and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves to Sleep at Night)." Since then, however, she has turned her attention elsewhere.
Bruckner stepped out of the public eye, studying human rights and gender studies at New York University before attending the University of California Law School. She is now a practicing attorney at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in California.
In a mini "Phil of the Future" virtual reunion in 2020, Bruckner revealed that she lives in an apartment in Los Angeles — at the time, she was still in law school. She explained that she would be interested in pro bono work in prison reform in the future. When Brenda Song asked if she loved it, she replied, "Oh no... it's law school; it's not, like, super fun!" She later confessed, "I'm amazed that you guys continued to be actors because I just couldn't."
Aly Michalka is still acting and singing
Aly Michalka starred as the kind-hearted and quirky Keely, who quickly befriended Phil after his family landed in 2004. The role quickly led to a blossoming music career for Michalka and her sister, AJ. She also landed more acting roles in projects like "Haversham Hall," "Bandslam," "Easy A," "The Roommate," and CW's "Hellcats." In 2013, she had a five-episode arc on "Two and a Half Men." You might have also spotted her in "MacGyver" or "The Good Doctor."
Aly and AJ have continued making music. As of 2024, the pair have released eight albums. And by the sounds of things, they have no plans on slowing down soon. "Can't believe our last shows were already 4 months ago.......itching to play new music when it's ready," Aly wrote on Instagram in January 2024.
Aly married film director Stephen Ringer in 2015. "No one makes me happier than you, I'm so grateful you're in my life," she captioned a photo of her hubby in 2023. Based on Ringer's Instagram, the pair live an idyllic life filled with gorgeous European getaways.
Lise Simms' acting career slowed down
Lise Simms starred as Barbara Diffy, Phil's half-robot mother — don't ask! Simms had gotten her start in the '90s with a number of TV guest roles on shows like "Ellen," "Sisters," and "Friends," to name a few. From 1998 until 2005, she played Victor Newman's secretary, Connie, on the popular soap opera "The Young and the Restless." She also appeared in a handful of "Days of Our Lives" episodes from 2008 to 2012. After "Phil of the Future," Simms' acting career mainly involved guest roles. Over the years, you might have spotted her in "iCarly," "90210," "Law & Order," "Bones," "Grey's Anatomy," "NCIS," and more.
As of 2024, Simms' career seems to be slowing down. In fact, her last role came with Nickelodeon's "Side Hustle" in 2021.
In 2016, Simms' spoke to DisneyBlu's "Disney on Demand" podcast about her career. As she explained, she still has incredibly fond memories of playing Barbara on "Phil of the Future." "It was a ball," she said. "I was so excited to do it. I loved the cast immediately. We just bonded so, so very quickly." She explained that she never had any idea that the show would be so popular, but she is still recognized for it.
Craig Anton plays Mr. Dowling in Bob's Burgers
Craig Anton played Phil's paranoid, klutzy dad, Lloyd Diffy. The actor was already a familiar face before joining "Phil of the Future," having been part of the original cast of the sketch series "MADtv." He was also frequently on network television, having appeared on numerous shows throughout the '90s, including "The Army Show," "Lizzie McGuire," "Ally McBeal," and "Everybody Loves Raymond." Following "Phil," his career continued with roles in "Workaholics," "Weeds," "2 Broke Girls," and "Mad Men." He also kept busy with live comedy shows with fellow comedians Brendon Small and Ron Lynchin in Los Angeles.
One of Anton's biggest recurring roles has been playing Mr. Dowling, the Bank Manager in the animated adult sitcom, "Bob's Burgers," who frequently denies Bob's loan requests.
Anton has been married to artist and book publisher Lesley Anton since 1994. The pair have two daughters, Delphine and Ruby, and live in Savannah, Georgia.
J.P. Manoux is still busy acting
J.P. Manoux played both Mr. Hackett, the ultra-paranoid and suspicious vice principal at Phil's school, and caveman Curtis. Prior to the show, Manoux had a long, successful career in TV comedies, appearing in dozens of small cameos over the years.
His best-known role was in the "Emperor's New Groove" video game, in which he voiced Kuzco, the protagonist who is turned into a llama. As he said on "The Emperor's New Podcast," Manoux got the role thanks to a solid impression of David Spade (who had voiced the role in the film) — and also thanks to his role in "Phil of the Future." He reprised the role in "The Emperor's New School," a TV series which ran from 2006 to 2008. Sadly, in 2023, Manoux was told someone else would be taking over the role.
He also went on to star in shows like "Aaron Stone," "Wilfred," "Scary Movie 5," "Community," and "CSI." He also had an eight-episode arc on "Veep," in which he played Congressman Clark.
Kay Panabaker stopped acting in 2012 and became a zoologist at Disney World
Kay Panabaker appeared in 15 episodes of "Phil of the Future" as Debbie Berwick, Pim's happy-go-lucky best friend who, it later turned out, was a rogue cyborg from the future. Panabaker was hugely successful as a child actor, appearing in "7th Heaven," "Two and a Half Men," "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," "Grey's Anatomy," "Brothers & Sisters," and "CSI," to name just a few of her projects. After over 40 credits, Panabaker stopped acting in 2012, instead pursuing a career in zoology. "I no longer had that love, that passion," she explained to Naperville Magazine, adding, "The kicker for me was when a producer told me that they were going to be bringing on a love interest for me and that I needed to lose weight because of that; I was barely a hundred pounds."
As Panabaker later recounted on Instagram, she had visited San Diego Seaworld in 2008 when a film role fell through. "I had no idea I would be a zookeeper myself 10 years later," she wrote. "But this was a momentous occasion in my life." After she fell out of love with acting, Panabaker rekindled her love of animals. "Looking back, finding my true passion was worth all of the extra time," she told Naperville Magazine.
Brenda Song went on to be a huge Disney star and is now married to Macaulay Culkin
Brenda Song was one of the biggest stars to come out of "Phil of the Future." After playing Tia, Keeley's best friend in season 1 of the show, she dropped out to play London Tipton in "The Suite Life of Sack and Cody." She became one of the best-known faces on the Disney channel throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Her TV career continued with a brief role in "New Girl," a role in "Dads," and a starring role in CBS's "Pure Genius." Even more recently, she starred in the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Station 19" and "Dollface," the popular Kat Dennings sitcom. Song is now married to fellow child actor Macaulay Culkin, and the pair have two children.
Although Song was something of a workaholic as a young actor at Disney, she's learned to focus on herself over the years. "I feel like I'm a better person when I take care of myself," she told Glamour in 2022. "There are certain things that I can't do because being a mom is my number one priority now. I'm really proud of the woman I've become. She's not perfect. She's been through a lot."
Evan Peters went on to star in Dahmer, X-Men, and more
As of 2024, Evan Peters has become one of TV's biggest stars — but back in the day, he was just another child actor taking on guest roles on the Disney Channel. One of those roles was playing Seth Wosmer, Phil's first friend, on "Phil of the Future." Peter's career then took off — he played Jack on "One Tree Hill" in 2008, then landed a role in 2010's "Kick-Ass." This was followed by roles in "X-Men," "The Lazarus Effect," "Deadpool 2," and "Pose." He also appeared in numerous seasons of "American Horror Story."
In 2021, he hit a new career high, playing Pietro in "WandaVision" and Colin in "Mare of Easttown," a role for which he won an Emmy. The following year, he starred as notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Netflix's "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story." The role earned him another Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win.
Brandon Mychal Smith starred in Four Weddings & A Funeral
After getting his start in the classic rom-com "She's All That" in 1999, Brandon Mychal Smith landed a guest role in Emma Roberts' "Unfabulous" on Nickelodeon. Shortly after, he took on the role of Lil Danny Dawkins on "Phil of the Future," a boy with a big crush on Phil's sister, Pim, in season 2. After several more years of small guest roles, Smith starred in "Sonny with a Chance" and "So Random!" as Nico. He starred in "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" in 2018 and Hulu's "Four Weddings and a Funeral" series in 2019.
As he told Hollywood Life, the role was a blessing. "I knew that this was going to be the role of a lifetime and just a great character," he went on. "You know, so much character and color and dynamism to the story."
As of 2024, his latest projects were "Sick Girl," a film that also starred Nina Dobrev, and the Hulu thriller "Appendage."
Spencer Locke is just as busy as ever
Spencer Locke played Candida Keegel, Pim's arch-enemy, in five episodes of "Phil of the Future" in 2005. After a few other teen TV show roles, she landed a role in Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring" in 2011. This was followed by roles in "Big Thunder," "Resident Evil: Afterlife," and "Insidious: The Last Key." In 2019, she also starred in the Netflix film "Walk. Ride. Rodeo." based on the true story of a paraplegic rodeo rider. "This movie changed my life," she told Brief Take, adding, "I believe that everything does happen for a reason and that you will find the right path, and it's neat to look back and see that that's kind of been the case."
Although Locke has come a long way since her days as Candida, it seems she's still in touch with at least one of her co-stars: Amy Bruckner. "Pim-ple and Candida are friends for life," she captioned a photo of the two in 2016.
Locke is now married to fellow actor Chris Mason, known for "Riverdale," "Broadchurch," and "Dirty John." In 2022, she celebrated Mason on Instagram, writing, "5 years of marriage with my best friend and whole heart. Just getting started." The pair have two children, a daughter named Monroe and a son named George.