The Untold Truth Of Brenda Song And Ashley Tisdale's Friendship
A lot of time has passed since the final episode of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" aired in 2008. After the spin-off, "The Suite Life on Deck," brothers Cole and Dylan Sprouse took a break from acting and attended college. After graduating, they took separate paths in their careers. Cole Sprouse landed the role of Jughead Jones on the CW's "Riverdale." Dylan Sprouse has also had some acting roles, but also mastered mead brewing and co-founded All-Wise Meadery in Brooklyn (via Hollywood Life). Both brothers still receive a good amount of press, though, due to their prankster Instagram accounts and comedic tweets.
So what happened to Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song, the other dynamic Disney duo from "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"? As it turns out, Song has appeared in a string of TV shows, including "Dollface" and "Station 19" (via IMDb). Tisdale released her third studio album, "Symptoms," in May 2020. She also just had an adorable baby boy named Jupiter, which she announced on Instagram.
But are Song and Tisdale still in contact? Though they do not get together as often as they once did, they still try to see each other at least once a year, according to W Magazine.
Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale were friends from the beginning
While Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song played frenemies on "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," the actresses were best friends in real life. Many fans believe that the stars had much more in common than their characters did, and this dynamic was a lot of fun to create on set.
In 2004, when "The Suite Life" was only just starting to take off, for instance, Tisdale and Song cemented their friendship in public by attending "The Incredibles" premiere together. An interview with "The Blairing Out Show" on the red carpet showed the girls gossiping about their favorite makeup brands, many of which were the same (via YouTube).
Tisdale and Song also shared in a 2004 interview with Wire Image that they spent a lot of time together off set. When the interviewer asked the pair what they were planning to do over the summer, Song exclaimed, "Go to the beach! With each other!"
"Yes," Tisdale agreed. "Hanging out, having fun. [Celebrating] my birthday."
"Just being girls," Song added with a smile.
Tisdale and Song reunited after The Suite Life with Zack and Cody ended
Many Disney stars go their separate ways once a series ends. For the cast of "The Suite Life," however, the opposite was true. The show ended in 2008 and Disney quickly created an ocean-themed spinoff, "The Suite Life on Deck," which lasted for three seasons. The Sprouse twins and Brenda Song all reprised their roles. Tisdale did not, as she couldn't juggle Sharpay in "High School Musical" with Maddie in "The Suite Life."
Fortunately, Tisdale did have a chance to reunite with the cast in 2009, when she made a special cameo on "The Suite Life on Deck." As reported by Elite Daily, Tisdale confessed how much the reunion meant to her in a now-deleted, behind-the-scenes featurette. "I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I get to be Maddie again,'" she gushed. "I missed everybody so much that I was really glad to be back."
In fact, the first cast member she hugged was Brenda Song. In the featurette, Song joked, "I ran first to get my hug because I was like, 'I'm most important, so I deserve my hug first.'"
Tisdale and Song also had the chance to reunite at the Kid's Choice Awards in 2009, where they pulled each other into a huge hug on the orange carpet, per Today.
Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale live close to each other
When Brenda Song returned to the world of TV with "Dollface," she received newfound press for her performance as Madison Maxwell. W Magazine interviewed her in November 2019 to discuss the Hulu original, Song's journey to Hollywood, and the friends she made along the way.
According to Song, landing the role of London Tipton in "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" was the moment everything changed. She turned down an acceptance to Harvard University to take part in the show, and doesn't regret her decision. In fact, the actress still calls "The Suite Life" cast "the family" and tries to keep in touch with everyone, including Ashley Tisdale.
"Ashley lives like 10 minutes from me, and I see her maybe once a year," said Song, who is now a new mom herself. Tisdale has since moved to a new $4.2 million home, as reported by OK! Living. However, the home is still located in Los Angeles, in a secluded section of Beachwood Canyon.
Both Song and Tisdale still reminisce about The Suite Life
The glory days of "The Suite Life" may be long gone, but Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song still reminisce about their time on the beloved Disney sitcom. In a 2018 interview with BUILD Series, for example, Tisdale said becoming a Disney star shaped the person she is today. "I'm so grateful for that experience," she said. "I'm so grateful for playing those roles at that time in my life ... I know I wouldn't be where I am without that."
Song shared a similar sentiment in an interview with IMDb in August 2019. "I wouldn't be here without ["The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"], so I'm eternally grateful," she said. "Disney gave me incredible opportunities."
Song also expressed just how special a time it was for her. "I think the thing that's so great about Disney, my experience with Disney, is that ... I got to, as a kid, go to work, live out my dream, and do it in an incredibly safe environment," she said. "[I was] making a product that I knew my cousins [and] my family could watch and be proud of."
Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale are still good friends with Dylan and Cole Sprouse
Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale don't just reminisce on fond memories of Disney. The stars still hang out with Dylan and Cole Sprouse from time to time. Song even noted in her interview with W Magazine that she sees the Sprouse twins the most out of all her former cast members. "I actually see Dylan and Cole more than anyone because they live in New York," she said. "Any time I'm in New York or they're in L.A., we go out of our way to see each other."
Tisdale has also posted several reunion photos with the Sprouse twins on Instagram. In August 2020, she shared throwback photos on her Instagram stories to celebrate the twins' birthday (via Elite Daily). "Even though you're getting older and now taller than me (never thought that would happen), you'll always be my little brothers. I love you both," Tisdale wrote. While Tisdale, Song, and the Sprouse twins have not had a reunion in recent years, it's safe to say that the stars still share a close bond.