What Happened To Your Favorite Disney Channel Stars? These 13 DCOMers Have Been Busy
by Ni'Kesia Pannell
During my childhood, Disney Channel Original Movies — or DCOMs as they're called for short — ruled my Friday nights. There was always this sense of excitement that followed when I'd see the preview of the new movie, and I just couldn't wait until it's premiere date. I spent many Fridays curled up in front of the TV watching DCOMs, they became a huge part of my younger years. Now that I'm adult though, I often wonder what happened to my favorite Disney Channel stars that took over my screen (and my life) back in the day.
Though some of the celebrities who ruled Disney's small screen throughout the years have been more visible than others, there have been many cases where I didn't even notice that it was them now. To be honest, before this year, I never even noticed that Bryan Cranston was the star of Disney's 'Twas the Night. And, more importantly, I never even realized Katherine Heigl was the star of Wish Upon a Star — and that was one of my favorite DCOMs.
Regardless if your favorite DCOM star has still been making their rounds in the film industry or if they've decided to go under the radar, find out what happened to these 19 DCOM stars below.
Ryan Merriman
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DCOM lovers will remember Ryan Merriman from his roles in Smart House, The Luck of the Irish, and Ring of Light. Since then though, Merriman appearanced in Pretty Little Liars, and starred in Final Destination 3, The Ring 2, and much more, according to his IMDb credits.
Kirsten Storms
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Since starring in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and its following sequels, Kirsten Storms has gone on to start a family and star in General Hospital; the latter of which Storms is taking a break from due to skin issues, according to ET Online.
Kimberly J. Brown
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Though her most memorable role comes from playing Marnie Piper in the DCOM series Halloweentown, Kimberly J. Brown also starred in another DCOM, Quints. Her days saving Halloweentown may be over, but that hasn't stopped her from dusting off her broom and flying through as it was reported by MTV that Brown visited The Spirit of Halloweentown festival in Oregon last year.
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Brenda Song is a DCOM OG starring in multiple films such as The Ultimate Christmas Present, Get a Clue, Stuck in the Suburbs, and Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior. Since her Disney days — where she also starred in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its following spinoff — Song has gone on to appear in many television shows, with the upcoming CBS drama Pure Genius next on the list, according to Just Jared.
Brandon Baker
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Starring in Johnny Tsunami and its sequel, actor Brandon Baker hasn't made too much noise in the acting world since the 2007 premiere of the latter. According to Bustle though, you might start seeing a little more of him.
Shadia Simmons
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Since starring in the only DCOM to win an Emmy, The Color of Friendship, Shadia Simmons made her mark in the Disney world by starring in Zenon: The Zequel and Quints. Nowadays Simmons spends her time being a mommy to daughter Saraya, MTV noted.
Kyle Schmid
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Starting off in Alley Cats Strike and then landing a role in Cheetah Girls, actor Kyle Schmid has been super busy . Looking to see what he's going to be starring in soon? Deadline wrote that fans can see Schmid in the upcoming History channel drama, Six.
Andrew Lawrence
The youngest of the Lawrence brother trio, Andrew Lawrence starred in a few DCOMs including The Other Me and Horse Sense. Since he's apart of The Lawrence clan, many will always wonder if he's on the market. According to Heavy, Lawrence may be single these days.
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Jake Epstein can be remembered from hisroles in both Quints and Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire from back in the day. Since then, he's gone on to star in Degrassi, be nominated for a Tony award on Broadway, and is now starring in the new show Straight, as noted by Huffington Post.
Alyson Stoner
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Though her character on the Camp Rock series is what landed her on this list, Alyson Stoner also voiced characters in the Phineas and Ferb show, appeared on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and much more. Nowadays, Stoner can be found busting a move, according to Us Weekly.
Kiely Williams
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Since nabbing the role as one of The Cheetah Girls and retiring as a member of 3LW, Kiely Williams hasn't been in the spotlight much. According to an interview she did with Madame Noire in 2012 though, Willaims has been working behind the scenes.
Phillip Rhys
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Phillip Rhys made hearts go boom, boom as Prota Zoa in the Zenon series, and he's come a long way since then. Appearing in many shows like Nip/Tuck, 24, and more, Rhys has also put on the director's hat with the short film, The Scarecrow, as noted on VH1.
Courtnee Draper
Remembered as the star of the DCOMs The Thirteenth Year and Stepsister From Planet Weird, Courtnee Draper didn't let her acting years stop there. Landing roles in shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, and starring in The Bold and the Beautiful, Draper has been quite busy since her DCOM days. According to her Twitter account, Draper is still acting and singing and is actively practicing law in Los Angeles.