Top 10 Disney Stars Who Fell off the Map

Like many on this list, Lalaine acted in a few roles before her big break with Disney. In this case, that was as the titular character’s best friend on “Lizzie McGuire.” As Miranda, Lalaine lit up every young girl’s life with her awesome outfits and general hilarity. But in 2007, the young star was charged with possession of methamphetamines. From 2010 to 2011, she took a swing at playing bass for the band, Vanity Theft, but the all-girl group never hit true fame. Since then, Lalaine has had a few acting credits to her name - even one in “Easy A” - but sadly, nothing as significant as her earlier roles.

On the short-lived “Sonny with a Chance”, Grady Mitchell was a goofy side character and offered up the comic relief. And who played that lovable part so well? Why, none other than Doug Brochu. But if you don’t recognize his name, you aren’t alone. After “Sonny with a Chance” and its spin-off show were both over - along with a few other Disney shows he appeared in - Brochu has only had one noteworthy acting credit to his name. The 2014 short, “Obituaries” had him acting alongside James Franco and might have been a bump of fame. But Doug has reportedly decided to focus more on his health. And we understand; he looks great!

Back in the days when he played Oliver Oken on “Hannah Montana”, Mitchel Musso seemed like he could have become a household name. He was in many Disney Channel films and had a voice that could rock a pop punk stage. Around the same time that his role on “Hannah Montana” was over, Disney offered him two other roles on “Pair of Kings” and “PrankStars.” But after a DUI, his time on both was cut short. And sadly, with only one full-length studio album to his name, his music career hasn’t gone far either. He has since patched things up with Disney though, having taken on the voice of Wally in “Milo Murphy’s Law.”

Where would the world be without best friends to push us, laugh with us, and be a shoulder to cry on? Most of Disney Channel’s shows answer that with a resounding, ‘nowhere.’ And “Wizards of Waverly Place” is no different. The sweet but sly Harper was that best friend to Alex Russo. And Jennifer Stone played the role well. Almost immediately after the show was over, Nickelodeon scooped up the young star, wanting her to play the babysitter/storyteller on “Deadtime Stories.” After that, she’s had scattered acting gigs. More importantly, she’s done outreach for people living with diabetes after her own diagnosis. You go, girl!

Demi Lovato’s Sonny from “Sonny with a Chance” not only had great friends; she had a queen bee frenemy as well. Tiffany Thornton played this character, Tawni, with an adorable and funny, albeit sometime annoying flair. And for a short while after both the show and its spin-off were over, she was a radio personality for KLAZ 105.9 in Arkansas. But that was the last the world saw of the young blonde star, at least on any world’s stage. Don’t worry though; as evidenced by her Instagram, Tiffany prefers her quiet life, raising her children and working for Champion Christian College as a recruitment advisor.

Both Disney and Nickelodeon seemed to have a knack for making kid-friendly versions of popular adult TV shows. Take, for example, “So Weird”, Disney’s version of “The X Files”. Like its adult sibling, the show centered around otherworldly things like aliens and ghosts. And its main character was Fiona Phillips or “Fi” for short, played by Cara DeLizia. After season three though, DeLizia left the show and never quite made it into the spotlight again. She’s had a few guest spots, like on “The West Wing”, and she voiced a character on Nickelodeon’s “All Grown Up”, but nothing quite so big as playing Fi. We like to think she’s happily retired from the acting life.

Oh, Orlando. With his ability to spit an awesome freestyle but still play up the goofy scenes as Eddie on “That’s So Raven,” he could have gone far in Hollywood. Even as his popular Disney show was ending, Brown seemed to have a music career that was picking up. So perhaps, he could have gone on to do wonderful things. In 2015, he even attempted a small comeback with a role in “Straight Outta Compton.” Unfortunately though, fame took a bad turn for Orlando. In 2018,, he was arrested for drug possession and domestic abuse. We can say this star’s time with Disney has definitely come to an end.

Well, we mentioned Miranda, so of course Gordo has to be on the list too! And the lovable young Adam Lamberg played the guy in the best friend trio with ease and laughter. Upsettingly though - at least for the public - shortly after “Lizzie McGuire” and its accompanying movie were over, Lamberg said goodbye to Hollywood. And almost as easily as he slid into the role of Gordo, he slid into anonymity as well. According to LinkedIn, he now has his Bachelor’s degree in Geography and his Master’s in Public Communication. He’s also worked his way up to be the Development Officer at the Irish Arts Center in NYC. Bravo, Gordo. Bravo.

As the title suggests, “Phil of the Future” was another Disney channel show filled with fun, hilarity, and most of all, an off-the-wall concept. Ricky Ullman played the titular Phil with a carefree attitude but also, a certain sincerity. Since being on the show though, he’s gone back to his given name, Raviv, and has done a few guest spots on TV shows, like “Broad City.” But most importantly, he’s the drummer in a band called Reputante. And though they only have one album out so far, Michelle Williams did star in one of their music videos. Just give them a listen; they have a pretty cool sound.





Before we locate our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions



Nick Spano

“Even Stevens” (2000-03)





Moisés Arias

"Hannah Montana" (2006-11)



Amy Bruckner

"Phil of the Future" (2004-06)

Christy Carlson Romano was a Disney darling from the moment she broke out as the older sister, Ren Stevens on “Even Stevens”. For several years, she played the character effortlessly and with a sense of relatability before giving voice to yet another Disney channel great. That’s right; Kim Possible. Since both shows have ended, Romano has played Belle in the Broadway version of “Beauty and the Beast.” As a film studies student, she studied at Barnard College. Her latest venture is a YouTube vlog about her life as a mom. And yes, she is still as beautiful and relatable as ever.