Top 10 Stars You Forgot Were on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
#10: Joey King
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Joey King was just a child when she appeared in two episodes of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” back in 2006. The future Golden Globe nominee played Emily Mason, one of the children that Zack and Cody are put in charge of in the season two episode “Day Care”. King is nothing short of adorable in the role, despite playing an out of control little scamp. She’d pop up again in the episode “Books and Birdhouses”, as one of the kids listening to London Tipton read a book, stealing the scene with her adorable commentary.
#9: Tony Hawk
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Arguably the greatest skateboarder to ever put wheels to pavement, Tony Hawk found time in his busy schedule to make a cameo appearance on “Suite Life” in the season three episode “Foiled Again”. Hawk rolled right into the Tipton Hotel, popping an ollie over the staircase and coming to a halt in front of the reception desk - leaving the titular twins completely slack jawed. Hawk was given ample opportunity to show off his surprisingly good comedic timing in the scene, proving that he’s more than just a pretty skateboarder. However, one has to wonder if he ever returned to the Tipton after the twins stole his snot covered Kleenex…
#8: Chris Brown & The Cheetah Girls
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Now here’s a two-for-one cameo that “Suite Life” fans should definitely remember. In the season three episode “Doin' Time in Suite 2330”, a case of double-booking results in both Chris Brown and girl group The Cheetah Girls appearing on London’s web show. Fans got to see Brown show off some truly impressive dance moves, while Cody cozied up to Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan. The star-studded episode culminated with Carey going ballistic on her sons for disobeying her orders, unwittingly winning London’s show a Golden Netty Award. In the pantheon of great “Suite Life” episodes, this one’s up there with the best of them!
#7: Jesse McCartney
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Singer / actor Jesse McCartney was one of Hollywood’s preeminent teen heartthrobs in the first half of the 2000s. So getting him to appear in season one of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” must have felt like an enormous win for the show’s producers. McCartney played himself in the aptly titled episode “Rock Star in the House”, sending London and Maddie into the kind of swoon-induced frenzy many a teenage girl has fallen victim to in the presence of their crush. Things reached a fever pitch when McCartney sang his hit song “Beautiful Soul”, with London and Maddie all but melting into a puddle of happiness. Few “Suite Life” cameos were as memorable as this one.
#6: Justin Baldoni
Prior to landing the role of Rafael Solano on “Jane the Virgin”, actor and director Justin Baldoni appeared in season three of “Suite Life”; in the same episode as Tony Hawk no less. Baldoni played Diego, London and Maddie’s dreamy fencing instructor, whom they both develop a crush on. The two wind up crossing swords over him, but Diego puts a stop to it when he informs them he has a girlfriend in Indiana. Actually, he’s a total creep about it. Baldoni’s “Suite Life” connection was not over, as he would later direct Cole Sprouse in the 2019 romantic drama, “Five Feet Apart”.
#5: Nathan Kress
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Just months prior to landing the role of Freddie Benson on the Nickelodeon series “iCarly” - one that would keep him busy for a whopping 94 episodes – Nathan Kress played Zack’s wheelchair bound friend Jamie on “Suite Life”. In the episode, Zack and Cody try to convince Jamie – who’s just recently lost the use of his legs – to get back in the game by playing a game of wheelchair basketball. While he’s initially against the idea, he comes around when he witnesses his friends getting trounced by a team of professional wheelchair bound players. It’s a great role, and one that likely played a part in Kress landing a starring role on “iCarly”.
#4: Victoria Justice
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Another Nick star that appeared on “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” was Victoria Justice, who’s best known for playing Lola Martinez and Tori Vega on “Zoey 101” and “Victorious”, respectively. Justice popped up all the way back in season one, episode two, where she played Rebecca, a girl Cody develops a crush on. The two wind up sharing a smooch at the end of the episode, with the kiss holding a special place in Justice’s heart as it was her first one ever. Victoria Justice isn’t the only “Zoey 101”/ “Victorious” star to appear on “Suite Life”, as Danielle Monet later made an appearance in the season three episode “Benchwarmers”.
#3: Jaden Smith
The son of Hollywood power couple Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, Jaden Smith followed in his parents’ footsteps and pursued a career in the entertainment industry. An actor and rapper, Smith is best known for films like 2010’s “The Karate Kid” and the two-part Netflix Original series “The Get Down”. However, back in 2008, he made a one-episode appearance on “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”. The episode sees Smith play Travis, a kid Zack and Cody befriend in the hopes that he will help them win over their dates. But in the end, it’s Travis who ends up with both girls! There exists no better testament to young Jaden Smith’s cuteness than that turn of events right there!
#2: Zac Efron
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Zac Efron wasted little time going from “that guy in the “High School Musical” films” to full blown movie star. He’s worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and continues to impress in films such as “The Greatest Showman” and “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”. But before all that, Efron was just another working actor in need of a gig. One arrived in the form of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”. Efron got to play Trevor, a young man that London falls for (shocker), but who ultimately ends up with Maddie. The “HSM” connection doesn’t stop there though, as Vanessa Hudgens would appear on “Suite Life” just five episodes later. Man, Hollywood is a small town. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions: Emma Stone Skyler Samuels Caroline Rhea Cierra Ramirez Raini Rodriguez
#1: Selena Gomez
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Far and away the biggest name to ever appear on “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”, Selena Gomez did so prior to achieving superstardom as both an actor and singer. The juicy role saw her driving a wedge between the titular twins, as she played Cody’s girlfriend Gwen, who falls for Zack after kissing him in a school play. Rocking pigtails and towering over Dylan Sprouse, the 14-year-old Gomez remains easily recognizable. Gomez wasn’t far off from landing her own series in “Wizards of Waverly Place”, which would serve as a launching pad to a career that’s still going strong more than a decade later.
