Disney Stars Now and Then: Rare Photos Of Your Favorite Celebs

If you pay close attention to the fresh Hollywood faces, you’ll notice that a lot of them look eerily familiar. And that’s because the Disney Channel-to-superstar pipeline is real! These stars went from hallway hijinks to stadium tours and red carpets in a matter of years. These former Mouse House kids basically wrote and performed the soundtrack for an entire generation’s childhood. But what happened after the last episode aired and the last credits rolled?

From chart-topping eras to prestige TV, here’s where the biggest Disney alums from the 2000s and 2010s landed, and how they keep reinventing themselves far beyond the castle.

Zac Efron

Once East High’s golden boy, Zac Efron sprinted from “HSM” to grown-up leading man. He mixed sweet (17 Again, Charlie St. Cloud) with silly (Neighbors, Baywatch) and poured his heart out in The Greatest Showman. He even went into global-adventurer mode, hosting Netflix’s Down to Earth, which brought him a Daytime Emmy. More recently, he drew raves for The Iron Claw and keeps stacking projects in the pipeline.

Demi Lovato

After Camp Rock and Sonny With a Chance, Demi pivoted hard into music and never looked back. Her hits like “Heart Attack,” “Cool for the Summer,” and “Dancing with the Devil” made her iconic. In 2023, Demi surprise-dropped “Swine” in protest and released Revamped, reimagining her catalog with a rock bite. Acting isn’t off the table either, as Demi appeared in 2025’s Tow alongside Rose Byrne and Dominic Sessa.

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa capitalized on the momentum from High School Musical (HSM) and showcased her musical talent through live TV events such as Grease and RENT. On screen, she bounced between rom-coms and holiday comfort flicks like The Princess Switch trilogy and shone in Tick, Tick… Boom! Off-camera, she’s expecting her first child with her husband and MLB player Cole Tucker.

The Jonas Brothers

From Disney boy band to grown-man band, the JoBros pulled off one of pop’s neatest rebounds. After convincing us a reunion was impossible, they dropped Happiness Begins in 2019 and The Album in 2023. The sound is glossier, the vibes are warmer, and the tours are full-on family affairs. Even though we all love and cherish Camp Rock, the brothers didn’t stop there.