So this is a list of celebrities who were once products of Disney and/or Nickelodeon whom I did not expect to make a career for themselves in the aftermath but somehow did. It’s not that I thought little of these people (well sort of for a few), but at the same time their success definitely proved me wrong.
#10: Sabrina Carpenter
So if you grew up with Sabrina Carpenter, you probably remember her as Maya from Girl Meets World, Disney Channel's inferior spinoff of Boy Meets World. We also got to see some of her music during her time on Disney Channel. I did find her very talented (and I still do now), but I didn't really expect her to do much after GMW. Her music was fine but nothing special, until 2024. So Espresso pretty much took over the planet last year. Then, Taste, then Please Please Please, she just kept coming with the hits. I even reviewed a new song of hers recently as well (though the song is relatively controversial). Obviously for her fans, she didn't just come out of nowhere as Short N' Sweet is to my understanding her 6th album. But for my case, I am deeply shocked that she actually made it. 6 albums in, but she made it.
#9: Adrienne Bailon
As a child, I used to find this girl so dang annoying. Bailon had her start in the probably "never was" girl group 3LW along with Kiely Williams (whom I now despise). She and Williams then reappeared in yet another girl group, whom we all know and love as The Cheetah Girls. As talented as Bailon is, I did find her voice annoying at the time and thought she was the reason behind Raven Symone's departure. Then The Real started airing and I developed a newfound respect for Bailon. I appreciated her opening up about her love for Jesus as well as her insecurities about her voice. From that moment on, I was happy to see her doing well for herself after Cheetah Girls. And she really surprised me when she went on to marry a worship artist whom I have known since childhood as well. If this list was just based on favorability, then Bailon would've topped the list.
#8: Elizabeth Gillies
Did not like Jade in Victorious, still don't like her now. I will admit my perception of Tori has changed (more on that later), but I'm not gonna hold Jade on a pedestal like most idiots do. Elizabeth Gillies definitely knew how to push my buttons, and to my surprise she was able to transfer that obnoxious attitude over to the CW for its remake of Dynasty as Fallon. Granted, she's just a high-class Jade but I am relatively shocked that Gillies was even able to find a job after Victorious (and one that lasted). I'm not saying she isn't talented. She is very talented as is most of the cast of the show. But like with most Disney or Nick stars, I expected her to do the show and that's all I would hear from her. So more power to her for exceeding my expectations. Just a head's up; she's not the only Victorious alumni on this list (again, more on that later).
#7: Jenna Ortega
I was introduced to Jenna Ortega through Disney Channel's Stuck In The Middle, which was basically in my opinion the girl version of Malcolm In The Middle. She also starred as young Jane in Jane The Virgin. I did not think much of her at all during Stuck In The Middle's run. But then she slowly but surely made a name for herself through projects like You, and I kind of started taking her seriously after The Fallout. Then a certain TV show called Wednesday started airing, and Ortega's been nowhere but up since then. Seeing the lead of a relatively forgettable Disney Channel series become one of Hollywood's most sought after actresses was a HUGE bombshell for me. I'm not gonna kiss her butt or anything, but again shout out to her for exceeding my expectations. Wednesday's highly anticipated second season is set to stream next month and I am curious to see what's next.
#6: Cole Sprouse
Pretty much anyone who grew up during the 2000s remembers the Sprouse twins and laughed like Hell during The Suite Life's run. After that, I don't think we heard much from either of them until Cole starred in a certain CW series we all know and hate as Riverdale, the possibly dumbest show in existence. I pretty much expected Cole to go the same route as his brother, do the shows then move on with this life (which to my understanding, Cole is doing now with Riverdale finally off the air). So seeing him show up out of the blue on a series where he tries so hard to be the bad boy (and failing miserably) was a huge shocker for me. What's even more shocking is that it went on for 7 seasons. 7 SEASONS Of This Terrible Writing. That's pathetic on so many levels. But that's besides the point. The point is, Cole genuinely shocked me by taking on this role. In both a good way and a bad way.
#5: Olivia Rodrigo
I learned of Rodrigo's existence through the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark, which may or may not have been the start of the station's downfall (and might be more known for starring the controversial Jake Paul). Rodrigo would later star in another Disney project; High School Musical The Musical: The Series, which would go on for 4 seasons. Then in 2021, while HSM was still on air, Rodrigo released the mega-hit Driver's License. Due to Bizaardvark being considered one of Disney Channel's worst shows, I expected most of the cast members to fall off the map. So when one of them actually manages to make a HUGE splash in the music world, I was flabbergasted. And obviously Rodrigo would continue with popular songs like vampire (my favorite) and Traitor. I did not see this coming. As painful as this is for me to say (as someone who's not super fond of her), you win this round Rodrigo.
#4: Ariana Grande
So I mentioned earlier that my perception of Tori Vega from Victorious has changed. Aside from slight behavior errors, the series unnecessarily held her character on a pedestal. Victoria Justice is very talented, however she was surrounded by co-stars who were 10 times more talented and memorable than her. She and Nickelodeon learned that the hard way when Ariana Grande took off. Someone whom I believed would become something of a YouTube artist instead ended up becoming a modern day pop icon as well as Glinda The Good. I despise Grande but I gotta admit I did not see that coming, and I think the same can be said for Nickelodeon. She’s without a doubt one of the most successful subjects on this list.
#3: Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer is somewhat of a unique case as she was involved with both Disney and Nickelodeon. For Disney, she starred in Jump In while for Nick it was True Jackson VP. I also remember her (and was introduced to her) through Akeelah & The Bee. While she was obviously working over the years since True Jackson, I never really considered her mainstream. Then 2019 going into the 2020s started and all of a sudden she blew up. Her memorable (and obnoxious) personality shined through during her time on Strahan, Sara and Keke, as well as films like Hustlers, and Nope. The girl also has 2 Emmys……. Seriously What The Hell! So True Jackson actually managed to make it in Hollywood. Good for her. Surprising for me.
#2: Austin Butler
Of course I’m gonna put Austin on the list because I love this boy! Like the previous entry, Austin has history with both Disney and Nick. Honestly his history with both sides aren’t that much different than each other as most of the time he was eye candy for both the female protagonist and the audience. Then a certain movie based on one of the most influential music artists on the planet was released (cough cough Elvis). Since then we’ve seen him as Feyd-Rautha in the Dune movies, and he is set to portray Patrick Bateman in a new adaptation of American Psycho. I am pleasantly surprised by the success he's been experiencing. He's made it incredibly far and I’m so proud of him. Every bone in my body wants to give Austin the top spot, but for now he’s runner-up.
Before I reveal the biggest surprise success, here are some honorable mentions……………………………
Tyler James Williams 
Peyton List-From Let It Shine to Abbot Elementary -From Jessie To Cobra Kai
Coco Jones 
Ryan Potter-From Next Big Thing to The Grammys -From Supah Ninjas to Titans
Max Schneider 
Nicholas Braun-From Rags to Lights Down Low -From Minute Men to Succession
Nat & Alex Wolf 
Dove Cameron-Fault In Our Stars & Hereditary -From Descendants to Boyfriend
#1: Zendaya
If someone told me that this dancing goody two shoed little dork from Shake It Up would be an Emmy winner by the start or the 2020s I would’ve laughed in their face. But low and behold, we now live in a world where Zendaya is a household name. It started with her Spider-Man casting, then The Greatest Showman, then a certain little show called Euphoria started airing and Zendaya cemented her place in Hollywood. Oh yeah, she’s also in Dune along with my boy. All of these subjects have surprised me in different ways, but none quite like this chick. Zendaya was one of the last people I expected to become huge and she without a doubt exceeded my expectations. I wouldn’t say I’m proud because I have little to no care for her as a person, but I will say that I’m impressed. Well done.
Like always, the link to the Google Slides is down below. Thanks For Reading.
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