21 Nickelodeon Stars From Their First Big TV Roles Vs. What They Look Like Now

    "Are you ready?" —Zoey Brooks

    Lauren Garafano
    by Lauren Garafano

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. First, here's Ariana Grande then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She starred as Cat Valentine on Victorious and Sam & Cat.

    And here's Ariana Grande now:

    2. Here's Avan Jogia then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He played the lovingly edgy Beck Oliver on Victorious.

    And here's Avan Jogia now:

    3. Here's Drake Bell then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He played various characters on The Amanda Show, then starred on the always iconic series Drake & Josh. He also wrote and released music — many of his singles appeared on other Nickelodeon shows (like Zoey 101) and other projects he worked on (like Yours, Mine, and Ours).

    And here's Drake Bell now:

    Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

    Now: He found a niche in Latin music and released “Fuego Lento,” which currently has more than 20 million views on YouTube. He's also guest starred on Josh Peck's show Grandfathered. Most recently, he released The Lost Album, an album full of recovered songs he wrote more than a decade ago on a hard drive he thought he lost. Also, he's thriving on TikTok.

    4. Here's Victoria Justice then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She starred on Zoey 101 and went on to play Tori Vega on Victorious.

    And here's Victoria Justice now:

    5. Here's Keke Palmer then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She starred as a fashion icon on True Jackson, VP.

    And here's Keke Palmer now:

    6. Here's Josh Peck then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He appeared on The Amanda Show and went on to star on Drake & Josh.

    And here's Josh Peck now:

    7. Here's Elizabeth Gillies then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She starred as Jade on Victorious.

    And here's Elizabeth Gillies now:

    8. Here's Devon Werkheiser then:

    Nickeldeon

    Then: He played Ned Bigby on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

    And here's Devon Werkheiser now:

    9. Here's Daniel Curtis Lee then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He played Cookie on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

    And here's Daniel Curtis Lee now:

    10. Here's Jamie Lynn Spears then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She starred as Zoey Brooks on Zoey 101.

    And here's Jamie Lynn Spears now:

    11. Here's Miranda Cosgrove then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She played Megan on Drake & Josh, and then went on to star as Carly Shay on iCarly.

    And here's Miranda Cosgrove now:

    12. Here's Lindsey Shaw then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She played Moze on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

    And here's Lindsey Shaw now:

    13. Here's Leon Thomas III then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He played Andre on Victorious.

    And here's Leon Thomas III now:

    Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

    Now: After Victorious, he recorded his own mixtapes, cowrote some songs on Ariana Grande's album Yours Truly, and became a member of a production duo called The Rascals, which co-produced Post Malone's debut album. He has continued acting and was in Kathryn Bigelow's movie Detroit. He also played a recurring role on Insecure and appeared in the pilot episode of Fear the Walking Dead.

    14. Here's Nathan Kress then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He played Freddie Benson on iCarly.

    And here's Nathan Kress now:

    15. Here's Sean Flynn then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He starred as Chase Matthews on Zoey 101.

    Here's Sean Flynn now:

    16. Here's Jennette McCurdy then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She played Sam Puckett on iCarly and Sam & Cat.

    And here's Jennette McCurdy now:

    17. Here's Christopher Massey then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He played Michael on Zoey 101.

    Here's Christopher Massey now:

    18. Here's Erin Sanders then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She played Quinn Pensky on Zoey 101 and went on to play Camille on Big Time Rush.

    And here's Erin Sanders now:

    19. Here's Matt Bennett then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He played Robbie on Victorious.

    Here's Matt Bennett now:

    20. Here's Matthew Underwood then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: He starred as Logan Reese on Zoey 101.

    Here's Matthew Underwood now:

    21. Finally, here's Amanda Bynes then:

    Nickelodeon

    Then: She starred on All That and went on to star on its spin-off, The Amanda Show.

    And here's Amanda Bynes now: