21 Nickelodeon Stars From Their First Big TV Roles Vs. What They Look Like Now
"Are you ready?" —Zoey Brooks
1. First, here's Ariana Grande then:
Then: She starred as Cat Valentine on Victorious and Sam & Cat.
And here's Ariana Grande now:
Now: She's a literal pop sensation with five studio albums and nine Grammy nominations.
2. Here's Avan Jogia then:
Then: He played the lovingly edgy Beck Oliver on Victorious.
And here's Avan Jogia now:
Now: He published a book called Mixed Feelings, is in a band called Saint Ivory, AND starred in The Year of Spectacular Men, The New Romantic, Now Apocalypse, and Zombieland: Double Tap.
3. Here's Drake Bell then:
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:
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:
Then: She starred on Zoey 101 and went on to play Tori Vega on Victorious.
And here's Victoria Justice now:
Now: She played Janet in Fox's Rocky Horror Picture Show event, and has appeared in movies like Summer Night, Bigger, and The Outcasts.
5. Here's Keke Palmer then:
Then: She starred as a fashion icon on True Jackson, VP.
And here's Keke Palmer now:
Now: She's currently a cohost on Strahan, Sara and Keke — which she received a Daytime Emmy for — and she starred in the movie Hustlers. Keke has also been on shows like Scream Queens, Scream, Masters of Sex, and Fox's Grease Live. In 2016, she released a memoir called I Don't Belong to You: Quiet the Noise and Find Your Voice, and lately she has been praised for her involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement.
6. Here's Josh Peck then:
Then: He appeared on The Amanda Show and went on to star on Drake & Josh.
And here's Josh Peck now:
Now: He starred on Fox's Grandfathered alongside John Stamos and appeared on a few episodes of Fuller House. He also gained a huge following from his videos on Vine and has since created his own YouTube channel and appeared in a ton of David Dobrik's vlogs. He also married his longtime girlfriend, Paige O'Brien, and together they have a son named Max.
7. Here's Elizabeth Gillies then:
Then: She starred as Jade on Victorious.
And here's Elizabeth Gillies now:
Now: She starred on the series Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, and currently stars on The CW's Dynasty.
8. Here's Devon Werkheiser then:
Then: He played Ned Bigby on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.
And here's Devon Werkheiser now:
Now: He recently starred in Santa Girl alongside Jennifer Stone (aka Harper on Wizards of Waverly Place!!). He's been writing and releasing music, and this year he released his third EP, Chapter One.
9. Here's Daniel Curtis Lee then:
Then: He played Cookie on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.
And here's Daniel Curtis Lee now:
Now: He went on to star in Zeke & Luther and even appeared in a few episodes of Glee. He's also directed music videos for artists like Sean2 Miles and Rob Chapman. Earlier this year, Daniel and Sean2 Miles also released an album called Double Lit Double It.
10. Here's Jamie Lynn Spears then:
Then: She starred as Zoey Brooks on Zoey 101.
And here's Jamie Lynn Spears now:
11. Here's Miranda Cosgrove then:
Then: She played Megan on Drake & Josh, and then went on to star as Carly Shay on iCarly.
And here's Miranda Cosgrove now:
Now: Miranda continued acting and voiced Margo in the Despicable Me movies. She starred on the series Crowded and guest starred on The Goldbergs. She's also set to appear in Pharrell's new movie, North Hollywood.
12. Here's Lindsey Shaw then:
Then: She played Moze on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.
And here's Lindsey Shaw now:
Now: Lindsey went on to appear on Pretty Little Liars, Suburgatory, and Faking It. She's also set to appear in Reboot Camp, which will come out later this year.
13. Here's Leon Thomas III then:
Then: He played Andre on Victorious.
And here's Leon Thomas III now:
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:
Then: He played Freddie Benson on iCarly.
And here's Nathan Kress now:
Now: Nathan starred in his first big movie Into the Storm and married his co-star, London Elise Moore. Together, they have a daughter named Rosie. He also made his directing debut on the Nickelodeon show Henry Danger. Since then, he and fellow actor Brett Davern have created a podcast called RadioActive Dads.
15. Here's Sean Flynn then:
Then: He starred as Chase Matthews on Zoey 101.
Here's Sean Flynn now:
Now: Sean currently works as a producer at a videographer company called Donatello Arm. He also starred in I Am a Star, a movie that his friend and former co-star Matthew Underwood directed.
16. Here's Jennette McCurdy then:
Then: She played Sam Puckett on iCarly and Sam & Cat.
And here's Jennette McCurdy now:
Now: She starred in the Netflix series Between and appeared in movies like Pet and Little Bitches. She also started writing and directing and made her own short film called Kenny. She's written and directed three more short films — The Grave, The McCurdys, and Strong Independent Women. This year, she also starred in her own one-woman comedy show called I'm Glad My Mom Died.
17. Here's Christopher Massey then:
Then: He played Michael on Zoey 101.
Here's Christopher Massey now:
Now: He's taken a break from acting to focus on music and his beautiful family. He released an album called Centralia Love, and last month he also released a new single called "Get a Bag."
18. Here's Erin Sanders then:
Then: She played Quinn Pensky on Zoey 101 and went on to play Camille on Big Time Rush.
And here's Erin Sanders now:
Now: She's been on shows like Mad Men, Weeds, Castle, The Mentalist, and CSI: Miami. She's also starred in several independent films and even wrote a screenplay called By Nature, which she's going to direct and star in. Erin is also a yoga teacher and has been teaching virtual classes during quarantine.
19. Here's Matt Bennett then:
Then: He played Robbie on Victorious.
Here's Matt Bennett now:
Now: He's appeared in two of Ariana Grande's music videos, "One Last Time" and "thank u, next," as well as starred on American Vandal. He was also in The Stanford Prison Experiment and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
20. Here's Matthew Underwood then:
Then: He starred as Logan Reese on Zoey 101.
Here's Matthew Underwood now:
Now: He's continued acting in movies like The Unicorn Sisters, The Alien, Time Hoppers, and The Golden Stars, and has even done some work behind the scenes as well. According to his Instagram, he hangs out with his Zoey 101 fam a bunch too.
21. Finally, here's Amanda Bynes then:
Then: She starred on All That and went on to star on its spin-off, The Amanda Show.
And here's Amanda Bynes now:
Now: She went on to star in movies like She's the Man, Hairspray, What a Girl Wants, and Easy A. Since then, she has taken a break from the public eye but keeps the world updated via Instagram. Right now, she's working on getting her Bachelor's Degree from FIDM and is engaged to the love of her life!