Miranda Cosgrove then
Miranda Cosgrove is Nickelodeon royalty, starting out as Drake and Josh’s little sister Megan in Drake & Josh before going on to star in iCarly from 2007 to 2012. Around that time, she expanded into music. She released an album titled Sparks Fly and an EP with a song written by Avril Lavigne.
Miranda Cosgrove now
After her Nickelodeon stint, Cosgrove broke into the movie biz, voicing Margo in the Despicable Me franchise and hosting the CBS series Mission Unstoppable. In 206, she was also cast in the TV show Crowded. In 2021, it was revealed that iCarly would be getting a reboot on the Paramount+ streaming service.
Jennette McCurdy then
Jeanette McCurdy is best known for her role on iCarly and its spinoff Sam & Cat as the kooky Sam Puckett, a role she played from 2007 to 2014. Her first appearance on Nickelodeon however came in 2005 on Zoey 101. After that, she appeared in True Jackson, VP, and Victorious.
Jennette McCurdy now
Jeanette has made more headlines for her personal life than her acting life in recent times, and not because of any scandals or bad behaviour. In 2020, she released her controversial memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, embarking on a one-woman show to promote it across the States. McCurdy also hosts the podcast Empty Inside with Jennette McCurdy.
Nathan Kress then
Nathan Kress knew his way around a set long before he hit the jackpot on Nickelodeon. He’d previously played Eizan on Shuriken School and enjoyed roles on Without a Trace, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Drake & Josh. In 2007, he was cast as the nerdy Freddie Benson on iCarly.
Nathan Kress now
Nathan Kress didn’t struggle to find work as an adult outside of Nickelodeon, moving on to the role of Kyle on Alice in Denver in 2018 and voicing JJ Jameson on the animated show Pinky Malinky in 2019. iCarly was never that far from his heart, however, and Kress reprised his role of Freddie in the revival series.
Devon Werkheiser then
Devon Werkheiser is a name many 2000s kids will remember. From 2004 to 2007, he played Ned Bigby in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, experiencing all the trials and tribulations of middle school life. In 2006, he also voiced Casper on Caspar’s Scare School. Lots of school stuff, basically.
Devon Werkheiser now
Devon Werkheiser moved on from school stuff eventually, starring in the made-for-TV Christmas movie Santa Girl in 2019. He is also known for playing Asher on the Twitch series Artificial. Recently, Devon has gained a big following on TikTok offering simple life advice for viewers.
Lindsey Shaw then
Lindsey Shaw played Ned’s best friend Jennifer Ann Mosely, or Moze to those who know, on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide between 2004 and 2007. Outside of that, she had a recurring role on Aliens in America and appeared as Kat Stratford on 10 Things I Hate About You.
Lindsey Shaw now
Lindsey Shaw continues to act outside of her Nickelodeon fame, and she has scored parts in some pretty good shows. In 2015, she played Sasha Harvey on Faking It, and from 2011 to 2017, she appeared as Paige McCullers in Pretty Little Liars. Recently she starred in the comedy Reboot Camp, though it’s not much to write home about.
Daniel Curtis Lee then
Daniel Curtis Lee was smashing it over on The Shield before landing at Nickelodeon in 2004, where he snagged the role of Simon Nelson-Cook, or Cookie, the best friend of Ned Bigby in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. After the show ended in 2007 he jumped over to Disney to star in Good Luck Charlie.
Daniel Curtis Lee now
Daniel Curtis Lee, breaking free from several years on the tween TV grind, landed roles on Glee and in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, though he eventually committed to getting a decent education in addition to just pursuing acting. In 2019, he graduated with honours from California State University Long Beach with a major in linguistics.
Christian Serratos then
Christian Serrators has been on two heavy hitters when it comes to Nickelodeon. Beginning her TV career in the mid-2000s, Serratos landed a role on Zoey 101 first. In 2006, she starred in the TV movie Cow Belles. Then in 2007, she moved back to sitcoms as Suzie Crabgrass, the love interest of Ned Bigby on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.
Christian Serratos now
Christian Serratos’s transition from kids TV to more mature movies was pretty seamless, as she made the jump by appearing in the Twilight franchise. Then in 2014, she became a series regular on The Walking Dead. In 2020, she portrayed the late Selena Quintanilla in a Netflix series about the tragic singer.
Jamie Lynn Spears then
Britney Spears’ little sister Jamie Lynn began her on-screen career on the sketch variety show All That in 2002. But it wasn’t until 2005 that she made a true name for herself outside of her sister’s shadow. The role of Zoey Brooks in Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 series turned out to be perfect for Jamie Lynn.
Jamie Lynn Spears now
After the end of Zoey 101 in 2008, Jamie Lynn went off to start a family. She returned to the screen in 2020 with the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias. That same year, she released a modern version of the Zoey 101 theme song, sparking rumours of a reboot. There are plans in place at the time of writing.
Sean Flynn then
Curly-haired Sean Flynn had a tough time in the make-believe world of Nickelodeon-land. Gaining fame as the friend-zoned confidante of Zoey, Chase Matthews in Zoey 101, Flynn actually began his career on the TV series Sliders back in 1996, a whole decade before the show that made him famous.
Sean Flynn now
Sean Flynn slowed things down a bit after his whirlwind tweeny bopper fame, continuing to act in several TV shows and movies, but nothing too high-profile. Does that sound like a nice way of saying he hasn’t made anything good since Zoey 101? Because it kind of is. Still, who cares? Look how happy the guy is on this flight simulator! Plus, Flynn is also married. Wins all around!
Victoria Justice then
Victoria Justice, arguably the most recognizable name of the 2000s Nickelodeon boom, started out as Zoey’s creative friend Lola Martinez on Zoey 101. In 2008, Justice then starred as Tori Vega on the series Victorious from 2010 to 2013, cementing her legacy on the channel.
Victoria Justice now
Victoria Justice is really lucky in that she doesn’t appear to age. At all. Not even a slight suggestion of crow’s feet taint her face, and as a result, she has continued to work successfully in the biz, starring in flicks like crime drama Eye Candy, and the Facebook Watch series The Real Bros of Simi Valley.
Ariana Grande then
Younger generations may be surprised to learn that Ariana Grande was actually a Nickelodeon darling before she became a pop sensation. Across roles in Victorious and Sam & Cat, as well as the animated series Winx Club, Grande acted full-time for many years before a record contract was dangled in front of her.
Ariana Grande now
If you need to be told what Ariana Grande is up to now or how she looks then you probably haven’t read a music magazine or checked social media for a good few years. In 2019, Grande’s music efforts gained her a Grammy Award and her career has only gone from strength to strength since. Who needs Nickelodeon?
Avan Jogia then
Every tween show has to have a heartthrob and Avan Jogia was willing to play that part in Victorious as the popular Beck Oliver. Alongside the Nickelodeon show that got him the bulk of his fame, he also starred in Aliens in America, Caprica, and the TV movie Rags in 2012, in which he played the role of Finn.
Avan Jogia now
Jogia went on to work on numerous TV shows and movies, most notably on ABC Family’s Twisted from 2013 to 2014. In 2017, he starred in the film The Year of Spectacular Men. His biggest role outside of Nickelodeon came in 2019 when he starred alongside Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg in Zombieland: Double Tap.
Leon Thomas III then
Leon Thomas III worked on several TV shows and movies before being cast as Tori Vega’s musician friend Andre Harris on Victorious. On the side, he starred as Arthur in August Rush and voiced Tyrone on the animated series The Backyardigans from 2006 to 2009.
Leon Thomas III now
After Nickelodeon, Thomas signed with Columbia Records and became a member of the production duo The Rascals. He has earned writing credits on Ariana Grande’s Positions, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, and Toni Braxton and Babyface’s Grammy Award-winning album Love, Marriage & Divorce in 2014.
Elizabeth Gillies then
No teen show is complete without a tough cookie. On Victorious, Elizabeth Gillies played the irritable frenemy of Tori Vega Jade West, whose legendary temper was present for most of the show’s run. She also voiced numerous characters on Nickelodeon’s Winx Club series from 2007 to 2014 before playing Jenny on the TV show The Black Donnellys.
Elizabeth Gillies now
Elizabeth Gillies stayed friends with Ariana Grande as they both departed Victorious and Nickelodeon. She appeared in Grande’s music videos for Right There and Thank U, Next. TV-wise, Gillies was cast in the 2015 series Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, as well as the just as glittery and dramatic reboot of Dynasty.
Keke Palmer then
Illinois-native Keke Palmer made her debut as Gina’s niece in Barbershop 2: Back in Business before moving on to the spelling bee film, Akeelah and the Bee. However, fame didn’t come knocking until Palmer was cast as a high schooler and fashion brand vice president in Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP.
Keke Palmer now
After the end of True Jackson, VP in 2011, Keke Palmer went on to star in the reboot of 90210, along with Scream Queens, Berlin Station, Star and Scream: The TV Series. One of her biggest film roles, however, came in 2019 when she starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers. Her latest gig is the Proud Family reboot on Disney+.
Ashley Argota then
Ashley Argota is best known to fans as the hyperactive sidekick of Keke Palmer on True Jackson, VP. After wowing fans as Lulu Johnson, Argota moved on to Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures before being cast in the Disney series Austin & Ally in 2014.
Ashley Argota now
Where did Argota turn after her Nickelodeon and Disney fame? The Fosters, that’s where. After that, she played Kiana in the movie and the Go90 TV comedy Snatchers, which deals with a teen alien pregnancy. Argota most recently starred in the movies I Hate New Years and Don’t Log Off.
Robbie Amell then
Robbie Amell made his debut in Cheaper by the Dozen 2. The performance was enough for him to be cast as Max on Disney’s Life with Derek. Following that, Amell hopped over to Nickelodeon in 2008 to play True Jackson’s love interest Jimmy Madigan on True Jackson, VP.
Robbie Amell now
Robbie Amell has hung on in there after his initial burst of fame in the 2000s. He was a lead actor in the 2020 Amazon Prime series Upload and also starred in the Netflix original movie Desperados. On a personal note, he and his wife Italia Ricci welcomed their first child together in 2019.
Amanda Bynes then
Amanda Bynes made her Nick debut in 1996 on the sketch comedy variety show All That. But in 1999, she landed her own variety series, The Amanda Show, landing her instant fame. For a few years, Bynes was not only the biggest Nickelodeon child star in the world, but the biggest child star in the world overall.
Amanda Bynes now
Bynes moved into film effortlessly and successfully. Throughout the 2000s, she starred in films like What a Girl Wants, She’s the Man, Sydney White, the Hairspray remake, and Easy A. In 2011, she took a break from acting to focus on her turbulent mental health and attend fashion school in LA.
Kenan Thompson then
Like a lot of Nickelodeon stars, Kenan Thompson began his career on the All That sketch comedy variety show. But it was his other show, the little-known Kenan & Kel, that dedicated fans know him for. From 1996 to 2000, he and Kel Mitchel lit up Nickelodeon, even landing their own film Good Burger, based on a Kenan & Kel sketch.
Kenan Thompsom now
Kenan Thompson, as you may already know, joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2003, where he remains the longest-tenured cast member. He has appeared in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Maya & Marty and in The Smurfs movie franchise. In 2021, he even landed his own sitcom, Kenan.
Kel Mitchell then
Born and raised in Chicago, Kel Mitchell debuted on All That in 1994, which eventually landed him roles on Sister, Sister; The Steve Harvey Show, and Cousin Skeeter. In 1996, he teamed up with All That co-star Kenan Thompson to make their comedy project Kenan & Kel a reality, which ran until 2000.
Kel Mitchell now
Kel Mitchell’s post-Kenan & Kel career wasn’t as wild as Kenan Thompson’s, who went on to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. In 2019, he instead made a comeback as Ed in the All That reboot, whilst also producing the series. Other than that, he has mainly found work as a voice actor on SpongeBob Squarepants, VeggieTales, and Robot Chicken.
