If you want your kid to make it in Hollywood they stand a better chance if they’re a twin. California labor laws limit the amount of time a child actor can film for. It’s why so many child actors come in pairs. Like the Sprouse brothers, Dylan and Cole. Beginning their career in 1999 they have gone on to play the same character in many films and TV shows. Until 2005 when they landed a role-playing Twin boys Zach and Cody on the Disney Channel. So what are they up to these days?
Dylan & Cole Sprouse’s Early Life
The Sprouse Bros were born on August 4th 1992 in Tuscany Italy. Their parents, Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright, were teaching English as a foreign language in the country. They moved to the United States at four months, living in their parents native Long Beach in California. They began acting at the age of eight months, appearing in a commercial for diapers, can it be called acting if you’re a baby? Probably not.
They had a main role in the 1993 sitcom “Grace Under Fire” and appeared in all 112 episodes of the original run. They shared the role of Patrick Kelly, youngest son of series protagonist Grace. They had their first film role in 1999, in the Johnny Depp flick “The Astronaut’s Wife”. In something of a change for the Sprouse boys they played separate characters. It was short-lived as their next film was the Adam Sandler Vehicle “Big Daddy”, playing the role of Julian McGrath. They received more critical acclaim than Sandler did, being nominated for several awards, though receiving none.
They appeared in numerous films in the early 2000s, mostly playing one character. In 2005 they were cast in what would become their most recognizable role. “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody” debuted on the Disney Channel to four million viewers, the highest opening numbers for a Disney Channel show in 2005. The Show was a tremendous success and made household names of the Sprouse brothers.
The Sprouse life of Zach and Cody
They were able to leverage the popularity of “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody” into a multimedia brand, marketing a successful line of clothing, comics, personal hygiene products, sportswear and even a magazine. Licensed through the Dualstar Entertainment group, all but the clothing line are now defunct.
Due to audience familiarity with the twins their film roles during “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody’s” original run would have them playing different characters. While none of the films were a critical success, the revenue they produced was substantial. As is common on in-house Disney live action shows the Sprouse Bros would appear in other live action Disney shows as their “Zach and Cody” characters, from “That’s so Raven” to “Hannah Montana”.
After “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody” they spun the show off into a different setting. Dubbed “The Suite Life on Deck” it starred the Sprouse boys, again as Zach and Cody, but this time on a boat. Once that concluded in 2011 they decided to go to college. They graduated last year, with Dylan gaining a degree in Video Game Design and Cole majoring in archaeology. Both Dylan and Cole have stated that they intend to continue acting.
What are the Sprouse Brothers Doing Now In 2024
Cole has been starring in the supernatural crime drama Riverdale since 2017. One of the main characters, he plays the role of Jughead Jones, a social outcast who’s also a published author and teacher. He is joined by fellow actors KJ Ama, Lili Reinhard, Camila Mendes, Marisol Nichols, and Madelaine Petsch. So far, there have been six seasons; a seventh and final season will be premiering sometime in 2023.
He also starred in the sci-fi romantic comedy Moonshot, which was released on HBO Max earlier this year. Prior to that, he starred and produced in Borrasca, a narrative podcast that’s adapted from CK Walker’s novella. In fact, a second season was just recently released on October 6, 2022. He also participated in the Los Angeles protests for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd on May 31, 2022, which ultimately ended in his arrest.
As for Dylan, he recently starred in the comedy romance My Fake Boyfriend alongside Samer Salem and Kenyan Lonsdale, where he played the role of Jake. He also appeared in the movies The Curse of Turandot, and After We Collided, the latter of which is based on a novel of the same name. That’s not all, he also made various appearances in dewlover420’s vlogs on YouTube and was a guest on Animal Talking with Gary Whitta, Stars with Cars, and The Super Slow Show.
In early 2017, he also announced that he would be opening All-Wise Meadery in Brooklyn, New York, with two partners and that would be the brewmaster. The business seemed to have done quite well after opening, with many customers leaving positive reviews on Google. Due to the pandemic, however, they eventually had to close down their physical location, though they still offer their products through their website. For those who are interested, you can check them out here.
For more up-to-date news on the siblings, you can follow them on social media. More specifically, you can follow them on Instagram (@colesprouse and @dylansprouse).
Adding to what they are doing in 2017 – Cole is staring in Riverdale, an Archie comic spin-off as well as pursuing his photography career and as you’ve mentions Dylan is starting a brewery, All wise Meadery (New York City’s only Meadery)