11 Nickelodeon Child Stars Who Don’t Act Anymore
Published on March 21, 2016. Updated February 14, 2017Nickelodeon has produced some of the most defining shows of our childhoods, and it’s impossible not to feel invested in many of their stars. Unfortunately, there are many faces that have dropped off the radar as many Nickelodeon child stars have moved away from the spotlight. This list takes a look former beloved actors who’ve given up the trade!
11. Jamie Lynn Spears
Back in 2005 the lil’ sis of Britney Spears became famous in her own right when she was cast in Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101. Unfortunately for the show’s producers, Spears generated quite a bit of controversy and put an end to the show when she turned 16-years-old and became pregnant. She had to put her career on hold but did return briefly in 2013 with the launch of her country music career and the debut single “How Could I Want More.” Since that time, Jamie Lynn has been MIA but we’re sure she’s busy being a mom to her daughter, Maddie Aldridge.
Photo by Broadimage/REX
10. Amanda Bynes
After getting her big break on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show, Amanda Bynes became a household name and transitioned to the big screen with flicks like She’s the Man, Hairspray, and Sydney White. Unfortunately, by 2012 Bynes’ personal life was beginning to crumble and she announced her retirement from acting. Since that time Amanda has been arrested several times for various charges including multiple DUIs and hospitalized for psychiatric care. Her very public mental meltdown has left fans confused but still rooting for her recovery and return to show biz!
Photo by Rex Features
9. Christina Kirkman
Christina Kirkman was a Nickelodeon staple, getting her start on America’s Funniest Kid Competition and moving to her most famous role on All That. After All That was cancelled, Kirkman decided to call it quits and she hasn’t appeared in a television role in nearly a decade. We can only hope she changes her mind and returns to show off that rap talent she showcased years ago!
Source: Twitter/Christina Kirkman
8. Raja Fenske
Raja or “RJ” Fenske as he likes to be called is famous for his role on Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous in which he starred as Jake Behari alongside Emma Roberts and Malese Jow. He also made memorable guest appearances on Lizzie McGuire and CSI: Miami. In 2013, he was cast in the lead role in Pendejo (Idiot), but the flick was a bust and he’s been missing from the biz ever since. Only time will tell if Raja will make the return to Holly wood!
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
7. Simon Curtis
Simon Curtis was expected to explode onto the television and music scenes after winning Popstar Magazine and Johnny Wright’s “Get Famous Contest,” was named a national top ten finalist in the “Britney Spears Samsung Superstar Tour,” was commissioned by Disney to provide a theme song for an annual Disneyland event, was named an official Oklahoma Ambassador of Music, and won the University of Tulsa Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance…but he’s been largely out of the public eye after appearing on Nickelodeon’s Spectacular! in 2009. He has been busy in the music biz and has released 4 studio albums including one called Super 8-Bit Heart in 2016. He is also a member of Fuse Literacy, an agency that represents literary talent across North America. Maybe the next time we hear his name, it’ll be as a New York Times Bestseller!
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com6. Scott Halberstadt
Scott Halberstadt is best known for his role on Nickelodeon’s Josh & Drake, but he also appeared in other series with the network like All That and iCarly. He also had some bit parts in a few movies like Grandma’s Boy and Smokin’ Aces. Scott retired from acting in 2010 after his cameo appearance on iCarly.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com5. Matthew Underwood
Matthew Underwood came to fame on Nickelodeon’s show Zoey 101, but had made guest appearances on various television series including Method & Red and E-Venture Kids prior. Since the cancellation of Zoey 101, Underwood has retired from acting, only appearing as himself in the movie Reality Horror Night in 2009. In 2012 he ran into some legal issues and was arrested for drug charges, delinquency of a minor, and for possession of drug paraphernalia. Later that year he was rearrested for violation of probation and he served 30 days in jail. Esh! We want our Logan back!
Peter Brooker / Rex Features4. Nate Richert
When you’ve played the love interest of the endearing protagonist, Sabrina, for 7 years on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, it’s hard to image Nate Richert as anyone besides Harvey Kinkle! And it would appear that he felt the same way! Since the ending of the series, Richert has only appeared in two films Game Box 1.0 and The Sure Hand of God, before slipping into obscurity by 2006. Since that time, he has been pursuing a music career but that hasn’t seemed to earn him any fame or acclaim!
Source: www.playbuzz.com
3. Ross Hull
Ross Hull was the leader of the Midnight Society on Are You Afraid of the Dark, but he got his start on the Canadian series Student Bodies. His last acting role was in 2004 when he appeared on Stargate: Atlantis, but he didn’t leave the small screen for long. Ross became a weather anchor for various news programs in Canada and appeared as a weather man until 2014. He currently works as a meteorologist for Global Toronto.
Source: Nickelodeon
2. Soleil Moon Frye
Soleil Moon Frye was a part of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch series after her sitcom Punky Brewster garnered her a following of fans at the ripe old age of 2. Once the Nickelodeon series came to an end, Frye went on to do voice work in several series’ including Planet Sheen and Robot Chicken, and she hosted Home Made Simple until 2014. In November 2015, she announced that she and her husband, Jason Goldberg, are expecting their fourth child!
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
1. Jason Zimbler
From 1991-1994 Jason Zimbler was a beloved member of the Nickelodeon club and starred in Clarissa Explains It All as Ferguson Darling. Unfortunately that program was the height of his acting career. In 2007, he opened his own theatre company The Re-Theatre Instrument in Portland, Oregon, but his real passion seems to be with computers and since 2011 he’s been working for HBO as a software designer.
Source: Courtesy of Nickelodeon
