Jessie’s Karan Brar Details Debby Ryan’s “Perfect” Motherhood Journey

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Debby Ryan‘s whole world has been changin’ since becoming a mom.

Karan Brar is incredibly impressed. Five months after Debby Ryan and her husband, Josh Dun, welcomed their daughter, Felix Winter Dun, her Jessie co-star shared a look at how she’s adjusting to being a new mom.

Karan shared with TopMob News at the Asian American Foundation’s 2026 Heritage Month Awards Dinner on May 14th that he’s been aware of Debby and Josh’s relationship since he was 14 years old. He described watching their relationship grow as ‘really cool’ and ‘beautiful,’ noting how well their lives and backgrounds blended together.

His favorite part about Debby becoming a mom?

He described how wonderful it was, saying, “It’s amazing to watch them truly begin living their best lives.”

Even though the Disney show finished over ten years ago after running for four seasons, Karan—who played Ravi Ross—has remained close to Debby and continued to rely on her support.

I was so thrilled to see Debby Ryan show her support for her boyfriend, Jesse, and his co-star, Peyton List! She even brought her daughter along with her to see their Off-Broadway show in New York City back in March. It was such a sweet and supportive gesture, and really made my day as a fan!

Karan shared with TopMob at the TAAF event celebrating AAPI leaders that he and his family had met Felix, whom he described as “the cutest baby in the world,” especially admiring her cheeks.

I was so thrilled to see Debby at Karan and Peyton’s celebration – it meant the world to them! But I also learned something amazing. Apparently, Debby was a huge support to Karan during his first stage play, Data. He actually said she really guided him through it, and I can totally see why – she’s just that kind of person. It was lovely to hear how she helped him shine!

I asked Debby for advice by sending her voice messages—they were probably longer than they needed to be, I joked—and she gave me a really helpful reply.

She gave me some really helpful advice. I was feeling really stressed and anxious, and she told me, ‘Just let yourself feel those feelings and move forward.’ It was exactly what I needed to hear.

Debby, who married the drummer from Twenty One Pilots in 2019, showed she’ll always be close to the Ross family.

I recently visited New York City with my former Jessie costars, Kevin Chamberlain and Peyton Karan. It was a full-circle moment because they’re both nine years older than I was when we started filming the show, and now I’m nine years older than my character, Jessie! They’ve both moved to NYC and are successfully pursuing theater careers, while I’m now a parent myself.

She simply added, “Family.”

Debby, Karan, and Peyton aren’t the only former child stars who’ve grown up! Check out what other Disney Channel favorites are doing now.

Clayton Snyder first became known for playing Ethan Craft in the Hilary Duff comedy series. After that, he stepped away from acting to finish school and play water polo at Pepperdine University. He did appear in an episode of NCIS in 2014, but now he works in real estate.

He doesn’t avoid talking about his time as a young actor, though. He told TopMob News that some clients recognize him while he’s showing them houses and are surprised to find out who he is. He actually enjoys that reaction, as it shows they chose him for his professional skills, not just his past fame – it’s a win-win situation.

Oh my gosh, Adam Lamberg! Seeing him as Gordo was EVERYTHING, and I was so thrilled when I heard he was in When Do We Eat? and Beautiful Loser! It’s amazing to me that before becoming Gordo, he actually went to UC Berkeley and got a degree in Geography! Can you believe it? Then he went back to school again and got a Master’s from Baruch College! I was SO excited for the Lizzie McGuire reboot and to see him back as Gordo, but it’s heartbreaking to hear he’s pretty much retired from acting now. Still, I’ll always have those Gordo moments to cherish!

Lalaine, who played Miranda Sanchez on Lizzie McGuire, saw her career fade after she had to leave the show and the 2003 movie due to filming commitments for the Disney Channel movie You Wish!. She tried to launch a music career, but it wasn’t successful. A planned sequel series, What’s Stevie Thinking?, focusing on Miranda’s younger sister, only filmed a pilot episode. In 2007, she also faced legal trouble and was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, but completed rehab and had the charge removed from her record. While she made a brief appearance in the 2010 film Easy A, she’s now more visible on Instagram than in movies or TV shows. She did star in the film Definition Please, which was released in 2020.

Jake Thomas is best known for playing Matt on the Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire. He continued acting after the show, appearing in series like Cory in the House and guest roles on popular dramas such as ER, House, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and S.W.A.T. He also appeared in the web series Storytellers with YouTuber Joey Graceffa.

In 2018, Jake graduated from Cal State University, Northridge, with a degree in Screenwriting and a minor in Japanese. He now shares his photography and nostalgic photos from his time as a child actor on Instagram.

Camilla Belle started her career with a leading role in the Disney Channel movie Rip Girls in 2000, but took some time off before appearing in the 2006 remake of When a Stranger Calls and the popular 2008 film 10,000 BC.

She briefly dated Joe Jonas, whom she met while filming the Jonas Brothers’ “Lovebug” music video in late 2008 and early 2009. This relationship was even mentioned in Taylor Swift’s song “Better Than Revenge.”

Since then, she’s primarily focused on independent films, including Open Road, Diablo, and the 2017 James Franco film The Mad Whale. Recently, she’s had roles in the TV series Dollface and Law & Order: Organized Crime.

After finishing his role as Max Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place in 2012, Jake T. Austin quickly landed a main part on The Fosters (originally on ABC Family, now Freeform). He played Jesus Foster for two seasons before leaving the show, and Noah Centineo took over the role. He then competed on Dancing With the Stars, but was the first contestant eliminated in season 23. Austin also provided voice work for The Emoji Movie (2017) and the thriller Adverse (2020), which starred Mickey Rourke. Although he wasn’t in the first season of the Wizards of Waverly Place sequel, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, fans are eager to see him appear in the upcoming second season.

Since the end of Wizards of Waverly Place in 2012, David Henrie, who played Justin Russo, has had a different path than some of his co-stars. He didn’t appear in the follow-up movie, The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex, but he’s been in films like Grown Ups 2 and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.

David married Maria Cahill, a former Miss Delaware, in April 2017, and they welcomed their daughter, Pia, in March 2019. Around the time they announced they were expecting, he was arrested at LAX for allegedly carrying a loaded gun in the airport. He apologized for the mistake and received two years of probation and 20 days of community service.

Now a father of three, David is teaming up with Selena Gomez again as an executive producer and star in the new Disney+ series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.

Jennifer Stone is known for reprising her role as Harper Finkle, best friend to Alex Russo, in The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex. She also appeared in the Lifetime thriller High School Possession (2014) and played the Babysitter on Nickelodeon’s Deadtime Stories.

In 2013, Stone was diagnosed with LADA, a form of autoimmune diabetes sometimes called Type 1.5. She later used her film, The In-Between, to help raise awareness about the condition.

 

Jennifer and Wizards costar David DeLuise both host the rewatch podcast Wizards of Waverly Pod. 

 

Feeling nostalgic? Mia Talerico was just 10 months old when she began playing Charlie Duncan on the Disney Channel show Good Luck Charlie, which first aired in April 2010. After the show ended in 2014, she appeared on the YouTube series Mani, starring as Paige in 13 episodes. She also has her own YouTube channel where she creates videos opening and reviewing toys.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always been impressed by multi-talented individuals, and Bridgit Mendler is a perfect example! Most of you probably know her as Teddy Duncan from Good Luck Charlie, but she really blossomed into more mature roles after that. She joined the cast of NBC’s Undateable for a couple of seasons, and then took on parts in Nashville and the Netflix film Father of the Year. You might also remember her in the Netflix series Merry Happy Whatever with Dennis Quaid and Ashley Tisdale. But Bridgit isn’t just an actress – she’s also a musician, having released two albums! And get this – she’s incredibly driven academically. After studying anthropology at USC, she went on to pursue graduate studies at MIT and then law school at Harvard! Most recently, she and her husband, Griffin Cleverly, adopted a four-year-old son, which is wonderful. And if that wasn’t enough, she’s also launched her own tech startup, Northwood Space, focused on building ground stations for satellite data – talk about a powerhouse!

Since the last Cheetah Girls movie aired in 2008, Raven-Symone and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton have continued to be well-known through acting and hosting. However, Kiely Williams, who was also in the group 3LW, has lived a somewhat different life.

After appearing in The House Bunny in 2008, Kiely had roles in a few films, including Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale and Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming (both 2010), and Holla II (2013). She married Brandon “BJ” Cox in December 2016, with Sabrina Bryan from Cheetah Girls as a bridesmaid. As a mom of two, Kiely briefly returned to television in 2017, appearing on Celebrity Family Feud with Sabrina as part of the Girl Group team.

Following the 2008 release of Cheetah Girls: One World, Sabrina Bryan worked as a correspondent for TopMob News during the eighth season of Dancing With the Stars in 2009. She had previously competed on the show, finishing sixth three seasons earlier. In 2012, she returned to Dancing With the Stars as an All-Star contestant, but was again eliminated in sixth place, exactly five years after her first elimination, despite receiving perfect scores.

Beyond Dancing With the Stars, Sabrina has also done voice work for the Disney Channel animated series Fish Hooks. In 2011, she and Kiely Williams launched a web series called Dinner With Friends. She married Jordan Lundberg, a strategic accounts manager, on October 6, 2018, after dating for nine years. Currently, Sabrina is tapping into the nostalgia for Disney Channel Original Movies with her iHeartPodcast, Magical Rewind, co-hosted with Will Friedle.

Ryan Merriman first gained popularity starring in the Disney Channel movie Smart House in 1999, and continued to appear in several DCOMs like The Luck of the Irish and A Ring of Endless Light. He then moved into more mature roles, including appearances in horror films such as Halloween: Resurrection, The Ring Two, and Final Destination 3. From 2010 to 2014, he played Ian Thomas in 16 episodes of Pretty Little Liars, and also had a supporting role in the 2013 Jackie Robinson biopic, 42. He continues to act, primarily in independent films.

Merriman married Micol Duncan in 2004, but they divorced in 2011. He announced his engagement to Kristen McCullen on January 1, 2012, and they married in 2014.

Kirsten Storms became a popular face on Disney Channel from 1999 to 2004, starring in the Zenon movies, Johnny Tsunami, and providing a voice for Kim Possible. However, she also started her adult acting career during this time, joining Days of Our Lives on NBC in 2000 and appearing in 410 episodes over four years.

After a brief attempt at a primetime role in the 2004 CBS baseball drama Clubhouse, she returned to soap operas in 2005, playing Maxie Jones on General Hospital until 2023 – a role she appeared in over 1,100 times!

In 2011, she briefly appeared in the reality TV series Dirty Soap, which followed the lives of soap opera stars. In August 2013, she and General Hospital co-star Brandon Barash revealed they had secretly married in June and were expecting a baby. Their daughter, Harper Rose Barash, was born on January 7, 2014. The couple later filed for divorce in April 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.

Erik von Detten became a teen idol in 1998 with his role in the Disney Channel movie Brink!. He stayed busy after that, providing voices for the animated series Recess, playing John Bryant in The Princess Diaries, and starring in the spooky Disney Channel show So Weird (1999-2001). He even ventured into early reality TV, competing on the first celebrity season of The Mole, and appeared in short-lived series like Dinotopia and Complete Savages. More recently, he revisited a familiar character, reprising his role as Sid in Toy Story 3 – a character he originally played in the first Toy Story movie in 1995. Today, Erik works in sales for a finance company and is a father to two children with his wife, Angela.

Raviv Ullman, known for playing Phil in the Disney Channel series Phil of the Future from 2004 to 2006, later moved into more mature roles. He appeared in shows like Big Love and House (starting to use his real name in 2006), and had a regular role on the Lifetime comedy Rita Rocks from 2008 to 2009. More recently, he was in an episode of Broad City in 2015 and had a recurring role in the web series Strangers in 2018. Between 2012 and 2018, he also performed in several stage productions, and from 2013 to 2014, he played drums for Zoe Kravitz’s band, Lolawolf. In 2022, he told TopMob News that he had just finished directing an opera at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Oh my gosh, Kimberly J. Brown is Marnie Piper! I still remember the first time I saw Halloweentown in 1999 – she was just magical alongside Debbie Reynolds! It was such a phenomenon, and of course, we all wanted more, which is why the sequels were amazing. But honestly, I was SO upset when they recast her in Return to Halloweentown with Sara Paxton. It just wasn’t the same, and everyone agrees it’s the weakest film. It’s a little sad that she didn’t have a ton of other big roles, though she did pop up in things like Be Cool and a few episodes of Low Winter Sun, and she was on General Hospital and Guiding Light for a while. But you know what’s really cool? After college, she started this Etsy shop called CraftilyCreative where she sells the cutest stuff, including Halloweentownthemed goodies! And she even co-wrote a children’s book, Poppin’s Pumpkin Patch Parade! But the BEST news? She married Daniel Kountz – her Halloweentown* co-star! It’s like a real-life fairytale ending for Marnie and Kal, and I’m seriously so happy for them!

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly things can change in the entertainment industry, and Mitchel Musso’s story is a perfect example. Many of you probably remember him as Oliver from Hannah Montana alongside Miley Cyrus – he was a really popular face on Disney Channel for a while. He was even poised for even bigger things, landing the lead in Pair of Kings and hosting PrankStars as Hannah Montana wrapped up. Unfortunately, a DUI arrest in 2011 – when he was just 20 – derailed that momentum. He was let go from Pair of Kings and PrankStars was canceled. He continued to work, doing some independent films and voice work on Milo Murphy’s Law, but things were never quite the same. Sadly, in 2023, he faced further legal trouble with an arrest for public intoxication and theft in Texas. It’s a reminder that even those who seem to have it all can face challenges and setbacks.

Jason Earles, best known for playing Miley Stewart’s older brother Jackson on Hannah Montana, was surprisingly 29 when the show started – much older than the 10th-grade character he portrayed! He was 34 when the series ended. He quickly moved on to Disney XD’s Kickin’ It, where he played Rudy for four seasons, a role more suited to his age, until 2015. More recently, since 2018, he’s been on the Brat series Hotel Du Loone, which you can find on YouTube, and he joined season three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Jason married Katie Drysen in August 2017.

Kyle Massey first became known for playing Cory Baxter on the Disney Channel series That’s So Raven from 2003 to 2007, which led to his own spin-off show, Cory in the House, lasting until 2008. Since then, he’s appeared in various roles, including recurring parts on The Electric Company and voice work on animated series like Fish Hooks and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also competed on Dancing With the Stars and Celebrity Family Feud.

In 2018, reports circulated that he would join the cast of The Hills: New Beginnings, but Massey later confirmed these rumors were false.

In 2021, Massey was charged with a felony related to communication with a minor. His lawyer stated the charges were a resurfacing of previously dismissed allegations and that Massey believes they are an attempt at extortion. The attorney indicated Massey intends to vigorously defend himself against the accusations and pursue legal action against those spreading them.

A.J. Trauth started his career with roles as Twitty on Even Stevens (2000-2003) and as Josh Mankey on Kim Possible. He then appeared in guest roles on popular TV shows like 7th Heaven, House, Ghost Whisperer, CSI, and Bones through 2012.

More recently, he’s worked on independent films and provided voice acting for the video games Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. He became engaged to actress Leah Pipes in February 2014 after dating for nearly three years, and they married that December. However, they later divorced by 2019.

Christy Carlson Romano became well-known for her roles as Ren Stevens in Even Stevens and Kim Possible. She also starred with Hilary Duff in the Disney Channel movie Cadet Kelly. In 2004, she transitioned to Broadway, playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast for 31 weeks, and later joined the cast of Avenue Q in 2008.

Beyond acting, Christy is a multi-talented artist. She wrote a novel called Grace’s Turn in 2007 and directed the film Christmas All Over Again in 2016. She also earned a degree in Film Studies from Barnard College and married writer-producer Brendan Rooney on New Year’s Eve 2013. They have two daughters, with the youngest born in February 2019.

In 2019, Christy revisited her roots with a role in the live-action Kim Possible movie, playing the character Poppy Blu. That same year, she bravely shared her personal struggles with depression and alcohol in a candid essay for Teen Vogue, revealing that despite her successful career, she faced difficult times and sought ways to cope with her feelings.

Brandon Baker began his career with Disney Channel in 1999, starring as Johnny in Johnny Tsunami. After that, he took on smaller roles in shows like Even Stevens, Boston Public, and The Unit while studying at UC Santa Barbara. In 2007, he reprised his role as Johnny in the sequel, Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board. Since then, he’s been in two independent films: The Formula, with Reginald VelJohnson (known from Family Matters), and Up on the Wooftop, where he acted alongside Dennis Haskins (from Saved By the Bell) as Santa Claus.

Alana Austin is best known for her role as Andi Carson in the 2001 Disney Channel movie Motocrossed. The film follows Andi, a talented teenage motocross enthusiast who disguises herself as her injured twin brother to compete in races.

After Motocrossed, Austin appeared in a few television shows, including 7th Heaven, Boston Public, and Cold Case. However, she stopped acting in 2006. She went on to study medicine at USC, and later pursued writing, though she has said acting remained a passion for her. In 2016, she told a fan on Twitter that she was focusing on writing.

Kay Panabaker first gained recognition with a role on Disney Channel’s Phil of the Future, which led to starring roles in several Disney Channel Original Movies like Life is Ruff and Read It and Weep. She even competed in the first Disney Channel Games in 2006 alongside her older sister, Danielle Panabaker. While she later took on more mature roles in the 2009 film Fame and the 2011 TV show No Ordinary Family, Kay decided to step away from acting by 2012. She pursued her passion for animals, studying zoology at UCLA and eventually working as an animal keeper at Disney’s Animal Kingdom by 2016.

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2026-05-15 22:20