Even over two and a half decades since its debut, the affection for “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” continues to resonate deeply with Philip Rhys Chaudhary, much like an impactful cosmic shockwave.
Although he currently cherishes his role as superstar Proto Zoa in the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie and 2001’s “Zenon: Zequel,” he was content for a while to put aside his gravity-defying character from the past.
In an exclusive interview with TopMob News during his almost three-decade acting and directing journey, Phillip expressed that at some point he realized he couldn’t solely be identified as being associated with the show “Zenon“, because he was also on the popular series “24” which received a SAG nomination, and had numerous other projects after that. However, this one particular project seemed to resonate with a specific audience in a profound way, and he felt it was important to acknowledge its impact.
He was hesitant to discuss his time at DCOM, and the reason for that is straightforward: “I had no desire to merely discuss Zenon,” he clarified. “However, I don’t mind it now. I truly enjoy revisiting those memories.
More than anything it’s a bemusing part of his life.
He shared that while other jobs or projects he’s been a part of may have come about for various reasons, Proto Zoa stands out as something unique – it has certainly gained him notoriety, but he can’t directly attribute it to landing subsequent job opportunities. Yet, he’s delighted to bask in the strange yet iconic fame associated with this role. In simpler terms, he enthusiastically admitted that playing a character like Proto Zoa, which holds such significance for some people, is an opportunity he wouldn’t want to miss.
His affection for Proto Zoa and that particular period in his life is profound, not merely because he played a role in metamorphosing the character into the iconic platinum blonde, spiky-haired Microbe frontman who mesmerized a generation of Disney viewers. The Full Monty actor acknowledged that the character was initially penned with a more subdued Sting-like quality, but he chose to interpret it differently.
Instead, he drew inspiration from Oasis and another recent rocker role he had completed, applied it to Proto Zoa, and found favor in his interpretation, as evidenced by their response. “I got the job the next week,” he recalled, “but the character wasn’t written as English, with spiky hair, or any of those traits. It was a bit tamer. I gave him a rock ‘n’ roll makeover.
He thoroughly enjoyed having platinum-blond hair, despite needing to report to work as early as 3:30 a.m. in order to maintain the style.
He elaborated, “What makes the job enjoyable is that it allows me to transform ideas into reality. I have all these concepts, and then I collaborate with incredibly skilled individuals who bring them to life. When I put on that outfit, there’s just something about it that makes me feel a little more groovy.
At that very instant, producer Suzanne de Passe and the other creative minds got a glimpse of him performing – if you will.
Looking at me with my apparent lack of dance skills, she and her team seemed to question how I would fit in. They then suggested to the rest of the band that they handle all the complex dance moves like chassé, jeté, etc., while I focus on simple steps like left-right foot movements and some hip shakes. This strategy turned out to be successful.
It helped that he was a fan of “Supernova Girl” right from the start.
The day before, I needed to memorize the words, but they were easily memorable. As I heard them, I exclaimed, ‘There’s something here, without a doubt!’ Even the second one, ‘Galaxy Is Ours,’ I found enjoyable and engaging.
As a die-hard enthusiast, I must admit, not every actor colleague, particularly those engrossed in “heavy dramas,” quite grasped the essence of Zenon when it was proposed. Yet, my friend Phillip, he surely did!
The first time we watched that movie, it was screened at Disney with a packed audience, and it seemed successful to us. At the time, I was young and unaware that success wasn’t always guaranteed. I remember thinking, ‘I believe this film worked well, I think I did a good job in it.’ But it took some time for it to air. The delay was because it wasn’t available on a streaming service for everyone to access easily.
In 2004, Nathan Anderson took over Philip’s role as Proto Zoa in “Zenon: Z3,” since Philip was occupied with “Nip/Tuck” at the time. However, he expresses a desire to reprise his role in the future.
The former “Survivor” contestant suggested that he is now managing things independently. He has embraced a more minimalist approach, focusing on acoustic music, like a pared-down, simpler version of ‘Zoom Zoom Zoom.’
On Earth, Philip has remained active, working not only in front of the camera but also behind it. This multifaceted role includes directing a feature adaptation of his 2015 award-winning film The Scarecrow, featuring the talented Sandra Oh.
He hinted that arrangements were being made for financing it. “It’s an enchanting romantic drama,” he mentioned. “Besides this, there’s another script I want to film in the UK, and later on, I’ll be filming a feature within a few months.
Apart from that, he managed to balance it all while starring in the FX series “The Full Monty”. He found a harmonious blend between his artistic ventures, acknowledging, “I discovered I could handle both.
In a more casual and clear manner, this sentence could be rephrased as: He recognizes Zenon’s earlier works, including his own, have contributed to his current responsibilities in managing the chapter.
Phillip commented on your speedy work on Disney productions – the films we managed to produce in a short span of time. He observed that the acting enhances the direction, and the direction improves the acting. You seem to grasp how a movie set operates. You’re adept at communicating with actors, engaging them for the perfect shot, then moving on swiftly.
He commented, “Time is such a crucial aspect when you’re directing, and the key variable are always the actors – as expected, since their actions aren’t simply ‘1+1,’ but something more complex. Consequently, it was beneficial preparation.
For more insights into the Zenon films, keep reading…
1. In January 23, 1999, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century premiered on Disney Channel, marking the sixth Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) to be released after Northern Lights, Under Wraps, You Lucky Dog, Brink!, and Halloweentown.
2. Greetings! Let’s dive into the story that kick-started it all. This film was adapted from the 1996 book Zenon: Girl of the Twenty-First Century by Marilyn Sadler.
3. The helm of this production-better known as the movie’s director-was Kenneth Johnson, who has an extensive portfolio including DCOM Don’t Look Under the Bed, the TV show The Bionic Woman, and the sci-fi franchise Alien Nation.
4. Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century takes place in the year 2049. Are you ready for a mind-blowing fact? That’s just 25 years away!
1. Kirsten Storms seemed destined for stardom from the get-go, and her first lead role wasn’t her only one. Following her appearances in “Zenon: The Zequel” and “Zenon: Z3,” she also starred on popular shows like “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital.”
2. Initially, Kirsten didn’t secure the role of Zenon right away. In an interview with PeopleTV during a 2020 virtual cast reunion, she revealed that she auditioned for the part several times before getting the call that she had won it.
3. Interestingly, Kenneth originally wanted to cast Raven Symoné as the lead, as she had more acting experience at the time. The filmmaker shared this during a 2021 episode of “The Kulturecast,” stating that he wanted Raven for the role because she was established and well-known in the industry. She portrayed Zenon’s best friend Nebula instead.
1. Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century marked Raven’s debut in a Disney Channel Original Movie, propelling her further into stardom. Apart from Z3, she graced our screens on Disney series That’s So Raven and The Cheetah Girls movies.
2. Stu Krieger was the mastermind behind all Zenon movies, so don’t bother searching galaxies to find his other works. His collection of DCOMs extends to Smart House, Phantom of the Megaplex, Gotta Kick It Up!, and Going to the Mat. He’s also written films such as The Land Before Time, A Troll in Central Park, and Monkey Trouble.
3. So yes, it was Stu who filled Zenon movies with their interstellar jargon. As for where “Cetus-Lupeedus” came from? (Yes, that’s indeed the correct spelling.) According to him, Zenon lived on a space station and could only see stars and constellations outside her windows, including Cetus, which means whale in English. Hence, her catchphrase was “Cetus-Lupeedus”.
4. Kirsten claimed not to have a favorite catchphrase from the movie, but there were numerous humorous lines that she adored. As she shared with PeopleTV, “I think all of her lingo, clearly, was so unique. I really like ‘sweat minor’ and saying anything ‘major.'”
12. As a die-hard enthusiast, I can’t help but share that “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” wasn’t just inspired by its namesake book; it also drew creative sparks from another tale. In a separate video on social media, the screenwriter himself confessed that he landed the job for this movie by proposing it as an interstellar spin-off of “Eloise at the Plaza.”
13. To breathe life into the script with a touch of futurism, I made a beeline to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. There, I spent hours conversing with various scientists about their ongoing projects. As I reminisced on TikTok, my conversations were guided by the question, ‘If we’re here now, where will we be in X years?’ This curiosity shaped a lot of the technology depicted in the movie.
14. The cast and crew embarked on a global adventure to bring these movies to life. The original “Zenon” was lensed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “The Zequel” was captured in New Zealand, while “Z3” was filmed in South Africa. Quite the travelogue, wouldn’t you say?
15. Some parts of the movie “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” were filmed at Gregory Smith’s high school, where he actually attended school during his summer breaks. The actor later known for his roles in “Everwood” and “Rookie Blue,” shared this interesting fact with PeopleTV, adding that many of his childhood friends were cast as extras in those scenes.
16. Gregory Smith wasn’t the only significant Earth connection for Zenon. She also formed a bond with her beloved Aunt Judy, portrayed by Holly Fulger. Interestingly, it seems that the actress captured several qualities of her character, including her fear of flying.
17. The song “Supernova Girl” sung by Proto Zoa (Phillip Rhys) from the band Microbe was penned by Kristian Rex and Sabelle Breer. These two have impressive backgrounds in music. Kristian is known for composing the theme song for the TV series “Smart Guy” starring Tahj Mowry, while Sabelle has collaborated with artists like Avril Lavigne and Ryan Cabrera.
18. Philip didn’t have much time to rehearse the song before he performed it for the space station concert scene. When asked about it on PeopleTV, he said, “I think I learned the song only the night before.” The choreographer was reportedly Michael Jackson’s choreographer. Additionally, dancing wasn’t really Philip’s strong suit. He admitted, “I’m not much of a dancer, and I have two left feet. So I was trying to remember both the song they gave me and the dance moves.”
19. Contrary to his signature spiky hairdo, Proto Zoa’s hairstyle wasn’t initially planned. Philip explained, “I wanted to do something different, so we went with the peroxide blonde, spiky hair look. But it wasn’t written that way in the script.”
20. If you’ve watched all the Zenon movies, you know that Philip was in the first and second films but not the third. The reason for this is that he was busy shooting Nip/Tuck at the time. In an interview with HuffPost in 2018, he said, “I was working on Ryan Murphy’s first major project, and I couldn’t leave it.” As a result, Nathan Anderson took over his role in Zenon: Z3. Philip added, “I met him through a friend, and he’s a great guy. It must have been tough for him to step into the role. He’s American, had to do an English accent as well – that’s a challenging task.
Besides ‘Supernova Girl,’ Donald Markowitz and Stu also created ‘The Galaxy Is Ours’ for the movie _The Zequel_. This is the sole songwriting credit he received during his career.
1. Instead of space suits, the costume designer Linda Matheson opted for neon and spandex for Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. Mona May, known for Clueless, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, and Enchanted, handled the looks for The Zequel and Z3.
2. If there’s a strong demand for more Zenon content, you might be interested to know that there were supposedly plans for a movie and TV show.
3. Stuart Pankin, also known as Commander Plank, mentioned on the Back to the Best podcast in 2020 that there were discussions about a Zenon series and movie. However, some event (possibly 9/11) hindered these plans.
4. If you want to watch the Zenon movies again, you can stream them on Disney+. Kirsten’s daughter Harper, at the age of 5, watched the film for the first time.
5. Harper, who was 5 at the time, got a bit confused because Kirsten’s performance was so good that she initially thought her mother was actually Zenon off-screen.
6. They had to clarify to Harper that Kirsten wasn’t really Zenon in real life when Kirsten left her.
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2025-08-29 00:17