Nicholas Braun, Malika Haqq & More You Forgot Were in Sky High

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Before these stars’ careers could reach today’s lofty heights, they had to go sky high.

Over the past twenty years since the July 2005 theater release of Disney’s superhero film “Sky High,” many of its stars have experienced significant career growth and success. (We can’t help but notice how time has flown by!)

In this film, we follow a group of high school students who possess extraordinary abilities, being divided into superheroes or supporting characters based on the strength of their powers. Upon arriving as a new student, Will Stronghold (portrayed by Michael Angarano) is anticipated to shine brightly – his parents Steve Stronghold (Kurt Russell) and Josie Stronghold (the late Kelly Preston), renowned superheroes themselves, set high expectations for him.

It’s quite unexpected that Will, who hasn’t fully demonstrated his powers yet, ends up being assigned to the “Support Hero” faction at the school – essentially, he’s been placed in the role typically associated with a sidekick.

However, the categorization seems somewhat shameful to the Stronghold reputation, but soon Will discovers a band of unanticipated allies and future heroes within his fellow sidekicks. Among them is glow-in-the-dark Zach, portrayed by none other than Nicholas Braun.

As a lifestyle and entertainment expert, I’d like to highlight that my career kickstarted with the role in “Sky High”. Subsequently, I was fortunate enough to be part of Disney Channel Original Movies such as “Minutemen” and “Princess Protection Program”. Later on, you might recognize me from films like “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and, undeniably, the hit series “Succession”.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that while Nicholas charmed America as the endearing yet perilously innocent Cousin Greg, dedicated viewers will forever associate him with his earlier role as Zach, a radiant bleached-blond character illuminated within an air vent.

However, Nicholas wasn’t the sole rising talent who aided Will in his eventual victory over his former love-turned-supervillain, Gwen Grayson (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), as he honored both his parents’ legacies by acquiring superhuman strength and flight abilities.

As an over-the-moon fan, let me tell you about some other faces I’ve grown fond of who join forces with him in his missions. There’s Danielle Panabaker, transforming into the plant-empowered Layla Williams, and then there’s Steven Strait, bringing the heat as the literal firebrand Warren Peace.

In addition to not portraying protagonists in this tale, the movie “Sky High” additionally introduced Malika Haqq and Khadijah Haqq, better known as Khloe Kardashian’s real-life friends, into the mix. They played Penny, a senior cheerleader with the power of self-duplication, who took on an evil role in the story.

However, these aren’t the sole celebrities who made their debut on our screens two decades ago. For a glimpse into what happened to the numerous actors from the movie “Sky High“, continue reading.

Initially, Michael was seen in the shows “Cover Me” and “Will & Grace” as a different character. However, after gaining popularity on Disney, his presence expanded to numerous other projects.

In the television series “This Is Us,” Michael portrayed a younger Nicky Pearson, who is the brother of Jack, played by Milo Ventimiglia. More recently, he has appeared in Peacock’s show titled “Laid.

In the year 2024, Michael appeared in the movie titled “Sacramento,” during which he crossed paths with his subsequent girlfriend, Maya Erskine. Following their encounter on set, Maya went on to cast Michael as the drama teacher character Greg Rosso in her series “Pen15.

Zach, who glows-in-the-dark, walked so that Cousin Greg could walk alongside him. Although it’s true that his role in the show “Succession” is what many recognize him for currently, he has been part of numerous screen projects since his days as a superhero.

Besides Disney’s “Minutemen” and “Princess Protection Program”, Nicholas can also be seen in the movies “How to Be Single” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”. He also starred in “Saturday Night” and “Splitsville”, sharing the screen with Dakota Johnson.

During the early 2000s, Danielle was a regular presence on Disney, appearing in movies like “Stuck in the Suburbs”, “Read It and Weep”, and the 2005 reboot of “Yours, Mine, and Ours”.

After Sky High, Danielle – who married Hayes Robbins in 2017 – wasn’t quite ready to retire from her superhero career. She later took on roles in The Flash as Caitlyn Snow and the character’s alternate persona, Killer Frost.

She and Hayes share two children, whom they welcomed in 2020 and 2022. 

Following her stint as the malevolent character Royal Pain, Mary later appeared in movies like Scott Pilgrim against The World, Final Destination 3, and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

In addition, she appeared in television shows like “Love Death + Robots,” “Passions,” and “Fargo.” Notably, it was during her time on “Fargo” that she met her current husband, Ewan McGregor. Afterwards, the two of them worked together in the 2024 production of “A Gentleman in Moscow.

Since Steven became widely recognized as Warren Peace, he has frequently appeared on TV screens over the years.

A year after Sky High, Steven (who married Daria Zhemkova in 2019 and was previously wed to Lynn Collins from 2007 to 2013) featured in the supernatural film The Covenant. Subsequently, he worked on projects like 10,000 BC and Life Like.

He additionally played the role of Jim Holden in the show “The Expanse” and embodied the character Flynn Calhoun in “Chicago Fire”.

Although Khadijah and Malika have ventured into other projects like Sky High – 20 Years After, ATL and You People following their collaboration, they might be most recognized for their contributions in the realm of reality television.

Close companions of Khloe Kardashian often appeared on the reality shows “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” “Khloe and Lamar,” and even got their own spin-off series, “Side by Side with Malika and Khadijah.” This show aired for one season in 2020.

For a long time before becoming the powerful matriarch in the limelight of Sky High, Kelly was already cherished as a popular figure on various screens.

Among her past works are movies like Jerry Maguire, For Love of the Game, The Cat in the Hat, What a Girl Wants, and Mischief.

In 2020, Kelly, who had been married to John Travolta since 1991, sadly passed away at the age of 57, two years following her diagnosis with breast cancer.

Kurt has been a superhero in the film and TV industry for decades.

Besides his role in the movie “Sky High”, Kurt, Goldie Hawn’s long-term companion, has also appeared in films like “The Thing”, “Tombstone”, “The Hateful Eight”, and “Overboard”.

In 2017, he reappeared within the superhero setting, specifically in the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” There, he portrayed Ego, a highly powerful character, albeit not entirely kind-hearted, who turned out to be Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) father.

Back in the 70s, I was a household name, not as Lynda Carter as you know her today, but as Wonder Woman on television. My journey began when I claimed the title of Miss World USA in 1973, which catapulted me into the limelight.

Apart from Sky High, Lynda has also starred in shows like The Dukes of Hazzard, Hawkeye, Super Troopers, and its sequel, Super Troopers 2.

In addition, she reverted back to her original superhero background in the “Wonder Woman” movies directed by Gal Gadot, as well as the television show “Supergirl”.

After playing Mr. Grayson and Stitches in the movie Sky High, Jim has mainly become recognized for his role as Dean Craig Pelton in Community, working alongside actors Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and Gillian Jacobs.

Apart from that, he has also starred in movies such as “The Way, Way Back,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” and “The Descendants.” Notably, he was a co-writer of “The Descendants” and received an Academy Award for his work on it in 2011.

Previously known as Ron Wilson, the bus driver, Kevin had portrayed Trooper Rod Farva in the 2001 movie “Super Troopers” and its sequel that came out in 2018.

In 2019, I got together once more with my fellow “Super Troopers” star, Steve Lemme, for the TV series “Tacoma FD”. This was a hilarious sitcom that focused on the fire department in one of the country’s wettest cities. We ran for four seasons until it got cancelled in 2023.

Apart from his role as the stretchy character Lash, Jake has also been involved in numerous other projects throughout his career, such as A Bag of Hammers, Fired Up, and Cracking Up.

He also portrayed Hugh Pyne in Twenty Good Years, alongside Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow.

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2025-09-13 15:17