Young stardom can be fascinating to watch. Talents blossom as shoe sizes are still changing, letting viewers in on what it’s like to juggle being a kid and working in the spotlight simultaneously. One television channel that is responsible for a wealth of today’s young adult acting stars is Nickelodeon. From hit 90s shows like All That, Kenan & Kel, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, to more recent ventures like Big Time Rush, iCarly, Sam and Cat, and Victorious, these stars have each seen their acting careers come to life thanks in part to their time working on these shows. The shows featured a variety of genres including comedy, drama and live acting skits, showing the diversity of the actors that worked on the shows. Many Nickelodeon stars even worked on multiple shows for the kid centric channel. Now that their days at Nickelodeon have passed, each of these fifteen Nickelodeon stars has gone on to explore their passions and fine tune their careers. Some have gone on to star in feature length films, others have started families, podcasts, and fashion lines. Some have even expanded their careers to include singing and recording their own albums. Whether they’re still in the acting world or they’ve moved on to other ventures, these 15 former Nickelodeon stars have proven that they have made the best of the chance they were given in acting on the channel’s hit shows. While some stars look drastically different than their younger selves, others have maintained their looks from their younger acting days. Each of these stars show that while Nickelodeon is a great launch pad for a successful acting career, each star can walk away with a unique career path.
15 Ciara Bravo
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Starting on the hit musical television series Big Time Rush at the age of 12, Ciara Bravo made it clear that the show was just the beginning of her budding acting career. Once the show’s four year run was over, Ciara continued acting. Sticking to her television acting roots, the now 18 year old Bravo has had roles in several television films and shows including made for television movies like Swindle and Jinxed as well as the television series Red Band Society with her role as Emma Chota. Ciara may be in the youth of her acting career, but she has proven that she has found a great niche for herself in within the television acting circuit. It will be interesting to see if Ciara expands her acting roles to the silver screen in the future.
14 Nathan Kress
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While you may know actor Nathan Kress as Freddie Benson the hit show iCarly, Kress is no stranger to the acting world. In addition to iCarly’s five year run on Nickelodeon, Kress had roles in other Nickelodeon shows like Drake & Josh and Victorious. Since iCarly wrapped up in 2012, Kress has taken various parts on a variety of television series and has had a role in a feature length film. Some of Kress’s most recent roles include: Pete on the series Mr. Young, Tyler Lang on Major Crimes and Trey in the film Into the Storm. In addition to acting, Kress has been dabbling in other ventures. On his Facebook page, the actor talked about his experience in being selected to participate in the 39th Annual Pro/Celebrity Grand Prix race called Race for Kids.
13 Kendall Schmidt II
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Before his best known role as Kendall Knight on the hit show Big Time Rush, Kendall Schmidt II had various acting roles in both Hollywood films and television roles. Appearing in small roles on hit shows like CSI: MIami, ER, and Fraiser, along with a role in the 2001 sci-fi film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Schmidt has had a healthy array of acting roles in his career. While Schmidt has only taken a couple of acting roles since Big Time Rush wrapped up, he’s kept busy with traveling and trying out new ventures. On his Twitter feed, Schmidt recently noted he was traveling to Mexico City and has been communicating with fans over their support of his efforts in the Q102’s Next Big Thing competition where Schmidt is currently competing as musician.
12 Miranda Cosgrove
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A veteran in the world of both television and film acting, iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove is constantly evolving as an actress. Once iCarly wrapped up in 2012, Cosgrove lent her voice in the hit sequel Despicable Me 2 as the voice of Margo. Cosgrove also appeared in A Mouse Tale and The Intruders. On her Twitter and Instagram pages (@mirandacosgrove), Miranda has been sharing her life of traveling and filming for her upcoming television show Crowded. From candid photos out in nature to ATV riding on trips to Mexico, Cosgrove appears to be maintaining a good balance between her work life and personal life.
11 Christine Taylor
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Christine Taylor played Melody Hanson on the early 90s Nickelodeon show Hey Dude. The show focused on the lives of Melody and her friends working on a ranch called Bar None. While the show only had a two year run, Taylor’s momentum has never slowed. Taylor went on to work on roles in Saved by the Bell, The Brady Bunch Movie, Friends, Arrested Development and recently wrapped up a role in Zoolander 2. Now a mother of two and wife (to fellow actor Ben Stiller), Christine seems to have it all — health, beauty, a solid career and a beautiful family.
10 Michael Bower
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The short lived but comedy infused 90s show Salute Your Shorts focused on a group of friends making mischief and having fun at summer camp. Salute Your Shorts star Michael Bower, who portrayed Eddie ‘Donkeylips’ Gelfen has continued working in television while also expanding to feature length films. Bower has appeared in roles on shows like California Dreams, The X-Files, and Monk, and in films including Dude, Where’s My Car? and Evolution. From his diverse acting roles and lending his voice to video games like Star Wars: The Old Republic, Bower offers entertaining roles that are funny, dramatic and memorable.
9 Danny Tamberelli
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As a star on one of the mid 90s most popular Nickelodeon shows The Adventures of Pete & Pete, actor Daniel (Danny) Tamberelli has shown us his comedic nature for decades. After a four year run on The Adventure of Pete & Pete, the actor went on to appear in The Magic School Bus series, a 20th Anniversary reunion for The Adventures of Pete & Pete, and has done a voice appearance in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto V. Today, Tamberelli is focusing his career on his comedic performances with his sketch comedy group Manboobs which preforms regularly in New York City.
8 Jennette McCurdy
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Best known for her roles on iCarly and Sam & Cat, Jennette McCurdy has always had a memorable girl-next-door look. After her Nickelodeon stardom, McCurdy has gone on to appear in various television series including The Penguins of Madagascar and Between. McCurdy regularly interacts with her fans on her various social media accounts, sharing her life as a young twenty something star. McCurdy has even discussed how her various roles have changed her opinions on personal makeup preferences, as noted in a recent interview for the website Into the Gloss. Currently, McCurdy is filming for a new indie thriller film Pet, which is a clear departure from her more wholesome, family friendly roles.
7 Michael C Maronna
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Playing the older brother known as Big Pete Wrigley on Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Michael C Maronna was just getting his footing in television acting. With prior appearances in the films Home Alone and Home Alone 2, Maronna proved early on that he was a comedic actor willing to prove himself despite being young. Since his Nickelodeon days, Maronna has gone on to appear in hit shoes including Gilmore Girls, Law and Order, and Ugly Betty. Maronna also had a small role in the film Men In Black 3 and most recently appeared in the television series Elementary. While Michael isn’t always looking for the spotlight on social media, he has remained close with his co-star and on screen brother Danny Tamberelli. The two even have a podcast called “The Adventures of Danny and Mike”.
6 Amy Jo Johnson
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Amy Jo Johnson was a sweet New England native who came onto the show Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers to play the popular Pink ranger Kimberly Hart. Known for her character’s spunky yet kick-butt attitude, Johnson quickly became a fan favorite. After her days on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Johnson went on to appear in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Felicity, The Division, and Flashpoint. Most recently, Johnson played Hayley Price on Covert Affairs and has been promoting her latest upcoming film titled The Space Between on her Twitter account (@_amyjojohnson). Despite the passing of decades, Johnson has maintained her youthful, charming look as she’s diversified her acting career.
5 Ariana Grande
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Ariana Grande was a fast rising star on Nickelodeon’s hit shows Victorious and Sam and Cat. After the 2014 wrap up of Sam & Cat, Grande went on to appear in the television series Scream Queens. While still acting, Grande has shifted the focus of her career from acting to singing. With songs like “One Last Time” off her album My Everything, which Billboard lists as peaking at number 13 on the pop chart, and her song “Break Free” off the same album coming in at number four, Grande has proven she is a force to be reckoned with in the pop music arena.
4 Kel Mitchell
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When Kel Mitchell came onto the scene in Nickelodeon’s series Kenan & Kel, he had a healthy array of acting roles in various television shows, including appearances on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Sister Sister. It was easy to see why Nickelodeon paired up Kel Mitchell with fellow actor Kenan Thompson, their chemistry was almost palpable. The two comedic actors were goofy and relatable. After Kenan & Kel and appearing as a regular on Nickelodeon’s All That, Mitchell appeared in the television series One on One as Manny, Nite Tales: The Series as Marty Mac, and has had various feature film roles including James Mason in the film First Impression and Javon in the film Who Can I Run To. Going back to his Nickelodeon roots, Kel Mitchell will host the channel’s new show Game Shakers, premiering in September 2015.
3 Kenan Thompson
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An actor who’s seen many success over his acting career, Kenan Thompson is an actor who’s hard to forget. Getting his break with Nickelodeon shows like Kenan & Kel, and All That, Thompson showed he was a talent to take note of. After his Nickelodeon days, Thompson went on to appear in films like Snakes on a Plane, and Wieners. In the television world, Thompson has been a regular contributor on Saturday Night Live and The Awesomes. Currently, Thompson is working on two films, Rock Dog and Brother in Laws, which are both currently filming. Thompson also has a wife (Christina Evangeline) and young daughter (Georgia Marie Thompson).
2 Amanda Bynes
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The world of television acting was kind to young Amanda Bynes. Appearing on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show, All That, and voice acting for the channel’s popular animated series Rugrats, Bynes took on her acting career with full force. Later, Bynes took on feature film roles in Sydney White and Easy A. Despite a very public and confusing downward spiral of untreated mental health problems, Bynes stepped out of the spotlight for a while to get herself some much needed treatment. While Bynes has remained quiet about getting past her erratic Twitter posting days and unstable behavior, the young star is making more of an effort to get out and enjoy time with her friends while sporting a much more healthy and youthful look on life.
1 Melissa Joan Hart
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Sweetheart girl next door Melissa Joan Hart was the star of one of Nickelodeon’s hit 90s shows Clarissa Explains it All. Hart has gone on to appear in several shows, including Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Robot Chicken, and most recently, the comedy series Melissa & Joey. In addition to her acting career, Hart has launched a clothing line called King of Hearts with her husband Mark Wilkerson. According to the King of Hearts website, the couple was inspired by their three sons to create stylish boys clothing options that would be both attractive and practical. Juggling regular acting roles,working on a budding fashion line, being a wife and mother of three keeps Melissa Joan Hart busy every day.
Sources people.com, intothegloss.com, billboard.com
