Dylan Sprouse Reflects on His Childhood Acting Career

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse recently shared his thoughts on his career as a child actor. Speaking on his podcast “Wildmen,” the 34-year-old discussed the pressures faced by young actors with co-host Brendan Columbus and guest Mark Indelicato. Sprouse equated his past acting experiences to child labor.

“I definitely want to discuss with him how he’s coped growing up in the industry because, essentially, it’s child labor,” Dylan stated. “When you work at that age, some kids once worked in coal mines at 15, while we sang and danced. It’s still child labor!”

He noted his continued “mental hurdles” in the entertainment industry, finding it hard to be “in the same industry I’ve been in forever.” He added, “I act like a kid anyway. I wonder if I’m always chasing that.”

Sprouse and Indelicato, who starred on “Ugly Betty,” compared child acting to a “full office job.” Sprouse described the experience as having a “workaholic attitude.” “When you’re working on television, it’s a day job. You go in, clock in, clock out,” he said. “It’s different, but it’s the same hours. You work it like that.”

Dylan and his twin brother Cole first appeared in films at six, sharing the role of Julian in “Big Daddy” with Adam Sandler. They gained fame as Zack and Cody on Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and its spin-off. After these roles, Dylan pursued studies in video game design at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

Returning to acting post-graduation in 2015, Dylan discussed feeling a “void” after projects ended, impacting his self-esteem. “It feels like my self-esteem was tied integrally to my ability to work and be on set,” he explained.

Cole Sprouse has also spoken on their mother’s decision to initiate their acting careers. On “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, he mentioned, “It made financial sense for her.” He added, “My father wanted us to be normal kids, but my mother envisioned something different. When my father gained custody, we lost much from our early career.”