It’s no secret that The Disney Channel has a knack for pumping out child stars that take over TV, film, music and your child’s bedroom walls at an amazing rate. Those teen and tween stars become some of the most successful stars on the planet, making Disney the go-to place for all things cool to kids.
So, what’s Disney secret?
Recycling.
The Disney Channel casts and recast their core actors in every role they can put them in, and when they age out, or move on, there is another line of already popular actors to take their place. Here’s how they do it:
Make a successful show.
Take the main character of that show, and expand their brand into other areas: Disney Channel movies, other Disney Channel shows, merchandise, music, big screen movies and so on.
Develop new show.
Take side kick actors from first show (little brothers, best friends, annoying neighbor) because kids already recognize them from another show they love, and cast them as leads in the new show. What do you have? An instant following.
Expand those character’s brands
And you have another star.
Sometimes the order or direction is different but the cycle is just the same.
Skeptical? Get ready for a twisted web of tween Disney stars.
Let’s start with
Miley Cyrus
She started on Hannah Montana, which quickly exploded into a tween phenomenon. Disney slowly introduced us to the real Miley in order to help kick off her music career and make the transition into other areas. She has movies. She has CDs. She has books. She has a clothing line. She has blossomed into a mini-jack of all trades and is getting old enough that her career will move beyond the channel, so Disney has already started to cover its bases.
Emily Osment
Who plays Lily, Hannah’s best friend on Hannah Montana, has just come out with her first CD All the Right Wrongs and is making her publicity rounds.
Who plays Oliver, Hannah’s other best friend, has also just come out with a self titled CD, and has landed his own DisneyXD show, Pair of Kings, with Doc Shaw, who not surprisingly, is also on The Suite Life on Deck, another Disney show.
She starred in Disney’s Camp Rock movie with The Jonas Brothers heart throb Joe Jonas, then with other Disney star, Selena Gomez in the movie Princess Protection Program, and then landed her own Disney show, Sonny With a Chance. She also released two CD’s including the latest, Here We Go Again.
Selena Gomez
Stars on Disney’s hit TV show, The Wizards of Waverly Place, which was also turned into a movie, and has a CD Kiss and Tell on the market. Joe from Camp Rock and The Jonas Brothers also stars with his brothers on the Disney show, JONAS.
Okay, I’m going to stop there because I could go forever.
Disney, you are tricky, but I figured you out. Find out what the kids like, and give it to them 24-7 from their TVs, movie screens, computers and DVD players. Then, have another young group of familiar faces ready to their place when they age out. It’s not a new idea, but Disney definitely does it better than anyone around. Genius, Disney, but come on, give some other aspiring kid actors a chance!
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