Entertainment

11 Nickelodeon Child Stars Who No Longer Act

by Vannessa Jackson

Nickelodeon television shows provided some of the best parts of my childhood. Yes, I count television shows as part of my childhood. Nothing could compare to reenacting the latest All That sketches with my friends, or sitting around watching The Amanda Show. While many of these shows birthed very successful adult actors, not all of the stars went on to star in major blockbusters, and some Nickelodeon stars even quit acting all together. Sadly, the fight to make it in Hollywood just wasn't worth it for some of my favorite characters.

At least I'll always have the memories, not to mention the funny sketches to binge watch on YouTube. Some of them haven't acted since their shows went off the air, while others took a little bit longer to fade out. Eventually, they decided to leave the game and enter a variety of different careers. Of course, the heyday of Nickelodeon shows had to come to an end at some point, and they took some of our favorite stars with it. From weather reporter to musicians, the one constant is they will no longer step in front of the camera. Here's a look at some familiar faces from your childhood that you will no longer see on screen.

1. Jamie Lynn Spears

While she may be most famous for being the sister of pop star Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears had a hot streak of her own on Nickelodeon. First, she starred in the last season of All That, before taking on the role of Zoey Brooks in Zoey 101. Spears has since stepped out of the spotlight to take care of her daughter Maddie and enjoy her new marriage to James Watson.

2. Matthew Underwood

The thorn in Zoey's side was always Logan, played by Matthew Underwood. (Also, what's up with the bad boys being named Logan in every show?) Underwood hasn't had a role in television or film since 2009, but, according to his Instagram, he is still busy with different side projects. There may still be hope for a return to acting.

3. Amanda Bynes

I wish this one weren't true, but we all know what Amanda Bynes has been up to in the last few years. Thankfully, she has been doing much better as of late, though a return to acting likely isn't among her plans for the future.

4. Raja Fenske

Jake Behari was the ultimate heartthrob in Unfabulous. Any time Addie Singer was in a room with him, you knew something hilariously embarrassing was about to go down. Sadly, Fenske's last acting credit was in 2013.

5. Jason Zimbler

Annoying little brothers ruled the '90s, and Ferguson Darling was no exception. This was Zimbler's last role ever, but, with all these '90s comebacks, is it too far fetched to hope for a Clarissa Explains It All reunion?

6. Ross Hull

Are You Afraid of the Dark? was by far the scariest children's show ever. It's been years since it was on the air, and I still get scared. Ross Hull, who played Gary, is now a weather reporter in Canada. However, he took to YouTube in 2014 to reprise his role for this epic video!.

7. Nate Richert

Although this show was originally on ABC, many children, myself included, grew up watching reruns on Nickelodeon. Harvey and Sabrina were the ultimate high school sweethearts, but, unfortunatley, Richert, who played Harvey Kinkle, is no longer acting. He is, however, still playing music in a band.

8. Soleil Moon Frye

Another Sabrina the Teenage Witch alum bites the dust — well, not entirely. While Frye hasn't been seen onscreen recently, she has done a bit of voiceover work on and off since the show went off the air.

9. Scott Halberstadt

He was the king of the nerds on a lot of different kids shows in the early '00s, but most noticeably for his role as Eric on Drake & Josh. However, Halberstadt hasn't acted since a cameo on iCarly in 2010.

10. Christina Kirkman

Christina Kirkman is another All That star who chose to call it quits once the show went off the air. She hasn't been on television or film in nearly a decade, but, if this reel is any indication, she may be looking to change that soon.

11. Simon Curtis

Spectacular! was by far one of my favorite Nickelodeon movies, mainly because it was Nickelodeon's 2009 attempt to follow up the success of what Disney had done with High School Musical. I still find myself humming some of the songs every now and then. I guess Curtis' time in the spotlight was less than spectacular, however, because he has since focused entirely on a musical career and left acting behind.

Goodbye to the Nickelodeon child stars of the past, you will be missed.