For over a decade, the boys from Big Time Rush have been sharing their gift of song with fans. When the Nickelodeon show premiered in November 2009, all four boys showcased their talent and charm, but Kendall Schmidt (who played Kendall on the series) became known as the “leader” of the group.
Before getting his big break on the Big Time Rush series, Kendall — who comes from a family of actors — nabbed a few supporting roles. But everything changed when he made his debut on Nickelodeon. Not only did the Kansas native star on the show for all four seasons, but he started making solo music under the moniker Heffron Drive after Big Time Rush took a break in 2013.
“It’s sort of like a thin line to walk on, because we have a lot of fans who love Big Time Rush and we don’t want to ever disappoint them,” Kendall explained to HuffPost when announcing that the boys were going on a hiatus. “We want them to be fans of individuals whenever we go and do our own things — which I think they are, anyway. But we don’t want to end Big Time Rush in a way that’s going to make them go, ‘Well that f–king sucked.'”
Kendall, just like former band members James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr. and Logan Henderson, eventually went on to pursue solo endeavors. He reunited with old pal Dustin Belt to reprise Heffron Drive. Together, they’ve released two EPs and one full-length record.
Despite his music outside of Big Time Rush, Kendall never forgot where he came from. Over the years, the singer even teased a possible reunion with the boys in multiple interviews.
I’m down, so we just gotta get the other guys,” he said while chatting with CelebSecrets in December 2018. “Why not? Of course! We had a good time … I think everybody’s in.”
Of course, the boys eventually had a mini-virtual reunion in April 2020. Prior to releasing an acoustic version of their song “Worldwide,” Kendall told fans: “It’s a great time to stay connected like we are, it’s a great time to reach out to friends and family, to check in and make sure everyone’s doing OK.”
Big Time Rush officially announced their comeback in 2021 with a tour and promises of more to come.
“It’s a new era! Gotta live it big time,” Kendall captioned one Instagram post.
Scroll through our gallery to see the Big Time Rush member’s total transformation over the years.
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