Looking BackThrowback! Everything Christy Carlson Romano Has Said About Her Disney Channel Days

Hilary Duff Is Like Her Little Sister

“She’s like a little sister,” Christy recalled of her Cadet Kelly costar during an interview with MTV News in March 2017. “Because she’s a little bit younger than me, so we got to get to know one another and become friendly during the rehearsal process.”

She remembered going shopping for handbags when they weren’t playing rivals onscreen. She also weighed in on the fan theory that her character, Jennifer Stone, and Hilary’s Kelly Collins were secretly a couple.

“What I make of that is that this is art. Even if it’s a Disney Channel film, it’s still a piece of art. And the reason why my films and TV shows have done well over time is because they have substantial value that obviously rings true with the fans and fans of all ages,” she explained. “I feel very blessed to have played Jennifer Stone because I do think that if she could have influence over people going through all sorts of different things, then that’s very flattering to me.”

Much More Sheltered Experience

“Back when I was on Disney Channel, it was very different. We didn’t have social media. There was probably dial up internet, Jesus. We didn’t have any of that overexposure,” the actress told BuzzFeed in February 2019.

She then revealed what type of advice she had for the next Disney Channel generation of stars, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.

“Anytime I was asked about Miley Cyrus and when she was starting to, I guess you would say, [go] rogue, but in my opinion, she’s done a really great job of transitioning. It was just, very, you know, her own way,” Christy continued. “I feel like sometimes when [people] go from Disney then they want to put themselves in a completely different light and that can be dangerous. I was always trying to give any advice, like, ‘Hey, be you. Do you. But be protective of yourself. Don’t do anything that you’re going to regret.’”

Where She Stands With Shia LaBeouf

“We were coworkers. We had this really good onscreen chemistry. People assumed we were, in real life, brother and sister. And that in real life, I had an influence over what this guy did,” Christy said in an August 2021 YouTube video titled “Why I Don’t Talk to Shia LaBeouf,” noting the two have not stayed in touch. “I guarantee if I saw him walking on the street, there would be a bond there that is undeniable. When you grow up with somebody in that particular way … you’re bonded together. You can’t help but want to see the person succeed.”

The Deadly Daycare actress revealed that looking back, she does wish she would have become closer with Shia. “The only thing that I can say is that I really do kind of wish — at the time, when I was younger — I would have given him a little more time and energy and love, like a real sister,” she said. “I really do regret that. It kind of makes me sad.”

There Was Jealousy After ‘Even Stevens’

The Broadway star explained in August 2021 that as she watched Shia’s career continue to soar after Even Stevens wrapped — and she took a break from Hollywood to attend college — she felt animosity toward her former costar.

“I was a bit salty. I felt like he had gotten a better agent, a better manager. So I felt kind of jilted by the whole situation,” she admitted during a YouTube episode. “I felt like, here he is making a big splash in Hollywood and here I am. I chose to go to college. … There was definitely an undercurrent of regret but also an undercurrent of comparison. Sibling rivalry, if you will.”

Bye, Bye Money

The former child star insisted she isn’t a millionaire in an August 2021 YouTube video titled “How I Los All My Money.” Christy revealed that she “blew all my Disney money” on extravagant purchases. “I really regret not investing my money wisely,” she explained. “I didn’t get a house, I didn’t take any money and store it away.”

The Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold actress noted that once she left college after less than two years, she had money to burn. (She originally allocated funds to pay for her tuition but ultimately used up her $1 million earnings.)

“I was never told how much money I was making. Money didn’t have a purpose for me, I didn’t really know what it was. I just knew that I had it and didn’t care about it. That’s a problem,” she admitted.

Christy soon learned that money made her feel “confident,” which led to big-ticket purchases, like a car that she “never even drove” or expensive psychic visits. “I was using buying things and money as a weapon,” she added. “My biggest thing about child actors, you aren’t told that the work is going to slow down. In fact, I was told the opposite, specifically by my mom, some of my team, even my money manager at the time.”

Missed Opportunities

While working on Even Stevens, Christy claimed she had the chance to audition for the role of Mia Thermopolis in 2001’s The Princess Diaries, but her TV show obligations got in the way of her actually making it to the gig. Anne Hathaway ultimately scored the part.

“It is almost time for me to leave to go get ready for the audition, and I get called in by the producers and they say, ‘Christy, we don’t have time for you to go to the audition today,'” the mother of two recalled in a video posted to her YouTube channel in September 2021. “At the time, you couldn’t just put yourself on tape. … So if you didn’t show up for the audition, chances are you weren’t gonna get an opportunity. And this was a big one.”

She continued: “It was a big chance, and unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance. … I wanted to do this audition so badly. I don’t know why, but I just knew it could be a big deal for me. I didn’t get that audition. I didn’t get to go because we had to film overtime or something like that. So, sadly, I never got my shot at that.”

Confident Characters

Looking back, Christy remembered her time with Disney as a positive, especially when it came to the women she played, including Kim Possible and Ren Stevens. “I have never really been vulnerable [on screen] because the characters that I’ve portrayed are so put together, and so empowered, and literally saving the world,” she told InStyle in September 2021.

That being said, the Dream Killer actress revealed she likes being herself and sharing her story via her YouTube channel. “I’ve never been able to be myself in front of the camera. Obviously, I’ve struggled just like many people have struggled, but ultimately, I’ve come out with knowledge of how to be a mom and how to get your craft together,” she continued. “So in a way, yeah, I think that my appreciation for these characters has deepened, because I think what they represent is this archetype of a character that can be coming of age but still sticking to their guns.”