Celebrated by many as one of the defining shows of the 2000s, Lizzie McGuire is still getting much-deserved love two decades later, and it’s easy to see why. Despite the series’ relatively short run from 2001 until 2004, it became an instant classic and changed the life trajectory of a generation of young kids.
Okay, that last part might be an exaggeration, but for those of us who grew up with Lizzie Mcguire, she was an icon. The show’s success spawned The Lizzie McGuire Movie, which in turn gave us the awesome “Sing for me, Paolo,” and we will always appreciate the coming-of-age show for launching Hilary Duff’s career.
Unfortunately for all of Lizzie’s fans, it’s unlikely we’ll see a continuation in the style of iCarly anytime soon. A planned sequel series starring Lizzie and the gang as adults was announced by Disney Plus in August 2019, but any excitement we felt was short-lived. After showrunner and creator Terri Minsky left the project in early 2020, the series fell apart in pre-production. Duff complained on Instagram about not being able to give a realistic portrayal “of a 30-year-old’s journey to live under the ceiling of a PG rating.” Despite hoping the reboot could move over to the more adult-friendly Hulu, it was ultimately shelved. At least we got a virtual table read, which was nostalgic in itself.
Maybe a new show isn’t in the works. Still, we can’t help but wonder where the original cast is now. Here’s a little update on everyone’s whereabouts in light of what could have been.
Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire)
Lizzie McGuire turned Duff into a household name, and she’s had a strong career after her breakout role as the titular Lizzie. She starred in teen classics like Cadet Kelly, A Cinderella Story, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Raise Your Voice. While on the show, Duff launched a music career and went on to release five studio albums in total. Her debut album, Metamorphosis, hit the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart and eventually went triple platinum after selling over 3 million copies. Later, she had a recurring role on the original Gossip Girl and appeared in shows like Raising Hope and Two and a Half Men. In 2021, the singer/actor released Brave Little Girl, a children’s book inspired by her daughter. She currently stars in Hulu’s How I Met Your Father.
Duff has one son from her previous marriage to NHL player Mike Comrie. In 2017, she started dating singer Matthew Koma after they met while working on her album, Breathe In. Breathe Out. Duff gave birth to the couple’s fist daughter in late 2018, and they married in December 2019. The couple welcomed their second child together, Duff’s third, in 2021.
Jake Thomas (Matt McGuire)
After starring as Lizzie’s mischievous younger brother, Jake Thomas continued acting and had roles in shows like Cory in the House, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, ER, and Criminal Minds. He has a degree in screenwriting and Japanese from California State University, Northridge, and he has a career as a photographer and director in addition to acting. Thomas continues to work both in front of and behind the camera and is active on TikTok and Instagram.
Robert Carradine (Sam McGuire)
Before playing Lizzie’s father, Robert Carradine notably starred in the 1984 movie, Revenge of the Nerds, and appeared in the television series, Kung Fu, alongside his famous older brother, David Carradine. After Lizzie McGuire, Robert has continued to act in films such as Django: Unchained and hosted the reality show, King of the Nerds, from 2013 to 2015. In addition to acting, Carradine loves motorcycles and proudly displays his faves on his Instagram.
Hallie Todd (Jo McGuire)
After playing Lizzie’s mom, Hallie Todd took a bit of a break from acting before returning in 2012’s The Moorin, a thriller she co-wrote with her husband, director and producer Glenn Withrow, and daughter, Ivy Withrow. In 2016, she played the role of Carol Clark in An American Girl: Lea to the Rescue. In 2020, she co-starred in the sports film, The Last Champion, which she also co-wrote and co-produced. Todd is an acting teacher and coach, and she co-founded her own production company, In House Media.
Lalaine (Miranda Sanchez)
Lalaine left Lizzie McGuire in 2002 in order to focus on other projects, notably her music career. She released one studio album and an EP under Warner Bros. Records and toured with Radio Disney. After the show, Lalaine starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie, You Wish! and filmed a television pilot for a potential Disney Channel show, What’s Stevie Thinking?. The show would have been a spinoff to Lizzie and co-starred a then-unknown Selena Gomez as Lalaine’s younger sister.
In 2007, Lalaine pleaded guilty after being charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, but the charge was expunged after she completed a rehabilitation program. Since then, Lalaine has appeared in Easy A and the web series, Raymond and Lane.
Adam Lamberg (Gordo)
Adam Lamberg, who played Gordo, retired from acting not too long after the end of the show and keeps a relatively low profile. After Lizzie, Lamberg attended college at UC Berkeley and earned his Masters from Baruch College. He stayed in New York City after getting his MBA and worked at the Irish Arts Center of Manhattan. When the now-cancelled Lizzie reboot was announced, fans of the show were glad to see Lamberg coming out of retirement to reprise his role as Lizzie’s best friend-turned-crush.
Clayton Snyder (Ethan Craft)
After playing the dreamy Ethan Craft on Lizzie, Clayton Snyder continued to act occasionally and has appeared in NCIS, Edgar Allan Poe’s Dinner Party, and New Dogs, Old Tricks. Snyder later attended Pepperdine University and played on the water polo team from 2006 until 2009. He is now a realtor and welcomed hist first child with his wife, Allegra Edwards.
Ashlie Brillault (Kate Sanders)
Ashlie Brillault played Kate Sanders, the mean girl who secretly had a heart of gold. As much as we loved her as Kate, Brillault stopped acting in 2004. She isn’t very active on social media but still expresses love for her time on Lizzie McGuire. She now works as a criminal defense attorney after earning her law degree from the University of Denver. While she never confirmed her involvement in the reboot, Brillault did participate in the virtual table read with the rest of the cast.
