Whatever Happened To Alyson Stoner?

Original movies and a crowd-pleasing remake were cornerstones of Alyson Stoner's screen domination in the 2000s, and they capitalized on that with sequels and other franchise installments. Stoner returned to the Baker family dinner table in 2005's "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," which finds Sarah's family navigating a summer vacation while facing the rival Murtaugh family. Both films became well-known family titles, and it's a piece of cinema that Stoner and much of the star-studded cast have revisited. @hilaryduff Co-star Hilary Duff posted a video on Instagram in 2020, showing clips of the grown-up Baker children recreating scenes from the first film.

Stoner told Cosmopolitan that they were working on "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" when director Adam Shankman talked to them about a dance movie he was working on called "Step Up." "It was almost like a fun, spontaneous favor instead of this professional-sounding gig ... We didn't even have a strict script on our scenes," they said about their time playing Camille Gage in the acclaimed film. Camille's dance moves later jumped off the screen in 2010's "Step Up 3D" before breaking out one more performance for "Step Up All In" in 2014. They told HitFix, "I've learned a lot being a part of these films because you grow up with the different casts and the different crews and each movie has its different challenge but you're also at a different season in your life when it happened."

It's been more than two decades since Missy Elliott and an array of talented dancers took over the music video scene with "Work It," which features them busting moves in a variety of places, including that iconic playground where Alyson Stoner danced with Elliott toward the end of the video. But that pop culture moment almost didn't happen. They told TMZ, "So I actually almost didn't go to the audition. My sister, I think, had a scrimmage. My parents said we'd spent too much time focusing on Alyson. I think the scrimmage got canceled, ended up going." Stoner appeared in more of Elliott's music videos soon after, including "Pass That Dutch," and "I'm Really Hot."

Stoner has revisited their work with Elliott, posting "The Missy Elliott Tribute" video to their YouTube channel @TheRealAlysonStoner in 2015. It features a medley of Elliott's songs while Stoner recreates their moves from each video they performed in. Four years later, they revisited "Work It" with Elliott at the MTV Video Music Awards as the music superstar received the Video Vanguard Award. @AlysonStoner wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, "HiHat hit me up a day before to jump in, said, 'Do your thing,' and then it was showtime. But those grooves don't leave your system." @MissyElliott applauded Stoner on X, noting that she still gets questions about the whereabouts of the young dancer. "So I couldn't have done this VMA without you there! Love you."

While much of Alyson Stoner's career is cemented in the Disney Channel fandom, they have also made a name for themself in the DC fandom, first swinging onto the scene as the voice of Batgirl on the animated series "Young Justice" from 2011 to 2021. They played the same role in other DC projects, including 2018's "LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman– Rage of Atlantis" and 2019's "Lego DC Batman: Family Matters." "Being Batgirl is sort of a big deal," they told ToonBarn, adding that "Lego DC Batman: Family Matters" finds the superhero on a fun side adventure while discovering another part of their identity.

They also celebrated Ruby Rose's turn as "Batwoman," a role that Rose played across several of DC's live-action TV shows, first appearing as the character on "Supergirl" in 2018. @AlysonStoner shared a photo on X of Rose looking at them while at a premiere with the caption, "Get yourself a bae who looks at you the way Ruby Rose looks at me. I kid. Welcome to the Batfamily."

As they continue to grow their acting career and maintain their stellar dancing resume, Alyson Stoner has been showing people how movement can connect to mental health. According to alysonstoner.com, they and their sister started Movement Genius in 2020, offering inclusive classes designed by therapists with a focus on reducing stress and improving mental health in an on-the-go format. Stoner notes on their website that this is just one of the ways that they've become an advocate for mental health, adding that they are working on projects that specifically support entertainers. They've also created affirmation albums that offer uplifting messages to listeners throughout the day.

On May 30, 2021, Stoner released the book "MIND BODY PRIDE: A 7-Step Guide for Deeper Connection," examining how behavior and people's way of thinking can affect their whole body while offering readers places to journal about their experiences. They released another book on November 9, 2021, titled "Mind Body Movement: The 7-Step Guide to Heal Your Body and Improve Your Mental Health," which offers activities that take a deeper look at habits, stress, anxiety, and how they relate to how a person communicates, among other things.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Alyson Stoner is not the only celebrity sharing what they went through as a childhood star. Christy Carlson Romano — who rose to fame as Ren Stevens on the Disney Channel series "Even Stevens" — has been vocal about her experiences growing up in the spotlight. She started the podcast "Vulnerable with Christy Carlson Romano," having open conversations with guests, including Stoner, about how they got to where they are today. 

They chatted with Romano in a March 2022 episode of the series, noting that the actors first met when Romano was being interviewed on "Mike's Super Short Show," which was a series of shorts promoting Disney projects on the Disney Channel. Stoner appeared as Sally from 2002 to 2006. During Romano's podcast, they discussed the lack of resources for parents of child entertainers and highlighted the need for conversations that center on the well-being of these young performers. They added, "I have found myself when I see other young actors, and you know, parents are seeking support and encouragement from me or wanting to talk and celebrate ... about all of the recent auditions, and my heart is inwardly breaking a little bit because I'm like, 'Oh, there's so much more to this story, there are so many layers here, and I just hope, hope, hope that your child develops into a whole person.'"

In 2023, Alyson Stoner appeared in a horror film, in stark contrast to much of their past work. Variety broke the news that Stoner would be joined by several other child stars in the LGBTQ+ movie "Howdy, Neighbor!" which follows former child star Benjamin Caldwell (Matthew Scott Montgomery) who finds himself in a dark tale after meeting a new neighbor. Like Stoner, Montgomery was also a Disney Channel kid, playing Matthew Bailey on the series "So Random." Fans may also recall Allisyn Snyder, who played Zora Lancaster and sat in the director's chair for "Howdy, Neighbor!"

Debby Ryan, who played the title role in Disney Channel's "Jessie," is also a member of the cast, and Snyder told Screen Rant how thrilled she was to include other people who had grown up in the entertainment industry. "It was really a dream come true because these were our best friends and our co-workers. People that we've grown up with in the industry, and to be able to reach out to them with a script that was so personal to use and that they also resonated with as well, and just find a new way to come back and work together as a group was just so, so fun," she said, adding that they filmed Stoner's scenes in less than two hours while also taking time to catch up.