Alyson Stoner opens up about her Disney years and specifically her time on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
During a series of TikTok videos titled “Dear Hollywood,” the former child star, who uses the pronouns “they/them,” reflected on how they had their “first kiss” ever on camera.
In fact, Stoner – who played Max on the Disney Channel sitcom alongside Dylan and Cole Sprouse in the mid-2000s – admitted he felt “uncomfortable” when such a milestone as a kid played on television for all to see.
“So writers and executives might decide to let your character do everything in the next episode.” And you’re assumed to agree with any script, explained the Toledo, Ohio native.
“My first kiss and several times that I’ve experienced kisses all happened on camera,” Stoner said of the experience. “I remember I had already booked the role of Max and directed an episode on Suite Life at Disney. Well, a few weeks later they wrote an episode where Max had to kiss both twins. I felt young and uncomfortable.’
Alyson Stoner, 30, revealed on an episode of The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody that she was “uncomfortable” having to experience her first on-screen kiss
First kiss: Stoner, who played the role of Max on the Disney Channel show, was just 12 years old when they kissed the Sprouse twins, who played the roles of Zack and Cody Martin
Stoner was 12 when the series premiered, while the Sprouse twins were 13.
In the next episode, the actor’s main character, Max, is forced to impulsively kiss Zack Martin (Dylan Sprouse) after they win a big basketball game.
The Cheaper by the Dozen star said they were unaware of the kissing requirement when they auditioned for the role.
Knowing they weren’t ready to act out this storyline yet, as they’d never had a proper first kiss in their personal lives, Stoner still pushed the scene, feeling a duty to finish it.
It turned out that the boy justified all this with the responsibility of being an actor.
“I felt like it was part of my job.” I chose acting and auditioning for this project. “It’s just a character,” Stoner thought at the time. “So that’s how I justified it, like, ‘Okay, I can have my kiss here, and then eventually I’ll get my own first kiss.'”
Ultimately, Stoner’s character played a recurring role on the show throughout its three seasons, which consisted of 87 episodes.
Prior to her role in Zack and Cody, Stoner had already gained experience in the Disney universe.
The young star had a starring role on Mike’s Super Short Show (2001-2007) as well as a voice role in the animated series Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2004-2006).
The former child star, who uses the pronouns “they/them,” made the confession about the first kiss during a series of TikTok videos titled “Dear Hollywood.”
On the young star’s role: “So writers and executives might decide that your character should do everything in the next episode.” And it’s assumed that you’re okay with any script,” explained the Toledo, Ohio native in the clip
“I felt young and uncomfortable,” Stoner said of having to experience their first kiss ever with both twins on screen for everyone to see
The Blindsided: The Cheaper by the Dozen star said they weren’t aware of kissing duty when they auditioned for the role of Max when they were young
Rationale: “I felt like it was part of my job.” I chose acting and auditioning for this project. “It’s just a character,” Stoner thought at the time. “So that’s how I justified it, like, ‘Okay, I can have my kiss here, and then eventually I’ll get my own first kiss.'”
Earlier this summer, while appearing on the podcast I’m Literally Screaming with Spencewuah, Stoner revealed that they were fired from an unnamed children’s show after coming out as queer.
While detailing the alleged discrimination he faced after coming out in Hollywood in 2018, he claimed employers deemed him “unsafe” when working with children because of his sexuality, leading to her dismissal and have led to a lasting impairment of her career.
“It was really nerve wracking and the reason I ended up doing it was because my then girlfriend had reached a point in our relationship where it felt like hiding her wouldn’t do her any favors.” Stoner said of the time as they debated coming out.
“Even though there were other pressures and considerations to be public, I felt like I wanted to do that.”
The former dancer revealed that after revealing they were gay, she was fired from her job and they started appearing in a children’s show.