So, it’s 2026. If you grew up in the early 2000s, there is a distinct chance you still have "This Is What Dreams Are Made Of" stuck in your head on a weekly basis. We all remember the big finale. Lizzie goes to Rome, finds a fake Italian pop star, performs at the Colosseum, and finally kisses Gordo. It was the peak of the Disney Channel era.
But then the credits rolled. The TV show ended. The planned Disney+ reboot famously died in 2020 because it was "too adult" for the Mouse House. Life just... happened.
Honestly, the lizzie mcguire movie cast didn't follow the typical "child star" trajectory you might expect. Some stayed in the spotlight. Others basically vanished from Hollywood to become lawyers or geographers. It's a weird, fascinating mix of high-profile comebacks and total career pivots.
Hilary Duff is Making Her Move (Again)
Hilary Duff has never really left us, but 2026 is shaping up to be her biggest year in a decade. After starring in How I Met Your Father for two seasons, she decided it was time to get back to her roots.
Just a few months ago, she officially confirmed a new deal with Atlantic Records. People went wild. She’s releasing her first new album since 2015, titled luck... or something. The lead single, "Mature," dropped recently, and it’s basically an "autofiction" track about her early years.
She’s also doing a docuseries with Sam Wrench—the guy who directed Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film—to show what it’s like juggling four kids and a massive pop comeback. She’s even hitting the road for some intimate live shows this month in London, New York, and LA. It’s a far cry from the Colosseum, but for fans, it’s everything.
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The Gordo Disappearing Act
Then there’s Adam Lamberg. If you were looking for him on Instagram or at red-carpet premieres for the last twenty years, you were looking in the wrong place.
After The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Adam did a couple of indie films like When Do We Eat? and then just... quit. He didn't want the fame. He went to UC Berkeley for a geography degree and eventually got a master's in public administration from Baruch College.
For a long time, he was working at the Irish Arts Center in New York. He was actually all set to come back for the reboot—there’s even a photo of him and Hilary on set from 2019—but when that fell through, he went back to his private life. He's reportedly doing fundraising and events consulting in NYC now. He’s 41, looks pretty much the same (maybe just with a better beard), and seems perfectly happy being "unrecognizable" to the general public.
Kate Sanders: From Mean Girl to Criminal Defense
This is the one that always shocks people. Ashlie Brillault, who played Lizzie's arch-nemesis Kate Sanders, didn't just leave acting; she demolished the bridge behind her.
She hasn't acted since 2004. Instead, she moved to Colorado, went to the University of Denver's law school, and became a criminal defense attorney. She’s currently a partner at a law firm in Southern California.
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Think about that for a second. The girl who popularized "outfit repeating" as a social sin is now literally arguing cases in front of judges. She’s married, has a daughter, and stays completely away from the Hollywood machine. She did show up for a virtual cast table read during the pandemic, but don't expect to see her in a movie trailer anytime soon.
What About the Rest of the Family?
The McGuire family has stayed surprisingly close.
- Jake Thomas (Matt McGuire): He’s 36 now. He still acts occasionally, but he’s mostly a photographer and director. He recently showed up at the Primate premiere in LA and still posts Lizzie-related content on TikTok. He even has a rewatch podcast called Living Lizzie.
- Hallie Todd (Jo McGuire): She’s still in the industry, mostly writing and producing with her husband and daughter. They did a film called The Last Champion a few years back.
- Robert Carradine (Sam McGuire): He’s been working steadily for decades. Most recently, he appeared in the 2024 film The Night They Came Home.
The Villain We Loved: Yani Gellman
We can’t talk about the lizzie mcguire movie cast without mentioning Paolo. Yani Gellman played the Italian heartbreaker who couldn't actually sing.
Yani has had a massive career in TV since then. He was in 90210, Pretty Little Liars, and The Young and the Restless. He’s still very active and looks like he hasn't aged a day since 2003. He’s been doing a lot of TV movies lately and remains one of the more visible members of the original movie crew.
The Missing Piece: Lalaine
A lot of people forget that Miranda (Lalaine) wasn't actually in the movie. She was busy filming You Wish! and working on music, which is why her character was "on vacation in Mexico" during the class trip to Rome.
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Lalaine’s path was a bit rockier than the others, but she’s found her footing in the indie music scene and occasionally does small acting roles. Like Adam Lamberg, she seems to prefer the quiet life over the Disney spotlight.
Why the 2020 Reboot Failed
It’s still a sore spot for the lizzie mcguire movie cast. The revival was supposed to happen on Disney+. They filmed two episodes.
The problem? Hilary Duff and the original creator, Terri Minsky, wanted a "real" Lizzie. They wanted to show her as a 30-year-old living in Brooklyn, dealing with cheating partners and real-life adult problems. Disney wanted the PG-rated version. They couldn't agree, so the plug was pulled.
It’s a bummer, but in a way, it preserved the legacy of the movie. We still have that perfect, frozen-in-time moment in Rome.
If you want to keep up with the cast today, the best way is honestly through Hilary Duff's new music journey or Jake Thomas’s social media. While a full reunion on screen looks unlikely given how many of them have switched careers to law and administration, they clearly still have a lot of love for that weird trip to Italy.
Keep an eye on Hilary Duff’s 2026 tour dates if you’re looking for a hit of nostalgia—she’s been known to sneak a few "classic" Disney-era songs into her setlists.