You probably remember the scales. That weird, itchy feeling Cody Griffin got on his arms before realization hit: he wasn't just a championship swimmer; he was turning into a merman. The Thirteenth Year is a cornerstone of Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) history, right up there with Halloweentown and Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. But if you scrub through the 1999 classic today, you’ll spot something most people missed for over a decade.
Deep in the background of a high school hallway, there’s a girl with short hair waiting her turn at a water fountain. She doesn't have a name. She doesn't have a single line of dialogue. She just stands there, looking slightly annoyed by the wait.
That girl? It’s Kristen Stewart.
The Mystery of the Girl in the Fountain Line
Long before she was the face of the Twilight saga or an Oscar nominee for Spencer, Kristen Stewart was just an eight-year-old kid trying to get a foot in the door. Her appearance in The Thirteenth Year is the ultimate "blink and you'll miss it" moment. She’s credited simply as "Girl in Fountain Line," though technically, she wasn't even credited in the original broadcast.
Honestly, it’s wild to think about.
Most child stars start with a loud, precocious Disney sitcom role where they’re cracking jokes to a laugh track. Stewart’s entry was the exact opposite. It was quiet. It was mundane. It was basically a glorified extra role. She’s seen wearing a gray shirt, standing behind another student, waiting to grab a drink of water while the plot moves on without her.
Why this bit part actually mattered
You might think a non-speaking role in a TV movie about a boy-fish is a weird trivia point, but it tells us a lot about her early career path. Stewart didn't just wake up and land a lead role. Her parents, John Stewart and Jules Mann-Stewart, both worked behind the scenes in Hollywood. They knew the grind.
She spent about a year auditioning before landing this tiny spot. It was her first professional gig after being discovered by a talent scout during a grade school Christmas play. Think about that for a second. Even for someone who would eventually become the highest-paid actress in the world, the journey started with standing in line for a prop water fountain.
What Really Happened with The Thirteenth Year Casting
There's a common misconception that Stewart was "in" the movie in a meaningful way. Some fans search for her thinking she might have played a younger sister or a classmate with a few scenes. Nope.
If you’re watching for her, you need to pay attention during the school scenes. She appears for a few seconds. That’s it.
The cast she was "part" of:
- Chez Starbuck: The lead, Cody Griffin. He was the heart of the movie, dealing with those sudden scales and the urge to jump into every pool he saw.
- Justin Jon Ross: Played Jess Wheatley, the biology geek friend who helps Cody figure out his mermaid—er, merman—heritage.
- Courtnee Draper: Played Sam, the love interest.
- Dave Coulier: Yes, Uncle Joey from Full House played the dad.
Stewart was miles away from this main circle. While they were filming scenes about growing fins and breathing underwater, she was likely on set for a single afternoon. Yet, the internet has turned this tiny cameo into a legendary piece of "before they were famous" lore.
From Water Fountains to Panic Rooms
It didn't take long for the industry to realize she had more to offer than just standing still. Shortly after The Thirteenth Year, she had another uncredited role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas as a "ring toss girl."
But the real shift happened in 2002.
David Fincher cast her in Panic Room. Suddenly, she wasn't the girl in the background; she was the girl trapped in a concrete bunker with Jodie Foster. The transition from an uncredited DCOM extra to a lead in a gritty, high-stakes thriller is one of the fastest "level-ups" in Hollywood history.
Looking back at her face in the Disney movie, you can see that same focused, slightly guarded expression that became her trademark. She never had that "Disney kid" energy. You know the one—the wide eyes, the forced perkiness. Even at eight, Stewart looked like a real person who just wanted to get her water and go to class.
Why The Thirteenth Year Still Matters in 2026
The movie itself has aged in that charming, low-budget way only 90s Disney movies can. The CGI for the scales looks like someone glued green sequins to the actor's arm, and the plot is essentially "teen puberty but with gills."
But it remains a vital piece of the cultural zeitgeist for a few reasons:
- The Metaphor: It was one of the first mainstream kids' movies to use supernatural changes as a direct (and effective) metaphor for the awkwardness of being thirteen.
- The Nostalgia Factor: For Gen Z and Millennials, this is "comfort food" cinema.
- The Easter Eggs: Knowing that a future A-lister is hiding in the background makes re-watching it feel like a treasure hunt.
Fact-Checking the "Debut"
A lot of people argue about whether this is her actual debut. If we’re talking about the first time she was paid to be on a film set, then yes, The Thirteenth Year takes the crown. If we’re talking about her first speaking role, that honor goes to the 2001 independent film The Safety of Objects.
There’s something poetic about her starting at Disney, though. Most people associate her with the indie world or the massive Twilight franchise, but she’s technically a Disney kid—just the most low-key one ever.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Cinephiles
If you want to track down this moment yourself or dive deeper into Stewart's early filmography, here is how to do it without wasting time:
- Timestamp Hunting: Load up the movie on Disney+. Head to the school hallway scenes roughly 15-20 minutes in. Look for the water fountain line; Stewart is the one with the short, dark hair looking impatient.
- Compare the Evolution: Watch The Thirteenth Year and then immediately watch Panic Room. It is a fascinating study in how a director like David Fincher can take a "background" presence and turn it into a powerhouse performance.
- Check the Filmography: Don't stop at the big hits. If you like seeing where stars started, look for her uncredited role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000). She's the "Ring Toss Girl" at the carnival.
- Support the Indie Roots: If the "Girl in Fountain Line" era interests you, check out Speak (2004). It’s her first truly massive performance where she proved she didn't need a lot of dialogue to carry a movie—a skill she seemingly started practicing while waiting for that drink of water in 1999.