Where Did Bridgit Mendler Disappear To After Good Luck Charlie?

In 2009, Disney Channel fans were first introduced to Bridgit Mendler on the hit fantasy sitcom, "Wizards of Waverly Place," where she played the vampire Juliet Van Heusen. Juliet quickly kindled a romance with series lead Justin Russo (played by David Henrie), and, as a result, Mendler appeared in 10 episodes of the show's original run. Disney saw star potential in Mendler, and soon cast her in the leading role as Teddy Duncan in the one of the best Disney Channel original series ever made, "Good Luck Charlie." As the ever-lovable Teddy, Mendler won the hearts of all who watched the show's nearly 100 episodes, and generated an active fanbase online. The award-winning family comedy, which followed three older siblings as they are tasked with helping to look after their baby sister, was nominated for three separate Primetime Emmys in its day.

Around this time, Mendler was also cast in the 2011 Disney Channel Original Movie, "Lemonade Mouth," which garnered quite a following of its own. Though fans have long hoped for a sequel, the film's stars have been clear that it was a one-and-done Disney production. Despite that, things were looking up for Mendler, who was quickly becoming a Disney icon. But after the "Good Luck Charlie" series finale (aptly titled "Good Bye Charlie") in 2014, some wondered what became of the show's main star. Turns out, Mendler had effectively shed her Disney Channel roots and moved on beyond the confines of tween-centric television. But what has she been up to since "Good Luck Charlie"? Well, some of the answers will undoubtedly surprise you.

It seems like it's almost a qualification for many Disney Channel stars to be able to sing on top of acting. Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Zendaya all had music careers in addition to their on-screen efforts, and the same was true of Bridgit Mendler. After being known first for belting "Good Luck Charlie's" opening theme song ("Hang In There Baby") as well as her contributions to the "Lemonade Mouth" soundtrack, Mendler left Disney behind in order to launch her own solo career. Her debut studio album,"Hello My Name Is ...," was released by Hollywood Records on October 12, 2012, and remains the singer-songwriter's only solo album to date.

But although she didn't release another official studio album, Mendler went on to produce two EPs in the years following: "Live in London" in 2013 and the vast departure that was "Nemesis" in 2016. In conjunction with her album and EPs, Mendler traveled across North America on three separate tours, "Bridgit Mendler: Live In Concert" in 2012, the "Summer Tour" in 2013-2014, and the "Nemesis Tour" in 2016-2017. As of 2024, the singer-songwriter hasn't released a new track in seven years, though she's continued to described herself as a musician. "I will continue to put out music because it is a part of me," she once shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, back in 2018, though she has yet to make good on that promise. Hopefully, Mendler will return to the microphone at some point in the future, even if just for a new single.

Apart from her career aspirations, Bridgit Mendler has long been an advocate and philanthropist. Even while staring on "Good Luck Charlie," Mendler teamed up with Target for their "Give With Target" initiative back in 2012, and helped raise money for education reform. The actress also fought against cyberbullying alongside her Disney Channel cast members, and was even named "Role Model of the Year" by Common Sense Media in 2012. Near the end of "Good Luck Charlie," Mendler set her sights on a new cause to fight for: Bettering the lives of children everywhere. Participating in the Save the Children Foundation's World Challenge Marathon in 2013, Mendler hoped to "help kids in the U.S. and around the globe get a better and healthier start in life" (via SavetheChildren.org).

A year later, Mendler joined Save the Children on a trip to Guatemala, and returned as an Artist Ambassador for the organization's "Baby Sit In" campaign. This campaign aimed to inspire teens around the world to give freely of their time to babysit in exchange for the parents giving Save the Children a donation in their name. The non-profit would then use those funds to help children across the globe, including in the education sphere. "I am so excited to launch the #BabySitIn campaign with Save the Children, especially because it empowers kids to change the world by helping other kids," Mendler shared in 2015 (via SavetheChildren.org). "It's an easy way for kids to help little ones everywhere get a healthy start and an opportunity to learn just by doing something they do most weekends anyway." As of 2019, she remained an Artist Ambassador with the foundation, though has since parted ways as her career has shifted.

While Mendler was busy launching her music career and working with charities, she found herself cast in the second season of the NBC sitcom "Undateable," and she was an instant hit. The series followed serial womanizer Danny Burton (Chris D'Elia) as he sought to help his friend and roommate Justin Kearney (Brent Morin) get a date. The problem was, there was no one in the first season who Justin could really connect with. But that all changed when Mendler's Candace arrived on the scene in Season 2. After Candace gets a job as Justin's latest bartender, the pair quickly grow fond of each other, even if they're both too blind to see the other's interest. It's classic will-they/won't-they romantic drama, and Mendler and Morin proved to have just the right chemistry to pull it off. 

For two seasons and 24 episodes total, audiences got to watch Candace and Justin's story unfold as the pair get engaged in the final episode. Unfortunately, things between them didn't go any further. "Undateable" had been renewed by NBC for a third season, but with a twist: The whole season would air live. This meant that the show needed new and exciting guest stars to get folks to tune in live. Only once was a broadcast ever canceled — during the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris — but the show quickly landed back on its feet. Sadly, even with the exciting live performances, the show was canceled after Season 3, and soon Mendler was forced to move on from the network sitcom in favor of a more dramatic role.

A few months after Mendler released her "Nemesis" EP, the actress appeared on the ABC (later CMT) series "Nashville" as YouTube influencer-turned-musician Ashley Willerman. Unlike some of her more lovable characters, Ashley isn't the most sympathetic person in Mendler's filmography. She's a bit stuck up and self-involved (a stereotypical influencer), and watching Mendler play that sort of role was certainly an interesting change. But beyond her entitled personality, Ashley's strange way of singing made her sound like a Britney Spears rip-off more than Mendler herself, which was an odd choice. Sure, she pulls it off in the episode, but Mendler's vocal talents deserved better.

Appearing in the Season 5 episode "Let's Put It Back Together Again," Mendler's role as Ashley was originally reported as a recurring one, but only ended up being a guest stint on the music drama. We're not really sure what happened there, but it's too bad that a show like "Nashville" — which specialized in bringing musical talents to the screen — couldn't find a better use for her. It wasn't long after this that Mendler hit the road for the second leg of her "Nemesis Tour," leaving the CMT series in the rearview. Since "Nashville" was already ruined after moving networks, there wasn't much hope that the series would bring her back.

One possible reason for her brief tenure on "Nashville" may be that Bridgit Mendler was soon cast in a new sitcom, this time with Fox, titled "Thin Ice." Created by "New Girl's" Elizabeth Meriwether, the Antarctica-based pilot followed a young woman named Lou (Mendler) on her way to reclaim her dreams, looking for a brand new start on the mysterious continent. Fox was interested in the pilot, which also featured Isiah Whitlock ("The Wire"), Ian Harding ("Pretty Little Liars"), Ramona Young ("Never Have I Ever"), and Jane Curtin ("3rd Rock from the Sun") in the main cast.

But they ultimately decided to pass on "Thin Ice" altogether, which is a bit surprising considering the success Meriwether had previously with "New Girl." Though IMDb currently lists "Thin Ice" as a "TV Movie" on Mendler's page, the project cannot be found anywhere online. Thankfully, this wouldn't be Mendler's last chance at headlining a sitcom, though it's still a shame that this one melted away without any real recognition. Maybe one day it will turn up.

Following her work on the unrealized "Thin Ice," Bridgit Mendler partnered with Netflix for not one but two projects. The first was a 2018 David Spade/Nat Faxon buddy comedy film titled "Father of the Year," but it's not exactly anything to write home about. The more memorable of her two Netflix-based projects was undoubtedly the 2019 Christmas comedy series, "Merry Happy Whatever." The show's eight-episode first season brought Emmy Quinn (Mendler) back home to Pennsylvania for the holidays, only for her overprotective father, played by Dennis Quaid, to step all over her lovable boyfriend, Matt. Funny enough, Matt is played by none other than Mendler's former "Undateable" co-star and love interest Brett Morin, reminding us that these two have undeniable on-screen chemistry. Former Disney Channel star Ashley Tisdale was also featured as Emmy's sister, Kayla.

But despite the clear promise of this Christmas-themed series, the combined efforts of Quaid, Tisdale, and Mendler weren't enough for the streaming giant. "Merry Happy Whatever" was unceremoniously canceled after only a single season, making this Mendler's final on-screen performance to date. Unfortunately for longtime Mendler fans, it only gets worse when you realize that this was also the second sitcom where Bridgit Mendler and Brett Morin's characters got engaged right before the show is canceled, making them 0-for-2 in the marriage department.

Having put her music on hold following her last single ("Diving") in 2017, Mendler followed suit again in 2020 with her acting career. The cancelation of "Merry Happy Whatever" marked the end of the actress's time in Hollywood, and she has yet to return. According to Mendler, she began to feel particularly disenfranchised with her work in the entertainment industry, thinking back to her parents' example and their commitment to doing important things with their lives. "I think I started to feel a bit of that disconnect with what I was doing in my day-to-day, in entertainment and started to put out feelers into more of the research domain," she told her friend and former "Lemonade Mouth" co-star Naomi Scott in a 2024 interview for Hero Magazine.

"I palpably remember that point in the transition, because music is always my first love, I love it so deeply, but I remember being at South by Southwest and just feeling ... lonely." Mendler struggled to find her "artistic community" over the years, and instead decided to reinvent herself entirely outside of the entertainment bubble. While fans of her television work are likely holding out hope that she'll reunite with the cast of "Wizards of Waverly Place" for the 2024 revival, "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place," it seems as if Mendler has no desire to look back. But what did the former entertainer pursue next? Well, it's a bit complicated.

In 2013, Bridgit Mendler began studying anthropology at the University of Southern California, almost entirely by accident. "I was doing the application all on my own. I think I didn't really understand how it worked," she told Jimmy Kimmel in 2015. "I put down like five different things that I would potentially want to be in as a major, and I got my acceptance letter, and it's like, 'You're in anthropology.'" Despite attending USC for a few years, Mendler didn't stick with her anthropology studies. Instead she dropped out in 2016 in favor of joining the MIT Media Lab's Director's Fellows program the following year, right around the time she wrapped up her music career.

Transitioning to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mendler pursued a master's degree in humanities and technology. She also pursued her PhD through the institution, though that has since been put on hold after she moved her family across the country. Amazingly, Mendler juggled all of that while also working toward a law degree through Harvard Law School, a venture she began in 2021. From 2022-2023, Mendler was named the Co-President of the Harvard Space Law Society, and graduated with her Juris Doctor (J.D.) in May 2024. She received her diploma with her son by her side.

Wait, Bridgit Mendler has a son? Yes she does. In fact, she started a family of her own back in 2019. Just before Mendler's last sitcom aired on Netflix, the actress announced that she married her husband, Griffin Cleverly, in October 2019 after the couple had gotten engaged that past April. Many of Mendler's former "Good Luck Charlie" co-stars showed up to give their love to the happy couple. Like his wife, Cleverly also studied at the University of Southern California, earning his B.S. in mechanical engineering before pursuing his master's in electrical and computer engineering from Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

Only two years after the pair got married, they began fostering a young boy who they officially adopted the following Christmas. "I'm so lucky," Mendler wrote on her X account in early 2024, announcing their four-year-old son to the world. "Being a parent is the biggest gift and most defining experience there is." In an effort to keep their son's privacy, Mendler has not revealed the name of her child nor shared a clear image of him online, further separating her family life from her public persona.

In addition to pursuing her education and starting a family, Bridgit Mendler has opted to combine those two passions into one technological endeavor. In February 2024, Mendler launched Northwood Space, a satellite data startup that she co-founded with her husband, Griffin Cleverly, and their partner, Shaurya Luthra. Acting as CEO, Mendler wants to change the way we receive our data from space. "The vision is a data highway between Earth and space," she explained to CNBC. "Space is getting easier along so many different dimensions but still the actual exercise of sending data to and from space is difficult. You have difficulty finding an access point for contacting your satellite."

The idea for Northwood came to Mendler and Cleverly during the COVID-19 pandemic. "While everybody else was making their sourdough starters, we were building antennas out of random crap we could find at Home Depot ... and receiving data from [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] satellites," the CEO explained. Mendler and Cleverly used the time to craft the foundation of their $6 million company. In October 2024, Mendler tweeted confirmation that their idea works on her X account, showing that their prototype antenna communicates correctly with the Planet Labs satellites above. No doubt, Mendler's future is looking bright.