The Transformation Of Dylan And Cole Sprouse From The Suite Life To Now

Between 2005 and 2011, kids who watched the Disney Channel were witnesses to the exploits of an iconic and motley duo. The adventures of twins Zack and Cody (played by Dylan and Cole Sprouse, respectively) were told through their shows "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "The Suite Life on Deck." Both series became enormously popular and were staples in Disney's lineup of live-action sitcoms. However, there's more to these twins than just their childhood escapades.

Dylan and Cole Sprouse were born August 4, 1992, in Arezzo, Italy. The two began acting months after they were born, sharing the childhood role of Patrick Kelly in "Grace Under Fire" (via IMDb). The twins made their first large-scale movie appearance in the Adam Sandler comedy "Big Daddy" and continued to land roles in major sitcoms like "That 70's Show" and "Friends" before landing their iconic parts in the "Suite Life" series.

However, an entire decade has passed since their "Suite Life" ended. The Sprouse brothers are all grown up, and they've both undergone some transformation in the time between then and now. Here is what Dylan and Cole Sprouse have been up to since they dropped Disney and went solo.

Never say that the Sprouse twins didn't fit their iconic roles. As one might expect from the man who played the rebellious and fun-loving Zack, Dylan Sprouse has branched out into all manner of oddly awesome endeavors since his time on "Suite Life." Today, he puts bread on the table with one of history's most important beverages: mead. According to Vanity Fair, the child star got his start in the mead business after graduating from NYU in 2015 (where he majored in game design). Together, with a friend from college and a fellow brewer, Sprouse began All-Wise Meadery, the one-stop shop for the trio's particular brand of traditional European booze.

The name "All-Wise" comes from Sprouse's spiritual fascination with the mythologies of Northern Europe. A practicing Heathen (a modern-day Pagan religion), All-Wise is one of the many ways Sprouse pays tribute to the Norse gods (via Vice). In 2020, Sprouse took more inspiration from his religion when he created his own comic series called "Sun Eater" set in the Viking era. According to SyFy Wire, Sprouse authored "Sun Eater" himself before it got picked up by Heavy Metal for publishing.

While Dylan Sprouse has definitely branched out since "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" ended, he hasn't given up acting. Sprouse is simply a bit choosier with which projects he attaches himself to. In general, he prefers acting in smaller, indie projects. In 2021, for example, Sprouse acted in the Kerry Mondragon-directed indie film "Tyger Tyger" (via IMDb).

As you might imagine, that movie wasn't Sprouse's introduction to the indie world. He's been taking roles in indie films and shows on a consistent basis since 2017, and he also appeared in the 2018 music video for singer Camila Cabello's song "Consequences." Additionally, if Sprouse's degree in video game design didn't clue you in to his interests, he has lent his voice to two separate games, those titles being "Total War: Warhammer II" and the "Kingdom Hearts III: Re:Mind" DLC.

It's no secret that between the Sprouse twins, Cole has stayed in the spotlight more. He's spent the last four years playing Jughead Jones in the CW show "Riverdale." As one of the show's principal stars and narrators, Jughead is front and center in the series' drama.

However, it wasn't always supposed to be that way. According to Variety, Sprouse was originally supposed to audition for the role of Archie but chose to read for Jughead instead. The show's producers loved his version of the character so much that they decided to make Jughead a more central figure.

At the time, Sprouse claimed that if he did not land the part, he would not have continued to pursue acting. Now, he has no plans to leave the field anytime soon. The show "has given him a new appreciation for acting" that he never had while working as a child star. But even though Sprouse has found a new home under Jughead's beanie, he hasn't let that get in the way of other pursuits.

But while Cole Sprouse continues to chow down in The CW's interpretation of the "Archie" comics, he also hasn't shied away from taking his own unique avenues through life. Like his brother, Sprouse is also an NYU graduate, in this case with a degree in archaeology. He event got an archaeology job in Brooklyn before moving on to star in "Riverdale."

While in college, Sprouse also gained an interest in photography, launching his own photography site (now, unfortunately, defunct). The young actor even managed to land photography jobs for publications such as Vogue.

Now, Sprouse continues to earn his living via his role as Jughead, though he has remained active in other spheres. According to Vulture, Sprouse took part in 2020's Black Lives Matter protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd. He was even arrested and zip-tied for participating, though the actor remained adamant that the attention should not be on him but the Black Lives Matter movement.