Nickelodeon has been a stepping stone for many stars to reach A-list status.
Before playing Elvis Presley in the 2022 Oscar-nominated film, Austin Butler appeared in several Nickelodeon shows, including “Ned's Secret School Survival Guide” and “Zoey 101.”
Before landing the role of Glinda in Wicked, Ariana Grande played Cat Valentine on Victorious.
Stars like Austin Butler, Ariana Grande and Kenan Thompson appeared on Nickelodeon during their early acting careers. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images, Greg DeGuire/FilmMagic)
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Read on to find out about these stars and others who appeared on Nickelodeon as kids.
- Ariana Grande
- Austin Butler
- Miranda Cosgrove
- Kenan Thompson
- Jessica Alba
- Jamie Lynn Spears
- Emma Roberts
- Nick Cannon
1. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande's acting career began at the age of 15 when she appeared in the Broadway musical '13'.
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She gained further fame playing the role of Cat Valentine in the TV series Victorious.
The show follows Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) as she enrolls in Hollywood Arts High School, a school filled with students with a variety of talents in entertainment, from singers to musicians to actors.
Following “Victorious,” Grande appeared alongside iCarly's Jennette McCurdy in the show “Sam & Cat,” in which the pair played characters from their respective shows.
At this point in Grande's career, she began to focus more on music, releasing her debut album, Yours Truly, in 2013 after signing with Republic Records.
Ariana Grande (right) played Cat Valentine on “Victorious” and the show “Sam & Cat.” (Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
She has since released the albums “My Everything,” “Dangerous Woman,” “Sweetener,” “Thank U, Next,” “Positions” and her latest album in 2024, “Eternal Sunshine.”
In 2021, it was announced that Grande would play the role of Glinda in the film Wicked.
The first of the two-part Wicked series will be released in November 2024.
2. Austin Butler
Austin Butler had roles in numerous TV shows before appearing in big film roles, but his best-known role was on Nickelodeon's “Zoey 101.”
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Butler spent most of his time at Nickelodeon playing James Garrett, the boyfriend of Zoey Brooks (Jamie Lynn Spears) on “Zoey 101.”
He played the character in the show's final season.
Butler also had very brief appearances in Ned's Secret School Survival Guide and iCarly, appearing in one episode of each show.
During this time, Butler also appeared in a number of Disney shows, including Zeke and Luther, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Jonas. She also appeared in the Disney film Sharpay's Adventure.
After his roles on Disney and Nickelodeon, he began branching out into more adult television shows with roles in shows like “Switched at Birth” and “The Carrie Diaries.”
Austin Butler appeared in several shows on Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel before appearing in major films. (Tim P. Whitby/Warner Bros. via Getty Images)
This led Butler to roles in blockbuster films such as Elvis, Bikers and Dune Part II.
3. Miranda Cosgrove
When you look back at the early days of Miranda Cosgrove's career, you probably remember her from her days on the Nickelodeon shows “Drake & Josh” and “iCarly.”
Going further back in time, you might remember her as Summer Hathaway in the 2003 film School of Rock.
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Cosgrove had roles in other Nickelodeon shows such as “Zoey 101” and “Unfabulous,” but was a series series regular on “Drake & Josh,” playing the mischievous younger sister of the show's lead character.
After “Drake & Josh,” Cosgrove starred in her own show, “iCarly.” In one episode, Cosgrove's “School of Rock” co-star Jack Black made a brief cameo.
Nearly a decade after “iCarly” ended, she reunited on screen with many of the show's original stars in the 2021-2023 reboot.
Miranda Cosgrove was a star on the Nickelodeon show “iCarly,” with Michelle Obama guest starring in one episode. (Lisa Rose/Getty Images via Viacom International)
Cosgrove has appeared in numerous films since her time at Nickelodeon, including the “Despicable Me” series, where she voiced Margo, and the 2024 film “Mother of the Bride's Story.”
4. Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson was an original cast member of the Nickelodeon comedy series All That. He appeared on the show from 1994 to 2000.
He also appeared on the TV show “Kenan & Kel” in 1996. In the 1990s, he starred in the movie “Good Burger,” which made him a household name.
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In 2011, Thompson appeared alongside Nickelodeon actors in the TV movie iParty with Victorious, which was a crossover between the shows iCarly and Victorious.
Thompson appeared as himself in the 2011 film.
Thompson has been performing his comedy routine on Saturday Night Live since 2003.
5. Jessica Alba
'The Secret World of Alex Mack' was a series that aired on Nickelodeon from 1994 to 1998. The show was about a girl who gains supernatural powers after an accident at a chemical plant.
Since her time at Nickelodeon, Jessica Alba has appeared in many shows, such as “Dark Angel,” and movies, such as “Machete.” (Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)
Alba appeared in three episodes of the Nickelodeon show in 1994.
Alba has since appeared in numerous TV shows, including “Flipper,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Dark Angel.”
Alba's notable filmography includes “The Fantastic Four,” “Sin City” and “Machete.”
6. Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn spent many years on the set of the Nickelodeon show, “Zoey 101.” She landed the lead role on the show after spending two years as a cast member on “All That.”
A reboot of Zoey 101, Zoey 102, was released in 2023.
In 1999, Spears' sister, Britney, appeared on a 1999 episode of “Kenan & Kel.”
She played herself in the episode, which aired shortly after she released her debut song, “Baby One More Time.”
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7. Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts played Addie Singer on the Nickelodeon show “Unfabulous” for three years.
She also appeared in a 2004 episode of “Drake & Josh.”
During her time in Unfabulous, she also appeared in the films Aquamarine and Nancy Drew.
Emma Roberts was the star of the Nickelodeon show “Unfabulous.” (Jesse Grant/WireImage)
Roberts subsequently appeared in Hotel for Dogs, Valentine's Day, Scream 4 and The Millers.
She returned to television in 2013 with a role in American Horror Story, and also starred in the series Scream Queens from 2015 to 2016.
8. Nick Cannon
One of Nick Cannon's earliest roles was on the Nickelodeon television series, “All That.” While he was on “All That” from 1998 to 2004, he also appeared in two episodes of “Kenan & Cal.”
Cannon later had his own series, The Nick Cannon Show, on Nickelodeon from 2002 to 2003.
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Cannon began hosting the MTV series “Wild 'N Out” in 2005, a position he held until 2019.
Cannon hosted the competition show “America's Got Talent” for eight seasons.
He currently hosts the singing competition show “The Masked Singer,” in which celebrities take to the stage in elaborate costume disguises and the judges must guess who is under the mask.
Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.
