‘Cadet Kelly’ Cast Then & Now: See Hilary Duff & More All Grown Up After 20 Years
Millennials, prepare to feel very old. ‘Cadet Kelly’ turns 20 on March 8. See the cast of the beloved Disney Channel Original Movie then and now. Plus, find out what they’re up to these days.
Ten-hut! Cadet Kelly is one of the premier movies of the DCOM renaissance and remains beloved among Disney-loving millennials. The film premiered March 8, 2002, on Disney Channel with Hilary Duff in the leading role. The movie followed Hilary’s character as she is forced to go to her stepdad’s military school. Cadet Kelly brought together two of Disney Channel’s biggest stars at the time: Lizzie McGuire’s Hilary and Even Stevens’ Christy Carlson Romano.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Cadet Kelly premiered. It seems like just yesterday we were sitting down in front of the TV to watch the big premiere. If you’re wanting to feel some nostalgia for the old days, the movie is now available to watch anytime, anywhere on Disney+. In honor of the DCOM’s anniversary, see where the cast is now after two decades.
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff, 33, starred as Kelly Collins in Cadet Kelly. At the same time as Cadet Kelly, Hilary was also still playing Lizzie McGuire in the Disney Channel series of the same name. She took Lizzie to the big screen in 2003 with The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and the hit Disney Channel series came to an end in 2004. Hilary went on to star in movies like A Cinderella Story, The Perfect Man, Cheaper by the Dozen, Material Girls, and more.
The actress had a recurring role on Gossip Girl and began playing Kelsey Peters on Younger in 2015. The came to an end in 2021 after 7 seasons. Hilary has also released 5 studio albums since 2002. She currently stars as Sophie in the Hulu series How I Met Your Father.
Hilary dated Joel Madden from 2004 to 2006. She married Mike Comrie in 2010 and gave birth to their son, Luca, in 2012. They divorced in 2016. Hilary began dating singer Matthew Koma in 2017. Their daughter, Banks, was born in 2018. Hilary and Matthew married in 2019. They had a second daughter, Mae, in March 2021.
Christy Carlson Romano
Christy Carlson Romano, 36, starred as the tough-as-nails Cadet Captain Jenny Stone in Cadet Kelly. Like Hilary, Christy was also starring in a Disney Channel series at the time. She played Ren Stevens on Even Stevens from 2000 to 2003. In 2002, Christy began voicing the role of Kim Possible in the Disney animated series of the same name. The show ran from 2002 to 2007.
The actress starred in the 2003 DCOM The Even Stevens Movie as well. She has continued to star in a number of TV films over the years. She made a cameo appearance in the live-action Kim Possible movie in 2019. Christy has her own YouTube channel, which has over 350,000 subscribers. Chrissy married Brendan Rooney in 2013. They have two daughters together.
Shawn Ashmore
Shawn Ashmore, 41, played the dreamy Cadet Major Brad Rigby. A year after Cadet Kelly, Shawn reprised the role of Iceman in X2. He returned for X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past as well. Shawn went on to star in the FOX series The Following, which ran for 3 seasons. He played Lamplighter in 3 episodes of the Amazon Prime series The Boys. He is currently starring as Wesley in the ABC series The Rookie.
The actor married Dana Renee Wasdin in 2012. Their son was born in 2017.
Andrea Lewis
Andrea Lewis, 35, played Carla, a girl who befriends Kelly at military school. Andrea is best known for playing Hazel in Degrassi: The Next Generation. She starred on the show from 2001 to 2006. She notably starred in the TV musical Spectacular! with Victoria Justice in 2009.
Andrea released her debut album, Float Away, in 2005. Her second album, 5-4-3-2-1, was released in 2010. She created and starred in her own web series, Black Actress, in 2013. She launched the entertainment company Jungle Wild Productions in 2012.
Gary Cole
Gary Cole, 64, played General Joe “Sir” Maxwell in Cadet Kelly. In the years since the DCOM, Gary has starred in movies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and more.
The actor has had numerous roles in TV over the years. He voiced the role of Dr. James Possible in the Disney Channel series Kim Possible from 2002 to 2007. He also had roles in shows like Family Affair, The West Wing, Chicago Fire, Family Guy, The Good Wife, Suits, and more.
He notably played Kent in the HBO series Veep from 2013 to 2019. Gary was earned an Emmy nomination in 2014 for her performance. He currently stars as Alden Parker on NCIS.
Aimee Garcia
Aimee Garcia, 42, played Gloria Ramos in Cadet Kelly. She went on to notably play the narrator in the 2004 movie Spanglish. She’s also had roles in A Lot Like Love, RoboCop, The Addams Family, and more. Aimee played Jamie Batista on Dexter from 2011 to 2013. She also had a recurring role in the CBS series Vegas. Since 2016, she has played Ella Lopez in the Netflix series Lucifer. She will appear in the upcoming second season of the Hulu series Woke.