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Dylan Sprouse Calls His Disney Childhood 'Child Labor'

His Wildmen podcast remarks highlight lasting mental-health effects of early stardom, prompting discussion about support for child performers.

Overview

  • This week Dylan Sprouse told the Wildmen podcast that working on television as a child amounted to “child labor.”
  • He said the Disney-era routine left him with ongoing “mental hurdles” and a period when his self-esteem was tied to being on set.
  • Former child actor Mark Indelicato joined the conversation and agreed that growing up in the industry creates shared, lasting challenges.
  • Sprouse compared childhood television work to a regular day job with fixed hours and routines, saying that the end of that routine created a void.
  • The Sprouse twins began acting as infants and rose to fame on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Dylan—who is expecting his first child—has said he would not automatically bar his own children from acting.