Dylan Sprouse says he received just one residuals check for The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and it was for five cents. He shared the detail on Tuesday’s episode of his Wildmen podcast, where he spoke with former co-star Phill Lewis, who played hotel manager Marion Moseby.
Sprouse said the payment came from the Disney Channel series’ 2006 crossover episode with Hannah Montana. He recalled that the showrunner, Danny Kallis, once brought a newspaper to set reporting that the series was beating The Sopranos in the ratings. Despite its popularity, Sprouse said, he remembers receiving no meaningful residual payments.
The actor noted that The Suite Life aired from 2005 to 2008, before streaming services existed, and said Disney Channel was among the most popular channels at the time. Lewis added that the show aired in more than 90 countries and that episodes were frequently replayed.
Lewis also said the cast, which included Sprouse’s twin brother Cole, Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale, had signed what he described as an unusual contract. It allowed the production to film many episodes in a year while counting them as one television season, he said, adding that this meant the cast did not receive pay increases tied to additional seasons.
Sprouse said the series was treated like “the ugly duckling” by Disney Channel’s higher-ups, despite being popular, and described it as underfunded. In the podcast conversation, he also said he did not understand why the show’s success did not translate into more residuals.
Sources: Page Six.