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The former Disney star Dylan Sprouse reflected on how his years as a child actor shaped his life, saying it was essentially ''child labor.''
''It’s child labor. When you work a career at that age, some kids used to work in coal mines and guard the minecart door when they were 15; we just sang and danced. It’s still child labor,'' Sprouse said on Tuesday’s episode of the Wildmen podcast.
The actor added, ''It’s a day job. You go in, you clock in, you clock out, you have a cubicle, you work. Obviously, you’re on a stage, and it’s different, but it’s the same hours. You work it like that.''
Dylan and his twin brother Cole Sprouse got their start in show business at around 8 months old, appearing on ''Grace Under Fire'' for five seasons before the sitcom wrapped in 1998.
Years later, at age 12, he landed his breakout role as one of the leads of ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.''
Now, the Sprouse twins liken their staying power in the industry to that of "cockroaches," having managed to survive this long after a childhood spent in the spotlight. Still, Dylan admitted there has been a lasting impact after starting his career at a young age.
''When it comes to some mental hurdles as an adult acting now in the same industry I've been in forever,'' he explained. ''I act like a kid anyway. So, I wonder if I'm just always chasing that.''
Dylan's brother Cole Sprouse also reflected on their unusual childhood, explaining that their mother got them into acting to secure financial stability for the family.
Cole broke child actors down into two categories on a podcast he appeared on in 2023, "There's two types of kids within the child acting business," he said. "There's the 'thespian children' who choose to do it, and then there's the working class kids that, in our case at least… I mean it started, really, as a means to put bread on the table."
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