Child Star Felt 'Underpaid, Overworked' on Disney Show

Brenda Song, known for her role in Disney's "The Suite Life" series, has spoken out about her experiences as a child actor. Appearing on her former co-star Dylan Sprouse's podcast, Song described feeling "underpaid and overworked" during her time on "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and its spin-off, "The Suite Life on Deck."

Song candidly admitted that significant periods of her life while filming the show feel like "black holes," indicating a loss of memory from those years. This sentiment was echoed by another cast member, Phill Lewis, who also reported forgetting directing episodes. Song acknowledged that while the work conditions were challenging, Disney provided a valuable platform.

Further illustrating potential compensation issues, Dylan Sprouse shared on his podcast that he has only ever received one residual check for "The Suite Life," amounting to just five cents for a crossover episode with "Hannah Montana." Sprouse and Lewis also recalled a production method called "wraparound episodes," where scenes from future episodes were filmed weekly, which they alleged they were not paid for.