What The Phil Of The Future Cast Is Doing Today
Millennials who grew up in the heyday of Disney Channel original programming likely look back with fondness at the late '90s and early aughts, when the network ran a ton of live-action content aimed at preteens and teens. This was the era of "Lizzie McGuire," "Even Stevens," "That's So Raven," and "Hannah Montana," which still get discussed today — especially since they're all streaming on Disney+. Among the ranks of these modern classics is another, oft-forgotten series: "Phil of the Future."
Debuting in June 2004, "Phil" ran for 43 episodes across two seasons before it ended in August 2006. The series starred Raviv Ullman as the titular Phil Diffy, a teen whose family accidentally gets stranded in time when they're on vacation. The Diffy family lives in the year 2121, but when they end up in 2004, they have to adjust fast and keep the truth of who they are and where they come from a secret, which leads to plenty of hijinks.
It's been nearly two decades since the show was on air, and its beloved cast has gone in tons of different directions. "Phil of the Future" hasn't had the benefit of a massive reunion (yet, though there was a small, virtual one in 2020), but that doesn't mean it's impossible to keep track of them all. Here's an update on what the cast of "Phil of the Future" has been doing since the show ended.
Raviv Ullman reclaimed his name and kept acting
Since "Phil of the Future" ended in 2006, star Raviv Ullman has had a number of acting roles for both TV and movies, according to his profile on IMDb. These include the 2006 horror movie "Driftwood," the Lifetime series "Rita Rocks" (which ran for 40 episodes across two seasons from 2008-2009), the 2017 Facebook Watch series "Strangers" created by Mia Lidofsky, and the 2020 Topic mini-series "The Accidental Wolf." Ullman has also had bit parts in such popular series as including "Criminal Minds" and "Broad City."
Ullman has starred in a number of stage productions, according to Broadway World. In 2012, he told Broadway.com, "My career is [now] more focused on storytelling. I am older now and I've been privy to more of life's experiences .... I was younger [while starring on Phil], and Disney does a great job of protecting their audience in a positive way."
In that interview, he also addressed changing his stage name. On "Phil of the Future" and "Pixel Perfect" (another Disney project) as well as other roles from his early career, Ullman was credited under the first name Ricky. He told Broadway.com that he used the name to give him more opportunity, since his birth name made it harder for him to get auditions.
Aly Michalka is still an actress and musician
Aly Michalka has been quite busy since she starred as Phil Diffy's best friend and love interest, Keely Teslow, on "Phil of the Future."
In addition to recurring roles on "Hellcats" and "Two and a Half Men," as well as "Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television" and "iZombie," Aly is one half of Aly & AJ (a pop duo that puts her alongside her sister). The pair signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records in 2004, and are still making music today.
Aly & AJ released their fourth studio album (and their first in 14 years) on May 7. At time of writing, the album, titled "A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun" peaked at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late May. The duo also released a reimagined, rerecorded, explicit version of their 2007 smash hit, "Potential Breakup Song," after it went viral on TikTok in late 2020.
Lise Simms is still acting
No family from the future would be complete without parents who are trying their best but still put their foot in it more often than not. Lise Simms, a veteran actor who loaned some star power to the series, played Phil's mom, Barbara, on "Phil of the Future." Prior to her stint on Disney Channel, Simms spent several years working in daytime television, on series like "Sunset Beach" and "The Young and the Restless," in addition to guest starring on series like "Star Trek: Voyager."
Simms has steadily continued acting since "Phil of the Future" went off the air in 2006. Simms guest starred in episodes of "iCarly," "90210," "Bones," "Grey's Anatomy," and "NCIS," as well as others. From 2008 to 2012, she also returned to daytime TV with a recurring role as Dr. Sedwick on "Days of Our Lives." Her most recent project was the 2019 short "Blue."
Craig Anton has done a lot of voice work
Alongside Lise Simms, Craig Anton played Phil Diffy's lovable but sometimes embarrassing dad, Lloyd, on "Phil of the Future."
Also like his former costar, he had a wealth of credits before making his way to Disney Channel, including a three-year stint on "MadTV", and a guest spot on "The Office." He was a recurring guest on "Lizzie McGuire" (another Disney Channel original series), and he has continued acting since "Phil of the Future" ended in 2006.
Anton has done a lot of voice acting work since he played Lloyd, including the role of Mr. Dowling, the Bank Manager, in "Bob's Burgers." He's also had live-action guest spots on shows like "Mad Men," "New Girl," and "Key and Peele," as well as recurring roles on "International Ghost Investigators" and "Maron." His most recent project was 2020's "Deep Astronomy and the Romantic Sciences," a Cory McAbee sci-fi film about a robot.
J.P. Manoux is still the weird funny man
Thanks to his turn as Congressman Clark on HBO's "Veep," as well as his role as Faux-by on "Community," J.P. Manoux is perhaps one of the most recognizable faces from "Phil of the Future."
In the Disney Channel show, he played Curtis the Caveman and Vice Principal Hackett, which seemingly made him an obvious choice for similar roles later in his career. Manoux also starred in "Spun Out" and "Good Girls Revolt," in addition to guest starring on numerous series.
Additionally, Manoux will be in the upcoming five-part HBO mini-series, "The White House Plumbers," which stars Judy Greer, Woody Harrelson, Justin Theroux, and Lena Headey, among others. According to Deadline, the mini-series is partially based on public records of the Watergate Scandal, as well as the book "Integrity" by Egil "Bud" Krogh and Matthew Krogh. It will follow the true story of former President Nixon's political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, whose attempts to ensure Nixon's presidential re-election resulted in one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history.
Brandon Mychal Smith has begun to hit his stride
Brandon Mychal Smith has grown up since he played Lil Danny Dawkins on "Phil of the Future."
The actor began to hit his stride when he starred as Nico in "Sonny With a Chance" and "So Random!" in the years immediately following "Phil of the Future." Then he moved on to even bigger roles. In addition to playing rock icon Little Richard in 2014's "Get On Up" (opposite the late Chadwick Boseman), Smith has also had a number of starring television roles. These include Marcus in "One Big Happy," Harris in "Sweet/Vicious," Wes in "Relationship Status," Sam in "You're the Worst," and Craig in Hulu's reimagined "Four Weddings and a Funeral."
Smith has also done voice work for the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" animated franchise, including the upcoming "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie." He is also slated to star alongside Nina Dobrev ("The Vampire Diaries") in the upcoming "Sick Girl," from writer/director Jennifer Cram.
Brenda Song is busier than ever
Brenda Song played one of Phil's classmates, Tia, on "Phil of the Future."
She's since graduated from her Disney days and kept busy, with roles in "The Social Network," Shonda Rhimes' "Scandal," "New Girl," "Dollface," "Station 19," and more. In April, she announced the birth of her first child with partner Macauley Culkin, whom she met on the set of 2019's "Changeland."
Like many of her "Phil of the Future" costars, Song has also done voice work. She stars as Kelani in "Bobbleheads: The Movie," and as Anne Boonchuy in the animated TV series "Amphibia." Despite delays due to COVID-19 and hiring a new showrunner, it seems Song will be in "Dollface" Season 2, according to a report from Deadline, and she will also star alongside Aaron O'Connell, Denise Richards, and Maxwell Caulfield in "Love Accidentally," which IMDb has slated for release later this year.
Evan Peters is a breakout star
Evan Peters was only in five episodes of "Phil of the Future," as Phil's friend Seth. However, he's one of the most famous members of the former cast today, thanks to roles in 2010's "Kickass," multiple "X-Men" films and a show-stopping cameo in the buzz-heavy Disney+ series "WandaVision," (perhaps?) replacing the Aaron Taylor Johnson-played version of Quicksilver from "Avengers: Age of Ultron."
Outside of superhero media, however, Evans is best known for his work in Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story." He can also be seen in much-talked-about shows like "Pose" and "Mare of Easttown," and will soon play serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the upcoming film "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story."
In addition to these major roles, Peters has also had a number of guest appearances in series like "One Tree Hill," "Criminal Minds," and "The Office." A star on the rise in Hollywood, it doesn't seem likely his career will slow down anytime soon.
Spencer Locke
Spencer Locke appeared in five episodes of "Phil of the Future," playing Candida Keegel, the resident mean girl at Phil's high school. These days, she's a full-time mom and an increasingly occasional actress.
Since then, she's done some voice work and made a name for herself in live action TV with recurring roles in "Cougar Town," and "Twentysixmiles." Locke has also made her way to movies, starring in the Lifetime version of "The Bling Ring," the 2017 flick "Mad Genius," and the 2018 horror movie "Insidious: The Last Key."
Most recently, Locke starred in the 2019 Netflix film "Walk. Ride. Rodeo.," a biopic about nationally ranked rodeo barrel racer Amberley Snyder, who returned to the support after a car crash had paralyzed her from the waist down. She married actor Chris Mason ("Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists") in 2017, and the pair announced the birth of their first child in 2020, which likely explains why at the moment there are no other projects on her horizon.
Amy Bruckner is heading to court
Amy Bruckner played Phil Diffy's little sister, Pim, in "Phil of the Future." These days, her attention is on schooling, a relationship and the occasional trip down "Phil" memory lane.
After the show ended, she did voice work as Haley Long and Millie Filmore in "American Dragon: Jake Long," and has had two other roles in the past decade. For the most part, however, she's left acting behind.
In a small cast reunion with Aly Michalka, Brenda Song, and Raviv Ullman last year, Bruckner revealed she had just completed her second year of law school. Prior to that, Seventeen reported in 2018 that Bruckner had become engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Timothy Rogan. Bruckner had posted the information on Instagram, where she described herself at the time as a "current yogi and future lawyer," but she has since deleted her account from the platform and doesn't seem to have any other social media.
Kay Panabaker is now a zoologist
Amy Bruckner isn't the only "Phil of the Future" alum to leave acting behind. Kay Panabaker, who played Pim's friend Debbie Berwick on the show, continued acting until 2012, then walked away.
She had starring roles in "Summerland" and "No Ordinary Family," as well as a recurring role on "CSI" between 2006 and 2011. She had also starred as Georgie in the 2007 Emma Roberts film "Nancy Drew," and as Jenny in the 2009 "Fame" reboot.
However, Panabaker has since left Hollywood behind to become a zoologist and zookeeper. She maintains an active social media presence on Instagram, where she mostly posts about animals she gets to work with as a zookeeper at a Disney park. In 2016, she told a fan on Twitter that she quit acting because, "I just lost the love for acting. Life is short, we spend so much time at work, gotta do what you love :) and I love my job!!"