Cole Sprouse Reveals He and His Brother Were Forced Into Acting Because of a Money Situation

During a recent interview, Riverdale star Cole Sprouse made some shocking revelations about his upbringing. One of the bombshells he dropped was that he and his twin brother Dylan Sprouse were forced to pursue acting at a young age to earn money for the family. Their story showed that Hollywood is not just a place where you can satisfy your passion, but also a place where your success can help meet basic human needs.

Cole and Dylan Sprouse became Disney stars very early.

In 2005, Cole and Dylan Sprouse gained recognition from their roles on Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. At 12, the twin brothers starred in the popular show’s 3 successful seasons, totaling 87 episodes. They later went on to star in the show’s sequel, The Suite Life On Deck.

Prior to their breakthrough on Disney, the Sprouse twins had acted together on other projects due to their striking resemblance. They even appeared on That ’70s Show and Friends and in the 1999 film Big Daddy.

Their mother forced them to work because she needed the money.

In one of his interviews, Cole Sprouse shared that his mother, Melanie Wright, had put them in the acting business very early because of her financial situation: “My brother and I were put into acting when we were 8 months old by our mother because we needed money.”

Cole explained that his parents had financial troubles, and his mother, who was “an incredibly wonderful and artistic woman,” was also “financially the most irresponsible woman ever.”

He revealed that his mother’s unstable state was likely due to a combination of mental issues and health problems, which has been the “greatest wound” in his life. Despite these challenges, Cole and Dylan went on to achieve success in the entertainment industry.

However, their father wanted them to be “normal kids.”

At the age of 10, Cole and Dylan Sprouse were placed in the custody of their father, as their parents had divorced when they were only one year old. According to Cole, by the time their father gained custody, they had already lost much of what they had earned during their earlier years in the entertainment industry.

“My parents did not come from much, and I have now been granted a life of, primarily, financial stability — and surplus in very many cases — that is the byproduct of working for 30 years and trading my childhood,” Cole explained.

The actor also shared that their father had hoped to provide them with a more normal upbringing, wanting them to be “normal kids.”

Acting was never Cole’s passion.

Despite his successful career, Cole Sprouse revealed that he had never made the choice to become an actor consciously: “I never made the decision to join the arts or acting specifically. And so it was never really my passion.” He explained that his entry into the entertainment industry was more of a means to an end during a custody battle.

As he and his brother Dylan Sprouse were successful on Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Cole realized that their careers had become the source of stability and routine that they needed at the time.

“There’s, like, the ‘thespian children’ who choose to do it, and then there are the working class kids that, in our case, at least... I mean it started, really, as a means to put bread on the table,” Cole shared.

Nevertheless, he has no regrets about taking this path.

Despite the challenges and hardships he faced as a child actor, Cole Sprouse has no regrets about his path: “If I were given the same choice again, I’d probably do it again.” In his interview, Cole expressed gratitude for the opportunities that the entertainment industry provided for him and his brother, even if their entry into it was more out of necessity than passion.

He also observed that when someone takes up acting as a passion, they may become disillusioned with the industry’s focus on money: “It’s really intriguing. Like, when you approach this career as a sort of passion, and you’re starting to learn the language of these major studios — and the language is always money — you start to become discontented.”

Overall, Cole’s experience as a child actor has shaped him into the person he is today, and he is grateful for the stability and success that it has provided for him and his family.