A Definitive Rating of Disney Channel Heartthrobs
Updated: Jan 19, 2022
Watching Disney Channel as a child you may not have known what 8/7 central meant, but you did know that those shows and movies were some of the best on modern television. Not only that, but Disney Channel had the cutest men our 12-year-old selves had ever seen. In the spirit of love, let’s talk about the boys you had plastered on your walls who never knew you existed.
Adam Lamberg
Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004)/The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)
Ah yes, Disney Channel’s nerdy friend who’s in love with the main character stereotype. Gordo was cute, and he even gets the girl (well, kind of), but he’s just not memorable enough. Nobody watched Lizzie McGuire to see Gordo, sorry dude. 5/10
Lucas Grabeel
Halloweentown High (2004)/High School Musical (2006)/Return to Halloweentown (2006)/High School Musical 2 (2007)/High School Musical 3 (2008)/Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (2011)
Let’s be real, Disney Channel really did Lucas Grabeel dirty. He deserved better than to be Sharpay’s stylish sidekick brother. He never even got his own song! Except, he was a little creepy as the main love interest in Return to Halloweentown (sidebar that movie gets a 0/10 for replacing Marnie), so I guess you can’t win. 6/10
David Henrie
That’s So Raven (2004-2007)/Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)/Dadnapped (2009)
Hear me out, David Henrie was always cute, but his characters really brought him down a few pegs. Justin Russo was just SO annoying that it hindered your ability to like David Henrie. 7/10
Taran Killam
Stuck in the Suburbs (2004)
Guys, it’s time to admit it… Jordan Cahill was never attractive in Stuck in the Suburbs. The long hair and hat made him look like a 45-year-old man, and the short hair only made him a little more bearable. Just not the man that all those teenage girls should have been obsessed with. 2/10
Raviv “Ricky” Ullman
Pixel Perfect (2004)/Phil of the Future (2004-2006)
My favorite 22nd century man. Maybe Phil should have warned us about COVID-19, but I will forgive him because he’s just so darn cute. I don’t know how Ricky Ullman pulled off the spiked hair look, but every time his gorgeous smile came on the screen, I swooned. 10/10
Dylan & Cole Sprouse
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005-2008)/The Suite Life on Deck (2008-2011)
Maybe it’s because they grew up alongside us, but I always thought these two were the cutest boys on TV. They were adorable as mischievous kids, and even though they looked exactly the same, we all had a favorite. Personally, I liked Cole because I was into Cody’s nerdy vibes, but I see the appeal of Dylan. Both 10/10
Moisés Arias
Hannah Montana (2006-2011)/Dadnapped (2009)
I wasn’t sure if Moisés Arias counted as a Disney Channel cutie because he’s just that annoying rich kid on Hannah Montana. Except now he’s 26, who knew!? I always thought he was like eight in Hannah Montana. He wasn’t the cutest, so he gets extra points because Rico Suave was hilarious. But also, mustached Rico did have something going for him. 6/10
Corbin Bleu
High School Musical (2006)/ Jump In! (2007)/High School Musical 2 (2007)/High School Musical 3 (2008)
I will say this one time and one time only: Corbin Bleu in baseball pants, that’s it. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. But seriously, Corbin Bleu just got hotter with every movie he was in. 10/10
Jason Dolley
Read it and Weep (2006)/Cory in the House (2007-2008)/Minutemen (2008)/Hatching Pete (2009)/Good Luck Charlie (2010-2014)
The dumb blond of daytime TV, it’s a good thing Jason Dolley was cute. He is probably one of the least memorable actors on Disney Channel, even though he was in so many shows and movies. Very generic, but he can at least get a passing score. 7/10
Zac Efron
High School Musical (2006)/High School Musical 2 (2007)/High School Musical 3 (2008)
If you tell me you didn’t have at least one Zac Efron poster, you’re lying. He was THE Disney Channel heartthrob. And Zac Efron was always attractive, but the glow up in the third movie… I mean *chef’s kiss.* 11/10
Cody Linley
Hannah Montana (2006-2010)
The Jesse-Jake love triangle was the juiciest drama of our childhood, but I was 100% team Jake. I thought he was cuter (maybe minus the Justin Bieber hair), even if he was a total prick. 9/10
Jake T. Austin
Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)
Wizards of Waverly Place really just had some attractive men in it. Jake T. Austin was one of the only TV little brothers that I ever liked. He was cute and never annoying, actually he had some pretty good one-liners. When they replaced him on the show, I was pretty upset, but when he came back he was even more attractive. 10/10
Luke Benward
Minutemen (2008)/Girl vs. Monster (2012)/Good Luck Charlie (2013)/Cloud 9 (2014)
I’m going to be real with you, I have no idea who this man is. In the words of Keke Palmer, sorry to this man. I never watched Minutemen and I can’t remember him on Good Luck Charlie, and Cloud 9 was just beyond my Disney Channel days. So, I’m solely going off pictures here. 3/10
Joe Jonas
Camp Rock (2008)/Jonas (2009-2010)/Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010)
Joe Jonas, the best Jonas brother, in terms of attractiveness and singing/stage presence. Yes, Nick gave us “red dress,” but Joe brings the style and pizzazz to the band. He seems like the most down-to-earth brother, like if you saw him on the street he wouldn’t mind having a conversation with you. I can’t say I agree with all of the hair choices throughout the years, but it doesn’t even matter. 10/10
Kevin Jonas
Camp Rock (2008)/Jonas (2009-2010)/Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010)
Kevin gets a lot of heat as the worst Jonas Brother, and maybe sometimes he deserves it. Like why did he think mutton chops were a good idea? But, he's still a cutie. He’s definitely not attractive in the conventional way, but I think we’ve all collectively come to learn that we still love him. 5/10
Nick Jonas
Camp Rock (2008)/Jonas (2009-2010)/Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010)
As a disclaimer, this is about to get very controversial. Nick Jonas is the worst Jonas brother. I know, I’m sorry. I just don’t think I can forgive him for breaking up the band. He broke up the band to have a solo career that didn’t even work! I mean he also got the band back together, but still, his self-centeredness broke it up in the first place. That coupled with the fact that, yes, he is very attractive, leads me to giving him a better rating than a zero. 4/10
Frankie Jonas
Jonas (2009-2010)/Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010)
Better known as the Bonus Jonas. Frankie deserved better and we all know it. Maybe he’s not musically inclined enough to be a real member of the Jonas Brothers, but we at least wanted to see more of him on Jonas. Even though he was a literal child when we watched Disney Channel (more of a child than we were), we were all rooting for him, and I’m glad he’s now getting the love he deserves on TikTok. 4/10
Sterling Knight
Sonny with a Chance (2009-2011)/StarStruck (2010)/So Random! (2011-2012)
This man just looks annoying. Maybe that’s why he was always cast as the famous jerks, who aren’t really jerks at all; they just look stuck up. Either way he looks like a knock off Chad Michael Murray and there’s only room for one CMM in our Disney hearts. 3/10
Drew Roy
Hannah Montana (2009-2011)
Drew Roy was THE bad boy of television back in the day. Don’t get me wrong, he was attractive, but I just wasn’t impressed by his demeanor. However, we did get the Hannah Montana bop “He Could Be The One” thanks to him. 8/10
Bradley Steven Perry
Good Luck Charlie (2010-2014)/Mighty Med (2013-2015)/Lab Rats (2015)/Lab Rats: Elite Force (2016)
I always thought of Bradley Steven Perry as a child, until I realized he was born in 1998. Maybe it’s because he’s shorter, so they always cast him as younger, but I never really thought of him as a Disney Channel man. In retrospect, he is kinda cute though. 5/10
Gregg Sulkin
Wizards of Waverly Place (2010-2012)/Avalon High (2010)
To this day, he might be one of the most attractive men I’ve ever seen. Plus, he’s British! Why do shows and movies always make werewolves so hot? I mean, I’m not complaining, but dang. 10/10
Ross Lynch
Austin & Ally (2011-2016)/Teen Beach Movie (2013)/Teen Beach 2 (2015)
Bonus points for everyone who watched Teen Beach Movie because of Ross Lynch. Okay, actually that movie kind of went hard. However, I did watch Teen Beach 2 just for Ross Lynch. Ross looks like he should be in a boy band (well he was in R5 with his siblings), but we got a musical theater Ross and that was a beautiful surprise. 10/10
Blake Michael
Lemonade Mouth (2011)/Dog with a Blog (2012-2015)
I can’t say I ever really liked Lemonade Mouth. I feel like you were either loyal to Camp Rock or Lemonade Mouth, and I chose Camp Rock (obviously only for the Jonas Brothers). But, I have to admit, Blake Michael is very attractive and it makes me rethink not liking his movie. 9/10
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