Dylan Sprouse Says He Only Received One ‘Suite Life of Zack & Cody’ Residual Check: ‘Insane’

OK! Staff Wed, November 4, 2026 at 9:55 AM UTC

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Dylan Sprouse discussed his 'Suite Life of Zack & Cody' residual payments. BY: WILDMEN PODCAST/YOUTUBE ; MEGA

Dylan Sprouserevealed that he received just one residual check for his time on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and the amount was surprisingly small.

The actor disclosed the payment during a conversation with former costar Phil Lewis on the November 3 episode of his “Wildmen” podcast.

Sprouse and Lewis looked back on their time working on the popular Disney Channel series, which ran from 2005 to 2008, followed by its spinoff, The Suite Life on Deck, from 2008 to 2011.

Dylan Sprouse Reveals His Only ‘Suite Life’ Residual Payment

Dylan Sprouse recalled his time on the Disney Channel series. BY: WILDMEN PODCAST/YOUTUBE

During the conversation, Sprouse explained how little he received from the show’s continued success.

“And I don’t ever think I’ve said this like out on an interview, but the only residual check I’ve ever received for The Suite Life at all was a crossover episode with Hannah Montana for five cents. I’m not joking,” he said.

Lewis also discussed how their contracts affected their payments. He claimed the agreements allowed Disney Channel to film as many episodes as it wanted within a calendar year while counting them as a single television season.

“They called it one season because they didn’t have to pay us bumps,” he said.

After comparing the numbers, Sprouse, Lewis and podcast co-host Brendan Columbus estimated that approximately 190 episodes of The Suite Life were produced during their time at Disney Channel.

Dylan Sprouse Says ‘Suite Life’ Was Underfunded Despite Its Popularity

Dylan Sprouse reflected on the show’s popularity during its Disney Channel run. BY: WILDMEN PODCAST/YOUTUBE

Sprouse also reflected on how the network viewed the series behind the scenes.

“In terms of the channel higher-ups, we were also kind of weirdly the ugly duckling,” Sprouse said.

“We were extremely popular, but also extremely underfunded,” he added.

He also pointed out that the show’s original run came before streaming services became widely available.

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“Back then there weren’t any streaming services, right?” he noted.

“The only things you could watch were a certain amount of channels,” he continued.

Dylan Sprouse Says ‘Suite Life’ Dominated Disney Channel’s Kids Programming

Dylan Sprouse discussed Disney Channel’s focus on child-friendly programming. BY: MEGA

Sprouse further explained the channel’s approach to children’s programming and how the network presented itself to families.

“And Disney Channel itself prided itself on being a channel where you could turn it on safely for kids, where there’s no advertisements, there’s no anything to cross over, and all you’re going to watch are shows at that age demographic,” he said.

Lewis added that the series reached audiences in 90 countries and remained a regular part of the network’s programming.

“We were on four or five times a night because kids would just rewatch this. They put two episodes on on a Tuesday and they would run them just throughout the whole day,” Lewis said.

Dylan Sprouse Calls Phil Lewis A Second Father Figure

Dylan Sprouse praised Phil Lewis for their lasting friendship and his influence on his acting career. BY: WILDMEN PODCAST/YOUTUBE

Beyond discussing their experience on the show, Sprouse also shared how close he remains to Lewis, who played hotel manager Marion Moseby. The actor said Lewis remains one of the people with whom he has maintained a close relationship, alongside his twin brother and former costar, Cole.

“I love this human so so much. He is the coolest guy to the point where I’m hanging out at his house on the weekends. We still talk every week,” Sprouse expressed.

He also credited Lewis with helping shape his appreciation for acting.

“He’s like a second father figure to me. I really do think he’s one of the funniest, most talented guys alive and I truly attribute my love of acting [to],” Sprouse said.

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Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”