Misadventures of the Almost Famous Disney Channel Shows

The path to fame and fortune is void of helpful road signs and riddled with many obstacles. The consequences of both celebrity and riches might not be worth it for a young actor who would rather play ball with his friends and hang out at the local skate park. But once in a while when Disney calls, my son Layne will put his acting mask on.

Whether dancing at the Tipton, or graduating junior high school with Zack and Cody on "The Suite Life," Layne is having the time of his life as a background actor. He is in no hurry to be famous, though it would be icing on the cake, and the money he makes goes toward his college fund. The entertainment industry, for the most part, has done their part to ensure that 15% of a child actor's earnings go straight into their Coogan account.

At any rate, one of Layne's first jobs was a short ten-second spot on "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," which airs on the Disney Channel. Layne and a few other kids were shooting a dance sequence for an episode titled "French 101." We arrived one hour early on the set (always a wise decision) at Hollywood Center Studios. Layne was immediately whisked away to wardrobe. As a background actor you should always have three sets of your own clothes to change into unless you're told that wardrobe will be supplied. Never wear black or white shirts and nothing with logos will be accepted.

In any event, it is not unusual for most background actors, particularly the adults, to sit around for hours without actually working. For this very reason many bring a good novel, comfy beach chairs and lap tops.

However, on this occasion, the kids were put to work immediately. Although, one could hardly call it work. They danced all day, played games in between takes and some tried to befriend the young stars of the show-twin brothers, Dylan and Cole Sprouse. The twins, on the other hand, showed no signs of wanting to mingle with their extra co-stars. This caused quite a stir with some of the parents. But the twins, to their credit, dramatically changed the non-mingling policy the next time we worked on the show.