Brenda Song shares her struggles during her time on Disney's 'The Suite Life,' revealing feelings of being overworked and underpaid.
Brenda Song has opened up about her challenging experiences while working on Disney’s popular series, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and its spinoff, The Suite Life on Deck. In a recent episode of the podcast Wildmen, hosted by her former co-star Dylan Sprouse, Song described her time on the show as one where she felt both ‘overworked’ and ‘underpaid.’
During the podcast, Song expressed her confusion about her memories from that period, stating, “I feel like there are parts of the ‘Suite Life’ that are, like, black holes for me. Like, I don’t remember years of my life.” This sentiment was echoed by Sprouse, who noted that the show was often viewed as ‘underfunded’ despite its popularity.
Song recounted a particularly alarming incident on set when she fainted while filming a scene involving a malfunctioning hot tub that was heated to an extreme temperature. She recalled, “I remember just breathing really heavy, and my chest felt really hot. I just went, ‘Am I having a panic attack?’ And then all of a sudden I remember stars and gone.”
Despite the difficulties, Song acknowledged the opportunities that Disney provided her, saying, “But Disney did give us a platform to be sitting here right now, so it’s very hard to complain about certain things.” However, she and Sprouse both highlighted the lack of residuals from their work, with Sprouse revealing that he received only a five-cent check for a crossover episode with Hannah Montana.
The The Suite Life franchise, which aired from 2005 to 2008, followed the lives of twins Zack and Cody Martin, played by Sprouse and his brother Cole, as they navigated life in the Tipton Hotel. Song portrayed London Tipton, the wealthy heiress and daughter of the hotel owner.
As the conversation continued, both actors reflected on the unique challenges of working in a high-pressure environment at a young age, with Sprouse noting the unusual production methods that sometimes left them feeling unrecognised for their contributions.
