From movie sets to the boardroom, Bridgit Mendler is proving that she’s more than just a child star. In the 2010s, it was impossible to watch Disney Channel without seeing Bridgit Mendler. Every Gen-Z kid remembers her as Teddy Duncan in Good Luck Charlie and Olivia White in Lemonade Mouth.
However, with time, she slowly disappeared from our screens. While Mendler’s hit songs like “Hurricane” and “Do You Miss Me at All?” still circulate on TikTok today, she hasn’t made any music. She also does not have a very active social media presence. Like with many former child stars, we wonder why they don’t act anymore. Where are they? What are they doing? So, what in the world has Bridgit Mendler been up to?
LIFE AFTER DISNEY
While she has not released music or acted in several years, Mendler has certainly been keeping busy. Around 2013, her Disney career was coming to a close. Her last project with the company was the TV film, Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas! After that, Mendler went on to do a few acting projects, but nothing as major or notable as her Disney roles. In terms of her music career, in 2016, she released an EP entitled Nemesis and went on a brief tour. In 2018, Mendler assured fans that she was working on music, but has not followed through.
Even though her career in Hollywood was going well, Mendler began her journey as a college student. In 2013, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at the University of Southern California (USC), graduating in 2016. Following that, in May of 2018, Mendler took to X (then Twitter) to announce that she was going to be starting a Master’s program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
She explained that she would be examining social media and how it can be put to better use in terms of connecting with her fans. In 2020, she finishes her Masters degree, but that’s not all. Mendler not only goes on to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophy at MIT, but she also enrolls in Harvard Law School at the same time. As of March 7th, 2024, Mendler revealed that she’s placed her Ph.D. on hold, but wishes to resume her studies eventually. However, she is set to receive her J.D.
UNIQUE PATH
This path may seem unique, but it is not unheard of for a former child star to attend college and pursue a career aside from acting. Jennifer Stone, who portrayed the eccentric, quirky best friend to Alex Russo a.k.a Selena Gomez, Harper on Wizards of Waverly Place, received a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and works in a hospital. Dylan Sprouse, who starred as Zack Martin in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, attended New York University and owns a meadery.
Most people wouldn’t expect child stars to attend college since they figure that they’ve already established solid careers for themselves in Hollywood. So, for Mendler to step away and go on to pursue not one, not two, but four degrees has definitely managed to catch the eye of fans who wonder what she’s been doing.
SPACE CEO
Despite her success, Mendler has kept things fairly quiet. She posts on social media once in a blue moon. Over the last few years, she’s teased fans about new announcements. Many hoped that she was going to release music or return to acting. While Mendler has not announced any music or acting roles, she recently took to X to make two announcements that shook the internet.
On February 19, 2024, Mendler announced that she is now the CEO of Northwood. A space satellite company that she co-founded with her husband. In her tweet, Mendler explains that the company will work on “building a data highway between earth and space.”
Mendler not only announced to the world that she is a CEO, but that she is also a mother. In a separate tweet, she revealed that she and her husband had been fostering a four-year-old boy in 2021. The following year, they decided to adopt him. Even though Mendler does not have an album on the way, fans were ecstatic to hear the news, praising her for her versatility.
They flooded her comments with many compliments and congratulations. One fan wrote: “An actual queen and MOTHER in every sense, READY OR NOT, we are here to support all the great things you’re doing.” It seems that there is almost nothing that Mendler can’t do. For instance, she’s an actress, singer, CEO, student, and mother. Mendler is ultimately a real-life Barbie. Her present is astonishingly different from her past as a Disney Channel star. But, as Gen-Z grew up and began making our way in the world, so did she.
As for future endeavors, she plans to focus on Northwood and her family as well as receiving her Ph.D. Nonetheless, while Mendler may not be an active member of Hollywood anymore, she is continuing to make waves as a businesswoman, Ivy League student, and new mother.
Congratulations Bridgit!
