Lizzie McGuire star Jake Thomas began appearing as a baby, earlier than he obtained his massive break as a younger teen within the Disney collection, with followers watching the star develop up earlier than their eyes.

And whereas many former youngster stars have recalled detrimental and even traumatic experiences from their time on set from a younger age, Thomas’ expertise could not have been any extra completely different — actually, he described rising up on display as “unbelievable.”

Thomas starred as Matt McGuire on the collection, which ran on Disney Channel from 2001 till 2004, together with the 2003 movie. A couple of years after Lizzie McGuire ended, Thomas returned to the Disney Channel and starred within the That is So Raven spinoff, Cory within the Home.

In an interview with TooFab, the actor mirrored on his time as a baby star, expressing his gratitude that he had a “nice expertise.”

“I positively acknowledge that there have been youngster actors who’ve had tough conditions, whether or not that is by means of simply, you understand, the worth of fame in a means, or household dynamics,” Thomas defined. “I am very lucky in that, you understand, all of my expertise rising up, you understand, appearing and being on the Disney Channel and every little thing, all my experiences had been unbelievable. I do not assume I ever needed to undergo any of the sort of powerful conditions or rising pains or something like that.  So I really feel very lucky in that.”

“I’ve quite a lot of pals that, you understand, have additionally had actually nice experiences with it,” he continued. “And I believe it is unlucky that quite a lot of the tales which can be unlucky get probably the most consideration typically.”

The Disney alum famous that he believes there’s a “public preconceived notion that that’s what youngster appearing is.”

“I had a distinct expertise with it. I by no means did not take pleasure in it, I might say,” he advised TooFab. “It was at all times only a nice expertise for me.”

And whereas he acknowledges that he “positively missed out” on “typical” milestones, resembling going to promenade, he was capable of have “uncommon” experiences that common youngsters didn’t.

“I do acknowledge that, you understand, I obtained to do some actually extraordinary experiences which can be actually uncommon,” Thomas stated. “And I would not commerce that for the world. So I am actually appreciative of every little thing that I obtained to expertise as a baby actor.”

A couple of years in the past, Thomas briefly reunited with a number of of his Lizzie McGuire co-stars — together with Hilary Duff, Hallie Todd, and Robert Carradine — once they had been set to reprise their roles within the Disney+ revival collection, with Thomas even filming two episodes, earlier than the reboot was finally axed. (See what he needed to say concerning the canceled revival right here.)

And though the revival collection did not work out, Thomas stated he is nonetheless in contact with a number of members of his Disney Channel household.

When requested if he stays in touch with any of his former co-stars, he advised TooFab, “Now and again, you understand, the Disney Channel household … we by no means crumble, I really feel like.”

“Hilary, each occasionally, I am going to see her on the Farmer’s Market,” he stated of his on-screen sister. “Bobby Carradine and Hallie Todd, who performed my dad and mom, I imply, they’ve at all times principally simply been like an aunt and uncle to me. So that they’ll examine in with me every so often, which is nice.”

“Jason Dolley, we had been on Cory within the Home collectively. He is been only a tremendous shut buddy of mine ever since that point, too,” he continued. “He lives down the road, so we’ll see one another every so often. I imply, we see one another each occasionally, the entire Disney household, and that is at all times a really good factor.”

In the meantime, Thomas has not too long ago stepped right into a realm of leisure: video video games, particularly efficiency seize. (Sure, similar to within the Avatar movie franchise.) Thomas has been voicing the character Marco Silva within the action-adventure online game, MindsEye, a undertaking he has secretly been engaged on for years. The sport was launched earlier this month.

“I imply the entire undertaking was truthfully actually pleasant to do,” Thomas advised TooFab, “as a result of it is so far separated from conventional appearing that I’ve achieved up to now as a result of, you understand, while you’re on this quantity, there is no digicam crew, there is no hair and make-up, there is no wardrobe, there is no lights … it is actually laid again, truthfully. It’s totally harking back to being in a stage play, however with out an viewers. So it is even a step down from that. It is a stage play rehearsal.”

He continued, “It is actually pleasant to sort of simply be there with the opposite actors and there is no stress and actually sort of play, quite a lot of creativeness has to enter it too since you’re having to, you understand, fake that, ‘Oh yeah, all these robots are over there’ and … ‘explosions are occurring!’”

“I believe that complete facet of it was actually, actually thrilling, and I might like to do extra efficiency seize sooner or later,” Thomas shared. “I believe it actually opens up quite a lot of doorways for me as an actor as a result of I really feel like, you understand, I haven’t got to only play me. I imply, on this undertaking I am scanned in as me, however you possibly can play an alien … the sky is the restrict, which is nice.”

See extra from Thomas’ interview within the full video, above, and purchase MindsEye right here!