Being a child star comes with its responsibilities, especially a child star on a TV show that went on to define a generation and its expectations. This was the average life of a Nickelodeon kid star in the 2000’s when Nickelodeon, Disney and Cartoon Network had kids hooked to their screens. It was the era before social media and that was the peak of stardom for children. From ‘Victorious’ to ‘iCarly’, ‘Big Time Rush’ to ‘Sam & Cat’, it was the peak of TV for some and these shows didn’t just produce actors, they ushered brands into the world and enabled a lot of stars to take their first steps into fame.
Nickelodeon’s roster created a lot of stars but the year is 2025 and these two names stand out above the rest more than others
Ariana Grande: The mega pop star with over a billion streams on one record
Leon Thomas: The writer behind multiple records now having his chance to be the face of his brand and create heavy streaming music like Mutt.
‘Victorious’: Where It All Started
The show ‘Victorious’ immediately rings exciting nostalgia when you present it in front of those who watched it air live and the conversations revolve around the main stars: Ariana Grande (Cat Valentine), Leon Thomas III (Andre Harris), Victoria Justice (Tori Vega), Elizabeth Gilles (Jade West), Avan Jogia (Beck Oliver), Matt Bennett (Robbie Shapiro). The show, a sitcom with musical performances by the characters revolved around Justice’s character and her rise to stardom which made it very ironic that Ariana Grande was the one who used the show as the ladder to fame and mega stardom.
Ariana Grande: The Nickelodeon Girl Who Became a Pop Titan
Fun fact, Ariana Grande was always a vocalist before she even went on the Victorious show and that was why it was evident every time she opened her mouth. She started her career in a music theatre and appeared on Broadway shows as early as age 12.
Her debut song “Yours Truly” instantly positioned her as an heir to the 2000’s Pop Vocalists and R&B stars of the era before. She went on to make super era-defining hits like “7 Rings,” “One Last Time,” “Into You” and “We Can’t Be Friends” and added 2 Grammy wins to her catalogue from 19 nominations.
Nickelodeon made stars but they have never quite made anyone with the global stardom that Ariana managed, ever again.
Leon Thomas III: The Genius Behind Your Favorite Songs
Up until this year, Leon Thomas III was majorly known as the guy behind the music, but that was before he released his 2024 project MUTT. The body of work didn’t exactly rack up the numbers immediately but over time the title track ‘Mutt’ began to gather streams and with over 300 million streams on Spotify and a Chris Brown feature verse on the remix that sits at 100 million, Leon Thomas III is no longer behind the guys who make the hits, he is now on his way to being a hitmaker.
Following that up with a project Pholks that is well on its way to the top, and with the pedigree having had credits on Ariana Grande “Positions” (producer/writer), SZA – “Snooze” (producer), credits on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Honestly, Nevermind, Giveon, Toni Braxton, Kehlani, Post Malone etc. Leon Thomas III looks set to be another mega pop star from the Victorious set.
Victoria Justice: The Show’s Star, Hollywood’s Chameleon
For Tori Vega, her lane was very much different from the Victoria Justice character she played, she went into Hollywood from a very young age landing the Lola Martinez role in ‘Zoey 101’ but after Victorious she did a couple of Movies for the network The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
She tried music releasing Gold in 2013 before going on a hiatus. She starred in the MTV thriller ‘Eye Candy’ before it got cancelled after one season. She has since been back releasing music again and even acted in the Netflix Original A Perfect Pairing.
Elizabeth Gillies: She became a fan favorite and had a cult following from ‘Victorious’ fans and her CW show ‘Dynasty’ has been her biggest success in her acting career till date
Matt Bennett: Matt is currently a DJ and tours with his company Y2K themed company Party 101 with DJ Bennett, He also acted in a couple of movies: The Virginity Hit, Bridesmaids, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Stanford Prison Experiment and Manson Family Vacation.
Image Credits: Leon Thomas III – Rebecca Sapp / Stringer | Getty Images & Ariana Grande – Arturo Holmes / Staff | Getty Images
