Buzz
While Barney often gets a bad rap, these seven actors owe a lot to the big purple dinosaur, as it was one of their first major acting opportunities.
1. AND 2. SELENA GOMEZ AND DEMI LOVATO
Before becoming Disney stars, Gomez and Lovato were part of Barney’s world. Lovato, playing “Angela,” and Gomez, as “Gianna,” both secured their roles after a competitive audition. Lovato first tried out at age five but was turned down because she couldn’t read. She tried again two years later, where she met Gomez in the audition line. Out of 1,400 hopefuls, both were selected.
3. MADISON PETTIS
Madison Pettis, another Disney favorite, landed her debut role with Barney. She began with video appearances before securing a few spots on Barney & Friends in 2006. Today, Pettis is a familiar face on Disney Channel, voicing characters in Phineas and Ferb and Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and starring in the series Lab Rats.
4. DEBBY RYAN
Getty
Another Disney link: Debby Ryan, widely recognized for her role in Jessie, played a “teenage girl” in the DVD release Barney: Let’s Go to the Firehouse.
5. JACKSON PACE
Getty
Jackson Pace, best known as Chris Brody from Homeland, has also appeared in series like CSI and Everybody Hates Chris. Dedicated Barney fans in 2006 might remember him as “Adam” in two episodes.
6. BRIGHTON SHARBINO
Getty
Sharbino’s portrayal of Lizzie in The Walking Dead was a stark contrast to her earlier role as “Dancer/Drummer” on Barney & Friends six years prior. Beyond her iconic line, “Look at the flowers, Lizzie,” she also took on the role of Woody Harrelson’s daughter in the first season of True Detective.
7. KYLA PRATT
Getty
Pratt played Marcella in Barney’s debut movie, Barney's Great Adventure, in 1998. That same year, she became Eddie Murphy’s on-screen daughter, Maya Dolittle, in the Dr. Dolittle films. She also voiced Penny Proud in The Proud Family. Recently, she has worked on The Soul Man and an ABC Family pilot titled Recovery Road.
