00s child star who left Hollywood behind to become a zookeeper

Among them is Kay Panabaker, who shot to stardom playing Debbie Berwick in Disney's sci-fi comedy Phil of the Future. The former actress, now 36, spent ten years in the industry before taking a step back from the spotlight, turning her talents to a.

Keep reading to find out more about Kay's life away from the limelight. Kay began working in the acting industry in the early 2000s, with minor roles in shows like ER and 7th Heaven, and film roles in Monsters Inc.

What Happened

At thirteen, she began starring in the hit drama Summerland, sharing the screen with teen idols Zac Efron, who played her love interest, and Jesse McCartney, who played her brother. What followed was a string of one-episode appearances in TV hits such.

• Her big break came in 2004, when she landed a leading role in Phil of the Future.

• This led to roles in two Disney Channel original films, Life is Ruff (2005) and Read It and Weep (2006), and an appearance on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

• Her final acting role came in 2012, when she voiced a Chihuahua in the comedy film Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta!.

Key Details

In a 2016 interview with Naperville Magazine, Kay explained that she fell out of love with acting, specifically after a TV producer told her she needed to lose weight before a love interest was introduced for her character.

• She then secured an internship at Disney World and was hired as an Associate Animal Keeper in 2014.

• The actress added that she also conducts animal presentations and maintains the petting zoo.

• Having already graduated from UCLA with a degree in history, Kay went back to school, enrolling on an eighteen-month animal program at Santa Fe College in Florida.

Why It Matters

It's not like my character was going to catch a life-threatening disease or anything.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Yahoo as more details emerge