Beginning under the stewardship of Rich Ross, who has since moved from the channel to head the company's feature film division, Disney began an unprecedented run of scouting young actors and matching them with projects that perfectly appealed to a pre-teen fan base.

"We look for diversity in every sense of word," Judy Taylor, the channel's vice president of casting and talent relations, said. "We're always searching for that less traditional face, all across the country, even globally."

The search for new stars to replenish the well has become vital to the channel's survival and the company's bottom line.

Each falls within the 13-to-18 age range that Taylor said is ideal for handling the pressure of carrying a show.
Taylor says that the boys, as well as Bridgit Mendler, who stars on "Charlie," and Debby Ryan, one of the stars of "Suite Life on Deck," all are "dynamos" with "big personalities, you don't want them to leave the room."

Like Gomez, the upcoming set of teen talent will be appearing in several different projects across the Disney corporate landscape. Dano and Dolley have original movies in the works with the channel and Shaw and Mendler have recurring roles on the "Suite Life on Deck" and "Wizards of Waverly Place."

Taylor said that she doesn't see the relationship ending when stars like Cyrus eventually move on: "Organically we know at some point our actors will outgrow our programming. It is important for us to create a collaborative relationship, so that when they get older or reach superstar status they'll consider making movies or records with the Walt Disney company."

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