Ashley Tisdale achieved mainstream success as the hotel’s candy counter girl, Maddie Fitzpatrick, in the Disney Channel teen sitcom that aired from March 18, 2005, to September 1, 2008. Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan created The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, which targeted a young audience, particularly preteens and teenagers.
Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song strike playful poses at the premiere of Mr. 3000 at El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles on September 8, 2004 (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
The series followed the adventures of Zack and Cody Martin, portrayed by twins Dylan Thomas Sprouse and Cole Mitchell Sprouse, respectively. The story was set in a luxury hotel called the Tipton Hotel, where their mother, Carey Martin, worked as a lounge singer.
The show focused on the misadventures and escapades of the mischievous twins as they navigated life in the hotel, often causing trouble for the hotel staff and guests. Their friends, London Tipton (played by Brenda Song) and Maddie Fitzpatrick (played by Ashley Tisdale), were also central characters in the series.
Ashley Tisdale, Brenda Song, and Cole Sprouse starred in the Disney Channel sitcom “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” (2005-2008) (Credit: Disney Channel)
Brenda Song’s Impactful Disney Experience
Brenda Song portrayed the Tipton Hotel’s heiress, London Tipton, and reprised her role on the spin-off series The Suite Life on Deck.
“I wouldn’t be here without [“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”], so I’m eternally grateful. Disney gave me incredible opportunities,” Song told IMDb in August 2019.
“I think the thing that’s so great about Disney, my experience with Disney, is that … I got to, as a kid, go to work, live out my dream, and do it in an incredibly safe environment,” she said. “[I was] making a product that I knew my cousins [and] my family could watch and be proud of,” she added.
Ashley was cast as Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series and only made a guest appearance in the sequel/spin-off The Suite Life on Deck.
Ashley Tisdale played Maddie Fitzpatrick, the down-to-earth and hardworking candy counter girl at the Tipton Hotel, while Brenda Song played London Tipton, the spoiled and wealthy heiress who lived in the hotel’s penthouse suite (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
Born on July 2, 1985, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Ashley Tisdale was 19 when the first episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody aired on March 18, 2005.
Brenda Song was born on March 27, 1988, in Carmichael, Sacramento, California, United States. She has a diverse ethnic background, with roots in Hmong and Thai heritage, and is three years younger than Ashley. Brenda turned 17 on March 27, 2005, and was 16 when the first episode aired on March 18, 2005.
Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale are seen attending the “Gold Carpet” arrivals on Main Street U.S.A. during the Disneyland 50th Anniversary Celebration at Disneyland Park on May 4, 2005, in Anaheim, California (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
“I was really nervous when I saw the script. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I get to be Maddie again.’ Dylan and Cole were just totally there like hugging me and they’re both so excited,” Ashley Tisdale said in 2009 about a guest appearance she was making on The Suite Life on Deck.
“I ran first to get my hug because I was like, ‘I’m most important,’ so I deserve my hug first,” Brenda Song added.
Best friends Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song leave The Grove in Hollywood on June 27, 2009 (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
Friendship Beyond Disney: Ashley and Brenda’s Reunion
In November 2019, Song told W Magazine about her new streaming television series Dollface and her relationship with Ashley Tisdale and her former Disney co-stars.
“Ashley [Tisdale] lives like 10 minutes from me, and I see her maybe once a year,” she said about being in touch with Ashley.
Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song are still friends and see each other once a year (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
Ashley Tisdale’s Stylish Christmas Shopping Ensemble
Five years after the final The Suite Life of Zack & Cody episode aired, Ashley Tisdale was spotted wearing an exciting ensemble while doing Christmas shopping in Beverly Hills.
Ashley Tisdale wears her hair down as she goes Christmas shopping on December 12, 2013, at Planet Blue in Beverly Hills, California (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
Getting ready for Christmas, the starlet wore a pleated leather skirt, House of Holland garter tights, and a varsity jacket with python-print sleeves.
Ashley Tisdale wears a python-print varsity jacket while shopping at Planet Blue (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
She also wore Isabel Marant “Bekket” wedge sneakers and reflective Ray-Ban sunglasses. The mix seems a bit much for a shopping trip, but Ashley pulled it off well enough.
Planet Blue is a trendy clothing store, and we can’t help but wonder who the lucky gift recipient is!
Ashley Tisdale wears a pair of black Isabel Marant wedge sneakers (Credit: WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Nikki Nelson / Jody Cortes)
What do you think of Ashley’s shopping outfit? Both Nicky Hilton and Jessica Alba have been spotted rocking these trendy wedge sneakers. Still in high demand, they’ve even been redesigned for winter!
What do you think of the wedge sneaker trend? You can order a pair at Farfetch and Nordstrom.
Isabel Marant “Bekket” Hi-Top Wedge Sneakers, $695