Dylan Sprouse Says His Only Residual Check for 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody' Was Five Cents: 'I'm Not Joking'

Dylan Sprouse says the only residual check he has ever received for "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," the Disney Channel sitcom that turned him and his twin brother Cole into stars, was "for five cents," even though the series was a major hit across its three-season run.

The actor made the revelation while appearing on "Wildmen," the podcast hosted by his former Disney co-star Phil Lewis, who played hotel manager Mr. Moseby on the show. During the interview, Sprouse spoke candidly about the financial realities behind the series.

"In terms of the channel higher-ups, we were also kind of weirdly the ugly duckling," Sprouse said. "We were extremely popular, but also extremely underfunded."

Lewis offered his own account of how the production was structured, explaining that the cast signed contracts allowing them to film continuously within a calendar year. No matter how many episodes were produced in that stretch, the work counted as a single season of television. "They called it one season because they didn't have to pay us bumps," Lewis said.

Sprouse then told Lewis he had something "that surprises people" that he "wanted to talk to" him about: his residuals. "The only residual check I've ever received for 'The Suite Life' at all was a crossover episode with 'Hannah Montana' for five cents. I'm not joking," he said. "Imagine that. In a time where residuals would have been great."

"Not a single paycheck for being arguably one of the most popular shows," Sprouse added.

Sprouse also pointed to the television landscape of the era, noting that back then "there weren't any streaming services," which meant viewers could only watch a "certain amount of channels." He said the Disney Channel "prided itself on being a channel where you could turn it on safely for kids, where there's no advertisements, there's no anything to cross over, and all you're going to watch are shows at that age demographic."

"The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" ran from 2005 to 2008 and followed the titular twins as they lived at the Tipton Hotel with their single mother. Its popularity led to a spinoff, "The Suite Life on Deck," which aired from 2008 to 2011 and featured Brenda Song, Debby Ryan, Erin Cardillo and others in the continuation.