Movies Gallery 11 of the most successful Mouseketeers Pop stars, triple threats, and Oscar nominees — these are the real leaders of the club that's made for you and me. By Hillary Busis and Ariana Bacle Updated on February 23, 2024 10:14AM EST Close Ryan Gosling; Britney Spears; Justin Timberlake. Photo: Everett Collection (3) From Ryan Gosling to Britney Spears to Justin Timberlake, they made it through various incarnations of The Mickey Mouse Club to propel themselves to standout careers. The variety show first premiered in 1955, airing for four seasons on ABC; it was revived in syndication from 1977 to 1979 and then returned on the Disney Channel from 1989 to 1996. With musical numbers and comedy skits, the show was a great launching pad for numerous future stars. Ahead, we look at the careers of 11 of the most successful graduates of The Mickey Mouse Club. 01 of 11 Ryan Gosling Ryan Gosling on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: As a Mouseketeer, Gosling didn't get much screen time because, in his words, the show's producers "realized that I wasn't really up to snuff in comparison with what some of the other kids were able to do." But when he did get a shot at the spotlight, the future Oscar nominee's easy charm was palpable. Where Are They Now? He made his directing debut with 2015's Lost River, a fantasy film starring Mad Men's Christina Hendricks that received mostly negative reviews. Since then, he's largely stuck to acting and had roles in the Netflix action thriller The Gray Man and Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie, for which he was nominated for numerous awards (including an Oscar) for playing Ken. 02 of 11 Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: The "SexyBack" singer had that pitch-perfect falsetto down even before his voice changed. Where Are They Now? The ex-*NSYNCer released the two-part album, 20/20 Experience, in 2013 — the same year he appeared in both Runner Runner and the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis. In 2018, he dropped his fifth studio album, Man of the Woods, not long before headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. Everything I Thought I Was, his sixth solo album, drops in March 2024 ahead of his Forget Tomorrow world tour. 03 of 11 Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: That unbelievable voice! Xtina was born sounding like a full-grown soul singer. Where Are They Now? The pop star has been keeping busy with TV, appearing as a coach on NBC's The Voice and in a guest role on ABC's Nashville. Following 2018's Liberation, Aguilera released her ninth studio album, Aguilera, which is entirely in Spanish, in 2022. 04 of 11 Britney Spears Britney Spears on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: Spears' dance moves were crisp and precise from the very beginning. And though she'd eventually surrender to Auto-Tune, her growly alto wasn't half bad either. Where Are They Now? After releasing eight albums and nabbing multiple Grammy nods, Spears got her own Las Vegas residency — Britney: Piece of Me — that kicked off in December 2013. Through 2021, Spears was at the center of the "Free Britney" campaign, an ultimately successful effort to remove the conservatorship that she had been under for more than a decade. She released her highly anticipated memoir, The Woman In Me, in 2023. 05 of 11 Keri Russell Keri Russell on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: Her hair, obviously; even in the early-'90s, Keri Russell's curls were bouncy and flawless. She was also a surprisingly good rapper. Where Are They Now? The former Felicity star received plenty of positive attention for her starring role on FX's The Americans, which ended in 2018. Since then, she's starred in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, Antlers, Cocaine Bear, and Netflix’s The Diplomat. 06 of 11 JC Chasez JC Chasez on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: *NYSNC's future frontman boasted a gorgeous, smooth tenor that was almost too mature for its Disney Channel setting. Where Are They Now? Like several of his fellow Mouseketeers, JC Chasez went the reality route: He was a judge on America's Best Dance Crew from 2008 to 2012. With the other members of *NSYNC, he released the song "Better Place" for 2023's Trolls Band Together, in which the boy band voiced a troll boy band. 07 of 11 Nikki DeLoach Nikki DeLoach on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: Nikki DeLoach shined most in the comedy skits, which foreshadowed the kind of work she'd go on to do years later. Where Are They Now? The one-time girl group member — she was in Innosense, a '90s band that opened for Britney Spears and NSYNC — starred in MTV's Awkward from 2012 to 2016 and made guest appearances on multiple shows, including NCIS, Castle, and Mad Men. 08 of 11 Tony Lucca Tony Lucca on 'The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: Tony Lucca's pipes and guitar-playing skills were on full display in the '90s MMC — especially when he was harmonizing with fellow Mouseketeer JC Chasez. Where Are They Now? Lucca opened for *NSYNC in the early-2000s and released six albums later that decade — but he achieved new fame after placing third on season 2 of The Voice. The singer was subsequently signed to coach Adam Levine's record label, and has since had his music featured on various TV shows including Parenthood and Friday Night Lights. 09 of 11 Lisa Whelchel Lisa Whelchel on 'The New Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: Sunny, perky Lisa Whelchel proved early on that she'd be a natural on a sitcom, even if her comic timing wasn't really put to the test on the '70s Mickey Mouse Club revival. Where Are They Now? Whelchel spent nine years playing Blair Warner on The Facts of Life, and returned to television in 2012 as a contestant on Survivor: Philippines, where she was a runner-up. She's hosted Collector's Call, an antiques reality show on MeTV, since 2019. 10 of 11 Annette Funicello Annette Funicello on 'The Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: This triple threat was the only Mouseketeer selected by Walt Disney himself — and though she later claimed her vocal range was "about three notes," her skill and wholesome persona made her the original show's most popular cast member by far. Where Are They Now? Before she died in April 2013 at age 70, Annette Funicello starred in six Beach Party films in the '60s and re-entered the public eye in 1992, when she revealed that she had been suffering from multiple sclerosis for several years. One year later, Funicello established the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases. 11 of 11 Don Grady Don Grady on 'The Mickey Mouse Club'. Everett Collection Early Star Quality: Don Grady, who originally went by Don Agrati, parlayed his clean-cut good looks, charisma, and musical talent into a role on My Three Sons when he was just 16. Where Are They Now? After Sons was canceled in 1972, Grady embarked on a second career as a singer and composer, and even wrote the theme for The Phil Donahue Show. He died of cancer on June 27, 2012. Related content: Justin Timberlake says he'll apologize to 'f---ing nobody' before singing 'Cry Me a River' at NYC show Britney Spears posts she's 'not sorry,' seems to respond to Justin Timberlake concert comments Britney Spears stans send 2011 song 'Selfish' up the charts to troll Justin Timberlake's comeback single