Former “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” star Kim Rhodes, 54, recently opened up about a heartwarming memory from her time on set with Dylan and Cole Sprouse. According to Rhodes, Dylan, 31, stood up for her when an executive producer attempted to make a fat joke at her expense during her pregnancy.
Rhodes shared the touching story during an episode of the “Back to the Best” podcast earlier this month. She described how Dylan refused to say a line that was meant to make a joke about her weight, despite pressure from the executive producer. Rhodes recalled how Dylan kept skipping the line during filming, and when they went to film the episode in front of a studio audience, he stood his ground.
“It’s the director’s job to cut, by the way,” Rhodes noted, emphasizing that the producer attempted to force Dylan to “say the line.” Dylan, however, refused. “He goes, ‘I would not disrespect any woman that way, let alone this woman. You write something funny and I’ll say it.’ That’s my little man,” Rhodes said. “They’re both my little men.”
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Dylan and Cole starred as Zack and Cody Martin, respectively, in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody from 2005 to 2008 while Rhodes played their onscreen mom, Carey Martin, for the duration of the series. While the twins went on to reprise their roles for the spinoff series, The Suite Life on Deck, Rhodes did not. The actress did, however, appear in four episodes of the spinoff as a special guest star.
The Sprouse twins finished out their time as Disney stars in 2011 when they no longer saw eye-to-eye with the network, so The Suite Life on Deck came to an end. “We had a really awesome idea for where the show needed to go. We were 18. If that isn’t old enough to know exactly what the show needs, then … well, I would beg to disagree,” Dylan told Vulture in December 2017. “I don’t think [Disney] were willing to work with us, really ever. So, we stopped the show.”
As reboot culture is all the rage in Hollywood, fans have hoped for Dylan and Cole to bring back the Suite Life franchise. However, it’s a big no for the twins. “I don’t think that it should be done,” Cole declared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May 2020. “I think it’s really incendiary, there’s a huge potential to, kind of, demolish that perfect little golden memory of a program is you go back and revive it.”
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The heartwarming story shared by Kim Rhodes has brought attention to the strong bond between the actors of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and their commitment to supporting one another. It also highlights the challenges faced by young actors in the entertainment industry and the importance of standing up for respect and dignity. Dylan Sprouse’s refusal to make a fat joke at the expense of his co-star is a testament to his character and has left a lasting impact on Rhodes and fans of the beloved Disney show.
