Cole Sprouse

Cole Mitchell Sprouse is an American actor. He is known for his role as Cody Martin on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005–2008), and its spin-off series The Suite Life on Deck (2008–2011), and his role as Jughead Jones on The CW television series Riverdale (2017–2023). In his early career, Sprouse appeared in various projects with his twin brother Dylan Sprouse, including The Suite Life and Big Daddy.

Early life Cole Mitchell Sprouse was born in Arezzo, Italy, to American parents, Matthew Sprouse and Melanie Wright. He was born 15 minutes after his twin brother Dylan Sprouse and was named after jazz singer and pianist Nat King Cole. When the twins were four months old, the family moved back to their parents' native Long Beach, California.

In college, Sprouse majored in Geographic Information Systems in archaeology. He was inspired by his grandfather, a geologist, and also by his interest in earth science.

Career

1993–2012: Early roles as child actor

Cole and his brother, Dylan, began acting at the age of eight months following a suggestion from their grandmother, Jonine Booth Wright, who was a drama teacher and actress. Much of Sprouse's early career was shared with his brother—some of their earliest roles were shared roles as one baby or child in commercials, television shows, and films.

Some notable roles he shared with his brother include the characters of Patrick Kelly in the sitcom Grace Under Fire from 1993 to 1998, Julian in the 1999 film, Big Daddy, and young Pistachio Disguisey in 2002's The Master of Disguise. As he and his brother grew older, they began taking on more roles as separate characters but often still worked on the same projects. Their first role as separate characters in the same production was as kids in a MADtv sketch. Sprouse portrayed Cody Martin in the 2005 Disney Channel original series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody alongside his brother; he reprised the role in the show's 2008 spinoff, The Suite Life on Deck and its related film. The series premiered on January 26, 2017. In 2019, Sprouse starred in Five Feet Apart, a romantic drama which was released in March; he plays a cystic fibrosis patient who falls in love with a girl with the same disease. It was his second lead role in a major theatrical film, 20 years after his first, Big Daddy. Sprouse produced and starred in the eight-episode podcast Borrasca in 2020. The series received a second seven-episode season that was published from September to November 2022. In 2021, he was cast in Moonshot alongside Lana Condor.

Personal life Sprouse is a fan of comics and worked at the Los Angeles comic store Meltdown.

Sprouse has opened up about the dysfunctional relationship he and his brother have with their mother, claiming that the justice system had to intervene in their adolescence and give their father full custody due to her lacking the mental stability to be a parent. He has said that the entertainment industry appealed to his mother's drug addiction and narcissistic behavior, and "in very many ways encourages the worst qualities of you as a person... It's one of those things that encouraged a kind of selfishness directly opposed to the very fundamental idea of motherhood."

Sprouse began attending New York University in 2011, after deferring one year. Initially interested in studying film and television production, he decided to enroll instead in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, pursuing the humanities and in particular archaeology. He graduated alongside his brother in May 2015. Sprouse worked briefly in the field of archaeology, participating in excavations and performing lab work. He specialized in geographical information systems and satellite imaging. During his studies he performed summer digs in both Europe and Asia. While engaged in his undergraduate work, he unearthed a mask of Dionysus on a dig in Bulgaria.

Sprouse has an avid interest in photography. In 2011, he launched a personal photography website and took classes at NYU. Sprouse was in a relationship with his Riverdale co-star Lili Reinhart from 2018 to March 2020. On May 31, 2020, Sprouse was arrested after he joined the protests in Los Angeles for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes 1999 Big Daddy Julian McGrath I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Justin Carver 2002 The Master of Disguise Young Pistachio Disguisey Eight Crazy Nights KB Toys soldier Voice Just for Kicks Cole Martin Direct-to-video film 2004 The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Older Jeremiah 2006 Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen Kid Voice; direct-to-video film 2007 A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper Eddie Tudor 2008 The Kings of Appletown Clayton 2019 Five Feet Apart Will Newman 2022 Moonshot Walt 2024 Lisa FrankensteinThe Creature I Wish You All the Best Thomas 2025 The Rivals of Amziah King Oat 2026 The Long Haul Alex 2027 Post-production TBA Post-production Oliver Post-production Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1993–1998 Grace Under Fire Patrick Kelly Main role 2001 That '70s Show Billy Episode: "Eric's Depression" 2005–2008 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Cody Martin Main role 2006 That's So Raven Cody Martin Episode: "Checkin' Out" 2008 According to Jim Himself Episode: "I Drink Your Milkshake" 2008–2011 The Suite Life on DeckCody Martin Main role 2009 Wizards of Waverly Place Cody Martin Episode: "Cast-Away (To Another Show)" 2009 Hannah Montana Cody Martin Episode: "Super(stitious) Girl" 2011 The Suite Life Movie Cody Martin Television film; Sprouse also, alongside his brother, served as an executive producer 2012 So Random! Himself Episode: "Cole and Dylan Sprouse" 2017–2023 Riverdale Forsythe "Jughead" Jones III Additionally portrayed teen Forsythe Pendleton in 2 episodes and Jack in 1 episode

Podcast

Year Title Role Notes 2020 Borrasca Sam Walker

Awards and nominations

Among his several accolades, Sprouse is a 13-time nominee and eight-time winner of the Teen Choice Award. As a child actor, he received three Young Artist Award nominations for his roles in Big Daddy and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

Discography "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", Disneymania 4, 2005 "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", Princess Disneymania, 2008