Much like Nickelodeon's '90s cartoons, the teen series Zoey 101 became a hit for the studio's younger viewers, running from 2005 to 2008. The show follows teenager Zoey Brooks (Jamie-Lynn Spears) as she settles into Pacific Coast Academy, a boarding school in Malibu that used to cater only to boys. Zoey gets acquainted with her roommates Quinn (Erin Sanders), Lola (Victoria Justice), and Nicole (Alexa Nikolas) as they befriend Chase (Sean Flynn), Logan (Matthew Underwood), and Michael (Christopher Massey), while Zoey’s younger brother Dustin (Paul Butcher) hangs on for the ride.
Update June 28, 2023: In honor of the upcoming Paramount+ film Zoey 102, this list has been updated with even more information about the cast of the series Zoey 101.
After four seasons of working together, the members of the main cast grew closer, and the friendship shown on-screen was real — for the most part, at least. The show’s popularity has never waned and ultimately resulted in the newly-announced and highly-anticipated upcoming film sequel Zoey 102, which will chronicle the nuptials between Logan and Quinn and will reunite much of the cast. To prepare for the dramedy that's set to his Paramount+ on July 27, 2023, let's take a look at what the cast of Zoey 101 has been up to in recent years.
Zoey Brooks — Jamie-Lynn Spears
Playing the main title character of Zoey Brooks is Jamie-Lynn Spears, the younger sister of pop star Britney Spears. While filming the series, she received a great deal of scrutiny when announcing her pregnancy at only 16 years of age. Many believed that this pregnancy was responsible for the cancellation of Zoey 101, but the final season of the show was filmed before her pregnancy.
After having her first child, Spears stepped away from stardom to focus on family life, only to return to the spotlight once again in 2013 with her debut single “How Could I Want More” and the release of a documentary revolving around her teen pregnancy. In 2019, Spears returned to the screen, playing the role of Soreen Fitzgibbons in the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias.
Chase Matthews — Sean Flynn
Sean Flynn played the role of Chase Matthews, a fellow student of Pacific Coast Academy who is hopelessly in love with Zoey but is too afraid to tell her. Flynn has a long history of acting in his family, his grandfather being the legendary actor Errol Flynn. Flynn’s acting career has dwindled to a few minor roles over the years, but he has moved on to become a producer. In 2020, Flynn announced his engagement to Lyndsey Monconduit.
Flynn and his old co-stars from the show are obviously still friends and support one another, as Flynn has made a post on his Instagram about Victoria Justice’s album “Treat Myself” and Jamie-Lynn Spears has even left comments on many of his posts.
Logan Reese — Matthew Underwood
Logan Reese was known as the hot player whose father bought him everything he ever wanted. This spoiled-prince behavior was checked by his classmates on more than one occasion, especially when he made the girls his personal cheerleaders, and they proceeded to cheer him on when he was rejected by a girl he was hitting on. Logan is played by Matthew Underwood, whose acting career began at the age of eight, which is how he eventually discovered his passion for extreme sports, including wakeboarding and kite surfing.
Underwood has continued to pursue his passion for filmmaking, taking on more behind-the-scenes roles while sharing his life on his farm in Florida and creating plenty of social media content with former co-stars Sean Flynn and Paul Butcher.
Lola Martinez — Victoria Justice
Victoria Justice plays the role of wannabe actress Lola who arrives at PCA dressed up in a goth outfit, freaking her roommates out until she reveals who she really is and how she was just acting. Her role in Zoey 101 brought her a great deal of attention, which led to her gaining her own show called Victorious, which she headlined from 2010 to 2013.
Justice went on to appear in a number of shows and films, including playing the role of Janet Weiss in the TV film The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again. She most recently starred opposite Garrett Hedlund and Noah Schnapp in the 2023 psychological thriller The Tutor. On top of this, Justice has also managed her career as a singer with a steady stream of content. Though Justice is not returning for the sequel Zoey 102, the actress did show up to support her old cast members at a party honoring the new film.
Quinn Pensky — Erin Sanders
This quirky genius doesn’t go with the grain, leaving many to wonder where she fits in with Zoey and the gang, but Quinn never ceases to amaze with her scientific experiments and her unique hairstyles. This even manages to catch the attention of Logan, as in the final season, the two end up dating in secret.
Quinn is played by Erin Sanders, who has continued to pursue a career in acting, appearing on The Young and the Restless as Erin Baldwin and having small appearances in TV over the years, including The Mentalist and Melissa & Joey. As with the rest of the cast, she appears to have remained close with her co-stars, their interactions visible on social media.
Nicole Bristow — Alexa Nikolas
While Nicole’s chirpy, odd character was a staple of the show, her on-screen counterpart was eventually written out of the show due to many incidents between Alexa Nikolas and Jamie-Lynn Spears behind-the-scenes. Following her removal from the show, Nikolas made a number of appearances on TV series’ including The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, which eventually led to her role in The Walking Dead as Haley.
Nikolas gave birth to a daughter in November 2020. On her Instagram, she shared the official documents about her court case with her ex-husband Michael Milosh, whom Nikolas claimed brought her years of emotional, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse and took advantage of her naivety. The actress will unsurprisingly not be reprising her role as Nicole after having spoken out against Spears and the show's creator Dan Schneider.
Michael Barret — Christopher Massey
Known as the goofball who brings a ton of comedic relief to the show, Michael always has something to say. Michael is portrayed by Christopher Massey, younger brother of Kyle Massey, who starred as Cory in That’s So Raven and his own spin-off Cory in the House. While Massey’s acting career has dwindled, he’s focused on his three children, only making appearances for Zoey 101’s reunions and the release of the remake of the show’s theme song; however, he will be reuniting with his cast members for Zoey 102.
In 2015, Massey was assaulted by rapper Lil Twist who beat Massey with brass knuckles and stole his Rolex, resulting in Lil Twist’s one-year stint in prison. While there have been claims made by TMZ that Massey had been charged with domestic violence, nothing came of this accusation.
Dustin Brooks — Paul Butcher
Probably the least recognizable cast member is Paul Butcher, who plays the role of Dustin Brooks, Zoey’s annoying younger brother who insists on getting involved in what the older kids are doing. Son of the former NFL Linebacker, Butcher began his acting career at the age of seven, making appearances in a variety of TV and film, including American Dad! and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Butcher has also broken into the music scene, releasing a number of singles over the years. Butcher is not afraid to show off his muscles and his dogs on his Instagram. The former child actor will not be coming back for Zoey 102 as he has no interest in reprising his character and believes no one asked for a reboot.
Dana Cruz — Kristin Herrera
The highly-opinionated, assertive tomboy Dana Cruz was one of Zoey's roommates in the first season of the show, with the character being shown as a gifted athlete who excels at both skateboarding and basketball. Often at odds with Nicole and never afraid to put Logan in his place, Dana departed Pacific Coast Academy to participate in an exchange program in Paris by the second season, and she doesn't make an appearance in Zoey 101 after her departure.
Kristin Herrera portrayed Dana and was allegedly written out of the Nickelodeon show due to producers feeling she looked too old compared to the other cast members and also due to her own personal issues during filming. Herrera has since stepped away from acting to focus on her family and child, with her last role being on the soap opera General Hospital in 2008. She did reunite with her former castmates on a 2020 episode of All That, but Herrera will not appear in the upcoming film.
Mark Del Figgalo — Jack Salvatore Jr.
The salami-loving, rock-collecting Mark is Quinn's recurring boyfriend in the series and is constantly getting swept up in her many experiments and inventions, and while she thinks he is perfect and downright dreamy, Quinn's pals find him boring and don't see the appeal. Mark ends up breaking up with Quinn but has trouble finding love after doing so.
Jack Salvatore Jr. appeared as the quirky and quiet character and had previously gained prominence when he portrayed the younger version of Mark Ruffalo's character in 13 Going on 30. He has since had roles in How I Met Your Mother, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Victorious. Salvatore will join his fellow cast members in the Paramount+ film.
James Garrett — Austin Butler
Some fans of the series may have forgotten that the Oscar-nominated Austin Butler appeared in the fourth season as Zoey's boyfriend, James Garrett, and who also becomes Logan and Michael's roommate after Chase's departure. The pair dated for a brief period of time before splitting up after Zoey feels there is something missing, though they remain friends.
Butler won a Golden Globe Award for his phenomenal performance as Elvis Presley in the smash hit musical bio Elvis and has also appeared in shows like The Carrie Diaries and The Shannara Chronicles in addition to films including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Dead Don't Die. He will not be returning for Zoey 102.