Did anyone involved with School of Rock really anticipate that it would become such a massive hit? The comedy about Dewey Finn, a struggling musician who picks up a substitute teaching gig and leads a group of musically talented fourth-graders to compete in the Battle of the Bands, ended up grossing $131 million worldwide on a budget of $35 million — enough to become the highest-grossing musical comedy of all time until Pitch Perfect 2 stole the crown in 2015. There’s a stage adaptation of the film, and a School of Rock television series aired from 2016 through 2018.
Critics loved School of Rock, and so did audiences — years after its release, many people who loved the film as kids still happily rewatch it today. Since it conquered the box office, some of the young cast members have grown up and explored different career paths. Some are still acting and playing music, some have gone to college, some have left the entertainment industry behind and settled into other jobs — and some have gotten themselves into a bit of trouble. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and see where the cast of School of Rock is today.
Aleisha Allen – Alicia, a.k.a. ‘Brace Face’
Aleisha Allen played choir member Alicia, otherwise known as “Brace Face.” She’d already spent some time in front of the camera on children’s shows like Out of the Box; after School of Rock, she continued acting for a while, but eventually decided to forge a different career path. She played Lindsey in the films Are We There Yet? and Are We Done Yet? and also appeared on an episode of the TV series The Electric Company. Her last acting role was in the 2012 film You’re Nobody Until Somebody Kills You.
Allen attended college, earning a degree to become a speech language pathologist. She works at an acute rehab center in California, but as her Instagram reveals, she often comes home to the Bronx to visit her friends and family. It doesn’t, however, seem as if she has any plans to return to the entertainment industry.
Becca Brown – Katie, a.k.a. ‘Posh Spice’
Katie, the student nicknamed “Posh Spice,” may have started out the film as a cello player, but she turned out to be a fine bassist for the band, too. Katie was played by Becca Brown, who now goes by gender-neutral pronouns. Brown is an actor, comedian, and musician, and they have been heavily involved in Chicago’s theater scene for years. They graduated from the University of Illinois, and since then, they have appeared in some major productions, like the Chicago premiere of American Idiot.
Brown has also worked with the famous improv group Second City, and they are a member of The Firebrand Theater company. Sometimes, they share their musical performances on their YouTube channel to connect with their fans. They currently work as the LookOut Producing Apprentice at Steppenwolf Theater Company. Just like Katie, Brown proves day in and day out that they are multi-talented and can take on any challenge thrown their way on stage.
Brian Falduto – Billy, a.k.a. ‘Fancy Pants’
Brian Falduto played the band’s stylist Billy, a.k.a. “Fancy Pants.” He was also the lucky actor who got to drop the famous line “You’re tacky and I hate you.” Today, Falduto’s resume proves that he’s remained dedicated to the arts ever since his School of Rock days. He attended Wagner College, where he double majored in theatre performance and arts administration; after graduating, he dove into the world of theater, and he has also worked with several radio stations based in New York City.
In 2017, Falduto released his debut EP, Love One Another, and in 2019, he dropped his very first studio album, Stage Two. In addition to performing, he also works with several LGBT advocacy organizations, like the Trevor Project. And on top of all his other commitments, he runs a life coaching program called Love Life, helping his clients learn to accept themselves for who they are.
Caitlin Hale – Marta, a.k.a. Blondie’
Caitlin Hale appeared in School of Rock as Marta, otherwise known as “Blondie,” a backup singer in the band. Unlike most of the other young cast members, Hale came to School of Rock with a bit of acting experience already under her belt courtesy of a pair of appearances on the hit kids’ TV show Blue’s Clues.
After School of Rock wrapped, Hale took a break from acting to completely focus on her studies. She graduated from high school and went on to attend Arizona State University, where she majored in journalism and public relations. Eventually, she decided that she missed acting and wasn’t quite ready to retire that dream yet. In 2018, she worked as a script consultant on the short film Typecast; more recently, she’s landed the roles of Sydney on the animated children’s show Max & Wrigley and Kathy in the horror film Grimmerson Manor.
Jack Black – Dewey Finn
Since starring in School of Rock as wannabe rock star turned reluctant prep school substitute Dewey Finn, Jack Black has continued working on a wide variety of films, television shows, and even video games. He also became a husband and a father: Black married his wife Tanya Haden in 2006, and now the couple has two sons, Samuel and Thomas. In recent years, Black has become best known for his starring roles in the Kung Fu Panda and Jumanji films, and he has also provided voicework for video games like Broken Age and Goosebumps: Night of Scares. In 2011, Black earned some buzz on the awards circuit when he starred in the indie black comedy Bernie, landing a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor — Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
School of Rock fans will be happy to know that Black’s love of music has not faded one bit — he’s still a rock star at heart. He continues to perform with his band Tenacious D, and in 2014, their cover of the Dio song “Last in Line” won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance.
Joan Cusack – Rosalie ‘Roz’ Mullins
Joan Cusack appeared in School of Rock as Rosalie “Roz” Mullins, the principal who initially calls Ned Schneebly to hire him as a sub and ends up reaching his roommate Dewey instead, who accepts the job in his desperate quest for rent money. She unknowingly kicks off the string of events that lead to the formation of the fourth grade band.
After School of Rock, Cusack has enjoyed a string of career successes. The voice of the cowgirl Jessie in the beloved Toy Story films, she’s returning to reprise her role for the highly anticipated fourth installment of the franchise. Currently, Cusack is probably best known for her run on the series Shameless as the character Sheila Jackson. She earned several Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Sheila, eventually winning the award in 2015 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. More recently, Cusack appeared in the film Instant Family, and the list of projects on her docket includes a movie called Let It Snow.
Joey Gaydos – Zack ‘Zack-Attack’ Mooneyham
Joey Gaydos played Zack Mooneyham, a.k.a. “Zack-Attack,” in School of Rock. He was the lead guitarist for the band. His father discourages his passion for music, but Dewey pushes him to continue practicing and chasing his dream. It turns out that offscreen, Gaydos has always been super passionate about his music career. In 2004, shortly after School of Rock was released, Gaydos kept his career momentum from the film going and put out his first album, Joey Gaydos Jr., through Red Penguin Records.
Today, Gaydos performs solo and with the band Stereo Jane. However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Gaydos — in early 2019, his name was all over the internet, but it wasn’t for dropping a catchy single or releasing a solid album. In February, Gaydos was actually arrested for stealing guitars from multiple music stores in Sarasota, Venice, and North Port, Florida. He was caught on camera and later charged with two counts of grand theft and one count of shoplifting. Hopefully, Gaydos has learned from his mistakes and will clean up his act while continuing to move forward with his music career — with guitars that he’s actually purchased.
Mike White – Ned Schneebly
Mike White didn’t just act in School of Rock – he also wrote the screenplay. White played Ned Schneebly, who may have been more responsible and mature than Dewey, but was secretly a little jealous of Dewey’s commitment to music. As he reveals before the Battle of the Bands, he used to be part of a rock band called “Maggot Death,” and although he missed his old life, he had to give it up because it wasn’t the career he had initially envisioned.
White has continued to lean into his many talents. He worked with Jack Black again as a writer for the film Nacho Libre in 2006. His biggest project after School of Rock was the HBO series Enlightened, which co-created, wrote, directed, and acted in during its run from 2011 through 2013. White has also appeared on several reality TV shows: Alongside his father Mel White, he competed on the 14th season of The Amazing Race; they made it to the seventh leg of the adventure before being eliminated in sixth place. White was also a contestant on Survivor: David and Goliath.
Miranda Cosgrove – Summer Hathaway
School of Rock was a major stepping stone on Miranda Cosgrove’s path to teen stardom. She played Summer Hathaway, the band manager and straight-laced class factotum. Summer was a smart and organized student who butted heads with Dewey at first, but she came to embrace her role in the band’s success.
From 2007 through 2012, Cosgrove starred on the hit Nickelodeon series iCarly. With a hefty paycheck of $180,000 per episode, Cosgrove became one of the highest paid child actors on TV. While starring on iCarly, she also pursued a career in music: She performed several songs on the iCarly soundtrack album, released her first EP About You Now in 2009, and dropped her debut album, Sparks Fly, the following year. Since then, she’s put music on the backburner to focus on acting and other personal goals. She voiced Margo in Despicable Me and its two sequels, and she also appeared on the NBC series Crowded. In 2012, she decided to attend college at the University of Southern California so she could earn her degree in psychology while staying in California to continue acting.
Robert Tsai – Lawrence, a.k.a. ‘Mr. Cool’
Robert Tsai played the band’s keyboardist, Lawrence. At first, Lawrence feels like he’s way too nerdy to be part of the band, but Dewey reassures him that that he belongs. He even earns the nickname “Mr. Cool.”
Today, Tsai still loves music, and is an exceptionally talented piano player. He didn’t continue pursuing a career in the film industry, but his love of performing persists. He was a dancer when he was younger, and his only onscreen appearance after School of Rock was a performance with the Instant Noodles Dance Crew on OCA Image TV in 2012. Tsai earned several awards for his musical talent in high school, and he went on to attend Dartmouth College, where he continued to perform as a pianist. Tsai has clearly gone after what he really wanted from a young age, and it seems to have worked out pretty well with him — he’s definitely cool in our book.
Sarah Silverman – Patty Di Marco
In School of Rock, Sarah Silverman played Patty Di Marco, Ned Schneebly’s girlfriend who tells Dewey to pay his rent on their shared apartment or pack his bags. She’s not a fan of Dewey’s lifestyle, and Ned later ends up dumping her when she is less than enthusiastic about the students’ performance.
Since the early days of her career, Silverman has established herself as a hard-working, dedicated comedian, and she has only continued to enjoy success since School of Rock. She released her standup comedy film Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic in 2005, which earned mixed reviews from critics — but even her detractors expressed little doubt that she was a comedian to watch. She earned an Emmy nomination for her Comedy Central series The Sarah Silverman Program, which aired from 2007 through 2010. She was also the host of the Hulu web series America, I Love You With Sarah Silverman, which ran for two seasons in 2017 and 2018 and found Silverman reflecting on current social and political events with her guests.
Zachary Infante – Gordon, a.k.a. ‘Roadrunner’
Zachary Infante appeared in School of Rock as Gordon, a.k.a. “Roadrunner,” the band assistant who was also in charge of the lights. These days, Infante, who identifies by they/them/their pronouns, isn’t just working behind the scenes on productions — they’re the star of the show on stage.
Infante was accepted to the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and after graduation, moved back to their hometown of Roselle Park, New Jersey while continuing to get involved with theater productions in New York. But their work in theater takes them all over the country, and sometimes to international stages. For instance, Infante was in a production of In the Heights in Orlando, Kiss My Aztec! in Berkeley, California, and RENT at Aruba’s National Theater. They currently work as the Creative Producing Fellow with the Musical Theater Factory in New York City while contributing to several non-profit organizations that help children with cancer, such as the Sunshine Kids Foundation and the Valerie Fund.
