Brenda Song Says Disney Tried To Keep Her In The 'Suite Life' Hotel Heiress Box
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on June 27, 2025 at 2:30 PM EDT
Brenda Song is opening up about a side of her Disney journey many fans never saw.
While most remember her as the fashion-obsessed heiress London Tipton from "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," the actress recently revealed that her transition from child star to serious actor wasn’t as smooth as it looked.
According to Brenda Song, Disney tried to stop her from taking on more mature roles in films like "Gran Torino" and "The Social Network."
Brenda Song Says Disney Tried To Block Her From ‘Gran Torino’ And ‘The Social Network’
During a Q&A session following her receipt of Variety’s Virtuoso Award at the Bentonville Film Festival, Song reflected on the career-defining challenges she faced behind the scenes.
She said she had initially been considered for a role in "Gran Torino," but Disney nixed it due to an intended sexual assault scene in the script. “And I was very upset but I was like, 'Okay, I guess it didn’t work out,'” she recalled.
A similar situation came up when Song wanted to audition for David Fincher’s "The Social Network." At the time, she was still on "Suite Life," and concerns over mature content once again threatened to derail the opportunity. This time, however, she took matters into her own hands.
“I went directly to Gary Marsh, the president and COO for Disney-branded television at the time,” she explained. “I said, 'I am an actor. When you hired me, I was not a hotel heiress. If I have ever done anything in my personal life to ever draw bad attention to your company, I understand. But this is the last season of the show, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime.'”
Her plea worked. Disney allowed her to do the film, which Song says, “truly changed my life.”
Miley Cyrus Says Disney Banned Her From Singing ‘Hannah Montana’ Songs
It’s a story that mirrors recent revelations from fellow Disney alum Miley Cyrus, who said on Spotify’s "The Ringer" podcast that she “wasn’t allowed” to perform songs from "Hannah Montana" after leaving the network in 2011.
“It was still sad knowing those songs have my voice, my face, and I wasn’t allowed to sing them,” Cyrus shared.
She was only granted permission to perform them again after being named a Disney Legend at D23 in 2024.
Song Says Fans Still Quote Her Iconic 'PRNDL' Line From 'Suite Life'
Like Cyrus, Song found her breakout moment on Disney. But she’s worked hard to evolve beyond her early roles. Her portrayal of London Tipton not only helped define Disney Channel in the 2000s but left a lasting impact.
One particular moment, where her character hilariously mispronounces the car gear shift abbreviation PRNDL as "The Prindle," continues to follow her.
“It’s always the PRNDL and it’s shocking,” Song laughed during the panel. “People will always be like, 'You taught me the PRNDL' or 'I still use the PRNDL.'”
The Iconic ‘Suite Life’ Portrait
The actress also confessed to keeping souvenirs from her time on "Suite Life," including the pink outfit from the show’s pilot and a giant portrait of London and her dog Ivana that once hung in her TV suite. It now lives in the home Song shares with longtime partner Macaulay Culkin and their children.
“I’m afraid to let anyone know where it is though, because knowing a certain somebody, they would hang it up in our house and I would be mortified,” she joked.
Brenda Song Said 'Being An Asian-American Actress In Hollywood' Was 'Tricky'
Song credits much of her early inspiration to trailblazers like Ming-Na Wen, Michelle Yeoh, and Lucy Liu, who were among the few Asian-American actors she saw on screen growing up.
“That was the tricky thing growing up, being an Asian-American actress in Hollywood,” Song said. “Like if you weren’t Jackie Chan or Jet Li, I’m not an Asian man, it was really hard.”
Song shared that Wen, in particular, had a meaningful impact on her. They worked together when Song was just eight years old, and she remembers Wen being “so encouraging, so kind, and just so supportive.”
She also fondly remembered working with "Night Court" actor Richard Moll on the Nickelodeon series "100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd," describing him as gentle and welcoming during her first long-term project.
Though she’s recently worked alongside Pamela Anderson and Kate Hudson and even been directed by Fincher himself, Song continues to be humbled by her Disney roots. But it’s her persistence, not her past, that continues to define her.
“I’m so fortunate,” she said. “But none of it came easy. You have to fight for the roles you know you can play.”
