Moisés Arias is now part of the Fallout cast, portraying Norm MacLean in Amazon's acclaimed video game adaptation. Of course, it's likely that there will always be fans who know him specifically from Hannah Montana. The 31-year-old actor’s big break came when he landed the role of Rico Suave in the hit Disney Channel series, but he’s done a lot of projects since the show came to an end in 2011. Now, Arias is opening up about how he eventually made it in Hollywood as an adult.
CinemaBlend spoke to Arias ahead of Fallout Season 2's premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, and he got candid about his acting career. He’s been able to have a steady career beyond Disney, but it hasn’t always been easy. Over the years, there have been plenty of child actors who've talked about making that transition. Some make the jump successfully, while others are still struggling. Arias credited one specific movie for being the turning point in his career, and he also explained to us why he’s been leaning towards one specific genre than all the others:
You mentioned Kings of Summer. That's probably the turning point in my career, definitely. You could say, and naturally, bring in Hannah Montana are the most popular things I've done. But that transition is always the hardest. [Ages] 16, 17 is quite impossible to work. And, I was able to, you know, trust an indie film that I loved on paper, that I was able to get. It's not like I was getting thrown things left and right. And that's one of my favorite projects I've ever been a part of. So it's been 20 years of finding.
It’s interesting to hear his take on the transition from child to adult actor and how he's reached a point where he's able to do projects that he likes. Someone could indeed make the argument that the independent movie circuit can be a viable space for young actors to spread their wings. That's exactly what The Kings of Summer allowed Moisés Arias to do. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the coming-of-age movie was released in 2013 and received great reviews. All in all, it really worked out for Arias.
Now, fast forward 10+ years, and Arias is still as busy as ever. Some other notable credits he’s had include Ender’s Game, Pitch Perfect 3, Five Feet Apart, The King of Staten Island and Jean-Claude Van Johnson. And he doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
That being said, with Hannah Montana’s 20th anniversary coming up next year, it's hard not to think about the former child star's role as Rico. In some ways, it honestly feels like just yesterday that Arias was playing the smart aleck kid on the beloved Disney show. Still, it's also hard to ignore the solid body of work he's built up in the years since that show ended. As a fan of Arias for almost 20 years, I've loved seeing him grow over the years and seeing him expand his filmography.
Fallout also serves as a sweet showcase for Moisés Arias' abilities, and Season 2 may really allow him to shine as Norm (who could meet some big characters this season). Beyond the sci-fi show, I'm hopeful that Arias will continue to land sweet gigs and remain one of the former child stars still in the acting game.
The Fallout season premiere debuts on December 17 at 3 a.m. ET/12 p.m. PT, so grab a Prime Video subscription if you want to check it out. Anyone feeling nostalgic for Arias’ work as a child star can also stream all four seasons of Hannah Montana now with a Disney+ subscription.
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