See a Young Fergie and the Cast of 'Kids Incorporated,' Then and Now (2024)

Rahsaan Patterson as 'The Kid'

Cast as The Kid, Rahsaan Patterson was a main fixture on the show from 1984 to 1987, showcasing his vocal talents along the way.

Following Kids Inc., Patterson went on to launch a successful music career, releasing seven studio albums between 1997 and 2019. These days, Patterson, now 50, continues to work as a musician, touring across the globe. He is currently slated to perform at Southbank Centre's Meltdown festival — curated by Chaka Khan this year — in London from June 14 to June 23.

Stacy 'Fergie' Ferguson as Stacy

Long before she was nicknamed "The duch*ess" and taught us how to spell glamorous, Fergie was one of the leads on Kids Inc. Not only did she show off her vocal talents at the end of each show, but she also proved to be quite the gifted actor while on the program.

Following her time on Disney, Fergie joined a girl group called Wild Orchid, comprised of her fellow Kids Inc. castmate Renee Sands and their friend, Stefanie Ridel. Wild Orchid released two albums as a trio but would later disband and Fergie joined the Black Eyed Peas. The rest was history.

In January 2009, Fergie, now 49, married actor Josh Duhamel. The pair welcomed son Axl Jack in 2013 before separating in 2017. They officially divorced in 2019.

Renee Sands as Renee

Renee Sands also first stepped into the spotlight with Kids Inc., singing alongside Patterson, Ferguson and the rest of the original cast.

Along with Fergie and friend Stefanie Ridel, she formed the girl group Wild Orchid in the 1990s, finding commercial success with songs including "At Night I Pray" and related television and promotional projects.

In the late 1990s, Sands, now 50, returned to acting, appearing in The Pink Ladies alongside Ridel and more recently, doing voice work on series including Special Agent Oso and Minnie's Bow-Toons.

Mario Lopez as Mario

Mario Lopez's deep dimples have been gracing our screens for longer than we may even remember.

Before finding wide success as A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell, Lopez was on Kids Inc. from 1984 to 1986. In 2022, the Access Hollywood host even posted the ultimate throwback when he shared a vintage photo of himself and Fergie back in the day, on his Instagram page.

"Me and Fergie, a couple of 10 year olds at a luncheon," he captioned the sweet pic, which shows the "London Bridge" singer dipping her finger in one of his dimples.

On an episode of Watch What Happens Live, Fergie also confirmed the two had been childhood sweethearts.

Lopez, 50, has three children with wife Courtney: sons Dominic and Santino and daughter Gia.

Marta 'Martika' Marrero as Gloria

Marta Marrero starred in Kids Inc. from 1984 until 1986. She changed her stage name from Marta to Martika Marrero while filming the Disney show, before she dropped her last name entirely and began going by Martika.

After Kids Inc., Martika launched a solo music career but found more success internationally than in the U.S. Her eponymous debut album housed the hit "Toy Soldiers," which charted both in the U.S. and internationally.

The catchy tune would later be sampled by Eminem in 2004 for his song "Like Toy Soldiers" off the album Encore.

Since the early 2010s, Martika, 54, has largely stayed out of the spotlight.

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Robin

Another Hollywood favorite whose career has spanned decades, Jennifer Love Hewitt also cut her teeth playing Robin on the Disney show.

After a brief career in the music industry — she's actually one of the backing vocalists on Martika's "Toy Soldier" — she forged an ultra-successful acting career, starring in the TV series Party of Five, 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel, as well as Heartbreakers, The Audrey Hepburn Story and many other projects. Hewitt reached the peak of her powers when she played spirit medium Melinda Gordon in CBS' The Ghost Whisperer from 2005 to 2010.

After taking a step back, she returned to the small screen in 2014, playing special agent Kate Callahan on Criminal Minds.

Hewitt, 45, married fellow actor Brian Hallisay in 2013. The two share three children: Autumn, Atticus and Aidan.

Eric Balfour as Eric

Now known for hit TV shows such as Haven, Valemont, 24 and Charmed, Eric Balfour's days as a child star are far behind him. However, the now 46-year-old actor was actually on Kids Inc. from 1990 to 1991.

Balfour married his wife Erin Chiamulon in 2015. They went on to welcome sons Oliver Lion in 2018 and Romeo Amadeus in 2022.

Moosie Drier as Riley

By the time Moosie Drier appeared on Kids Inc. in 1984, he already had a steady career as a child star, with acting credits in Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Lassie, Little House on the Prairie, Executive Suite, The Bob Newhart Show and many more.

Drier, 59, has stepped away from the spotlight in recent years. His last acting credit is listed as 2018's Next Gen, in which he voiced several characters.

Ryan Lambert as Ryan

Ryan Lambert was on Kids Incorporated from 1985 to 1988 and though he largely stepped away from acting, he's appeared in a few projects here and there.

Lambert, 53, appeared on an episode of It's Garry Shandling's Show as well as a few short films over the years. His latest credit is as Bishop Lugari in The Demons Within.

Jerry Sharell as Mickey

Jerry Sharellstarred on season 1 of the series as one of the original five cast members, playing Mickey, who forms the band Kids Incorporated. On his Instagram, he often posts throwback photos of behind-the-scenes moments from set.

These days Sharell works as a publicist, representing Barry Manilow, the Recording Academy and Dr. Phil McGraw. Like several of his castmates, has continued singing, too, most recently to a sold-out crowd in L.A.

Kenny Ford Jr. as Kenny

Kenny Ford Jr. joined the show later in its run, appearing on 61 episodes from 1988 to 1992 following the departures of several original cast members.

Prior to the series, he'd appeared on programs including Almost Grown, Amen and Highway to Heaven, and moved on to Thea, In the House and most recently, 2012's House Arrest.

More Famous Faces

The series was a launching pad for several artists, like mainstays Wendy Brainard and Andrea Paige Wilson, dancers including Gina Vinaccia, Charon Aldredge, Sean O'Riordan, Richard Shoff and Darren Lee, musicians Brian Poth and Brian Friedman and singer Shanice Wilson.

Actress Brittany Murphy also appeared on one episode in 1992 as a character named Celeste.