Adam Lamberg Completely Changed His Life After Playing Hilary Duff's Boyfriend On Lizzie McGuire
Highlights
- Lizzie McGuire was canceled due to contract disputes.
- Adam Lamberg, who played Gordo, disappeared from the spotlight after the series ended.
- Lamberg studied geography and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Lizzie McGuire was the epitome of tween television in the early 2000s. Not only did it make Hilary Duff a bona fide star, but it created a Disney Channel fandom that's somewhat unparalleled. Despite lasting for only 65 episodes and two seasons, the Terri Minsky-created series spawned a movie and a revival series that never came to be.
While Hilary Duff has her insanely successful career to thank Lizzie McGuire for, the rest of the cast has seemingly vanished into thin air. This includes LaLaine, who played Lizzie's best friend, and Adam Lamberg, who played her other best friend and future boyfriend, Gordo.
Lamberg, specifically, vanished from the spotlight after Lizzie McGuire was canceled by The Disney Channel. Here's what happened to him...
Why Was Lizzie McGuire Canceled?
Lizzie McGuire ended in 2004 after two very successful seasons and a feature-length film. The Terri Minsky series debuted in 2001 and aired periodically until 2004 when it concluded. There were 65 episodes in total which, contrary to popular belief, actually was a lot for a Disney Channel series.
But given the incredible success of the series, as well as The Lizzie McGuire Movie, it's shocking that the show didn't go on for longer.
According to Screen Rant, one of the main reasons the cultural phenomenon ended so early was due to contract disputes. The cast of Lizzie McGuire, including Hilary Duff, were notoriously paid very little for their time on the show. And apparently, this boiled over when they were discussing further seasons.
Susan Duff, Hilary's mother, and manager, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that Disney Channel simply wasn't going to pay her daughter enough to return for a third season or a follow-up movie.
"Disney thought they’d be able to bully us into accepting whatever offer they wanted to make, and they couldn’t," Susan Duff explained during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. ”We walked away from a sequel. They walked away from a franchise."
According to Screen Rant, Hilary Duff was originally earning $15,000 per episode of the Lizzie McGuire series. Given the success of the movie and the show, ABC offered to do a high-school-centered version of the show.
They reportedly offered Duff $30,000 per episode. According to Duff's lawyer, Michael R. Fuller, their team waited for Disney Channel to come back with a counter-offer. But they took months and the offer was "anticlimatic".
On top of this, negotiations for the second Lizzie McGuire movie crashed and burned. Despite Disney reportedly offering a significant bonus should the movie make a certain amount of money, Susan Duff demanded the bonus be paid upfront. This helped to sour the relationship and the series ended.
That meant that Hilary Duff was out of a job, as was her on-screen best friend turned on-screen boyfriend, Gordo, played by Adam Lamberg. Following the cancelation of the series, Adam Lamberg vanished from the spotlight.
What Happened To Adam Lamberg?
Adam Lamberg has just two acting credits following the 2003 Lizzie McGuire movie, which debuted during the show's fractured run between 2001 - 2004. Following the conclusion of the Terri Minsky series, Adam Lamberg had roles in the independent film When Do We Eat? and a movie called Beautiful Loser.
And then he disappeared...
According to Entertainment Weekly, Adam Lamberg decided to step away from acting following the conclusion of Lizzie McGuire. This was much to the disappointment of his fanbase, many of whom built a relationship with him (or, rather, his character) on the Disney Channel show.
Despite rumors of his distaste for the industry, Lamberg appeared to quit acting to further his personal and educational growth. In short, Lamberg sought to find himself beyond the confines of Hollywood and the now iconic character that had made him famous.
Lamberg decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in geography at the University of California, Berkeley. This academic pursuit helped him see the world from a different perspective, one far removed from the life of a teenage heartthrob. Lamberg's time at Berkeley wasn't just about academics, however, but also a period of personal growth.
After earning his degree from Berkeley, Adam Lamberg continued his academic journey by pursuing a master's degree in public administration. His decision to enter the field of public service showcased his commitment to positively impacting society. This career choice was a far cry from the days of playing Gordo on Lizzie McGuire, but it reflected Lamberg's evolution.
In 2015, Lamberg began working as a development associate at the Irish Arts Center in New York City, further aligning himself with his newfound passion for community engagement. At the time of this writing, little is known about what exactly Adam Lamberg is doing in his new role aside from organizing special events and fundraising.
It appears as though Adam Lamberg has almost completely vanished from the spotlight and Hollywood in favor of a more "normal" life. Therefore, little to no information on him or his current relationship status is known. Lamberg also does not have a public social media presence that could offer further insight into what happened to him after Lizzie McGuire ended.
It did, however, appear as though Adam Lamberg would reprise his role of Gordo in the Lizzie McGuire revival series that was announced in August 2019. However, by December 2020, it was announced that the revival series was canceled following a series of setbacks and creative differences between the creative team and Disney.
Given the unlikelihood of there ever being a Lizzie McGuire revival series, it appears as though Adam Lamberg will continue to be retired from the business.
Fortunately for the former actor, it appears as though Adam Lamberg has moved on to a different chapter in his life.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoZmkYrWivM%2BepZ6cXam8bq3DmqRmpJGir6a%2BxmaYn6yVp3qxuMCyoKefXZ22ra3RsmSdrZabwG6uzrKdq6GVo7FuuMizsaKdXaKwqMHIq5xo