Former Disney star Christy Carlson Romano on finding her voice away from Hollywood: ‘I was fearful of leaving’
Christy Carlson Romano is thriving after disappearing for a moment in order to figure her life out following her days as a child star. The former Disney Channel actress, 39, has since reemerged in Hollywood with her own blueprint, becoming a recognizable face and outspoken voice for a generation of fans who grew up flipping through channels before stopping on "Even Stevens," where Romano played Ren Stevens, the big sister of Louis Stevens, played by Shia LaBeouf. In the early-2000s, Romano could also be heard voicing the crime-fighting high school cheerleader "Kim Possible" in the animated series and had many roles in her career that allowed her the opportunity to step away from the industry, attend college and work on Broadway while living off her Coogan Fund – an industry trust fund – for the better part of four years as she figured out what direction to take in her life.