Clayton Snyder has opened up about clients discovering his Disney Channel past mid-house tour.
The 38-year-old, who played Ethan Craft on ‘Lizzie McGuire,’ now works as a California real estate agent after leaving Hollywood entirely. Snyder landed his breakout role opposite Hilary Duff in 2001, starring across two seasons of the hit Disney Channel series before reprising the part in 2003’s ‘The Lizzie McGuire Movie.’ He became an instant teenage heartthrob to millions of young viewers.
After stepping away from the spotlight, Snyder pursued higher education at Pepperdine University, graduating in 2010. During his studies, he developed into a highly competitive water polo player and trained with the USA National Water Polo Team. His athletic career took him to international competition across Italy, Hungary, and Montenegro, including representing the United States at the 2011 World University Games.
These days, Snyder has built a completely different professional life. He works actively as a real estate agent in California while co-hosting a podcast called ‘Water Polo Wednesday’ and serving as a club director, according to his social media profiles.
Speaking about his career switch to the outlet, Snyder shared how his past fame occasionally surfaces during work. “We’ve had plenty of clients, where halfway through showing them homes, they’re like, ‘My wife and I just found out who you are, and we can’t believe it!'” he said.
“But that makes me feel good because I know that’s not why they’re working with me,” Snyder continued. “I would really like it to be you want to work with me because I’m really good at what I do.”
“If it’s a nice piece of trivia that I’m ‘that guy’, then that’s wonderful,” he added.
In his personal life, Snyder married actress Allegra Edwards in 2020. The couple welcomed their son Howard in 2022.
In the viral moment that launched his fame, Snyder’s Ethan Craft served as the lovable, floppy-haired classmate and object of Lizzie McGuire’s affection across the show’s run. The character became iconic enough to carry into the 2003 feature film spin-off, cementing Snyder’s place in early 2000s teen pop culture.
Snyder is not the only ‘Lizzie McGuire’ alum to leave entertainment behind. Ashlie Brillault, who played school rival Kate Sanders, retired from acting to become a criminal defense attorney. Hilary Duff, meanwhile, has continued in acting and music, recently announcing a world tour and new television drama.
The cast faced tragedy earlier this year with the death of Robert Carradine, who played Lizzie’s father Sam McGuire. Carradine died by suicide in February following a public battle with bipolar disorder. Duff led tributes to her on-screen father, noting the warmth she felt from the show’s parental figures.
A planned ‘Lizzie McGuire’ reboot progressed far enough to film two episodes in 2020 before cancellation due to creative differences.
Snyder continues his real estate work in California while maintaining his water polo podcast.