The not so 'sweet' childhood of Disney twins Cole and Dylan Sprouse

Both Cole and Dylan Sprouse began acting at just eight months old, becoming worldwide stars before reaching double digits, having appeared in blockbuster films such as 'Big Daddy' with Adam Sandler, the iconic TV series 'Friends' as Ross Geller's son, and the twins in 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody' on the 'Disney Channel'.

Of course, the role of parents is crucial when it comes to child stars. Fame, money, and the consequences of an atypical childhood must be taken into account. Cole and Dylan's parents separated when they were only two years old, and Melanie, their mother, received full custody.

However, sadly for the Sprouse twins, their mother was not up to the task and, at just 10 years old, they ended up in court against their own mother.

Cole Sprouse recently detailed the difficulties of his childhood in an interview on the podcast 'Call Her Daddy'.

Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead in 'Riverdale,' recalls that between 1999 and the early 2000s, he and his brother Dylan made a notable leap to fame thanks to 'Big Daddy,' a film co-starring Adam Sandler, and also 'Friends,' where the twins play Ross Geller's son in 7 episodes.

But it was their leap to 'Disney Channel' that would cement their star status. The twins starred in 'Hotel, Sweet Hotel: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody', where they really shot to fame.

This 'Disney Channel' show not only gave the twins a starring role, but multiple spin-offs and their own movie. Dylan and Cole were becoming brands, like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.

The huge success meant that a lot of money was coming into the Sprouse household, which was going into an account for the kids. But for a while, the money wasn't going into a bank account, it was being spent irresponsibly.

It came to light that two years before they began filming 'Suite Life of Zack and Cody', a judge had removed Melanie Wright from the custody of the famous twins.

While Cole explained the rough origins of his celebrity, his mother had put the twins into acting when they were only eight months old because the family needed the money.

Acting became the family's main source of income. Advertisements, TV shows, movies, and so on. But the Sprouse twins' mother had a problem that Cole himself remembers well.

Cole explains on the 'Call Your Daddy' podcast that his mother was wonderful and very artistic, but she was the most irresponsible person you can imagine with money. He goes on to say that he believes her problems were the result of some sort of mixture of addiction and mental instability.

Cole Sprouse remembers losing everything. So the only solution was to take his mother to court. They went through a long legal battle when they were just 10 years old and, finally, they gave custody to their father.

Their father, Matthew Sprouse, wanted his children to be normal kids, so once he got custody, he wanted them to choose what to do with their lives and careers.

Eventually, the twins decided they wanted to pursue acting careers, and their contract with "Disney Channel" was renewed just a few months later. Something Cole called a lifesaver.

Cole said the contract gave the guys financial stability and consistency, a routine the guys needed at the time.

As he enters his thirties and with more than three decades of work behind him, Cole Sprouse has taken balance of his life, personally and artistically, and says he is satisfied with everything.

"I don’t regret it at all," he tells the 'A.V. Club' about child stardom. He considers his current financial stability to be compensation for the more than thirty years of hard work he has invested in the business. He continued: "If I were given the same choice again, I’d probably do it again."