Phill Lewis Rejected ‘Suite Life’ Before ‘Dadnapped’ Helped Seal Deal

Lewis said his work in “Stuck in the Suburbs” prompted his agent to arrange an audition. He read for the Moseby role, then took part in a chemistry read with the actor playing the mother character, a role that ultimately went to Kim Rhodes. After the audition, the producers offered him the job, but Lewis and his representatives declined when they heard the weekly pay.

“I’m not very expensive,” Lewis said, describing the proposed amount as “crazy.” The team returned with improved offers, he recalled, eventually adding a movie to the deal. Lewis said he made “Dadnapped” and was paid “a good chunk of change” to offset the weekly salary. He did not disclose the figures.

The podcast conversation also turned to Lewis’s relationship with his young co-stars. Dylan and Cole Sprouse were 11 when they began working with him. Lewis recalled telling his wife after a table read that the boys were “f-cking funny,” and said he believed the series could survive in their hands.

Dylan, in turn, called Lewis the “father of the set” and said the show would not have felt like a family—or survived two years—without him. He said he and Cole were uncertain about acting when the series ended and that working alongside Lewis helped inspire him to return. Dylan added that the show “would be nothing without Phill Lewis,” and told him, “I love you so much” and “I will always be your number one fan.”