Shelby Young, who played the iconic pink-haired Stephanie in the pilot episode of Lazy Town, looks completely different two decades later. The 34-year-old actress shared a TikTok slideshow contrasting her childhood role with her current appearance, now sporting natural brunette locks instead of the famous pink wig.
Lazy Town, which aired on Nick Jr. from 2004 to 2014, focused on encouraging children to lead active, healthy lifestyles. Young was cast as Stephanie for the pilot and promotional materials after the casting director said she looked 'exactly like' the animated character. She flew to Iceland for filming, recorded the 'Bing Bang' song, and performed in live shows.
However, due to her Screen Actors Guild membership, Young was unable to continue with the non-union production. She was replaced by Julianna Mauriello and later Chloe Lang, who each played Stephanie for two seasons. Despite this, Young has fond memories, calling the experience 'great' and praising her successors as 'amazing'.
Young has since appeared in American Horror Story, The Social Network, and Days of Our Lives, but says Lazy Town remains the role she is most asked about. Her throwback posts, including a behind-the-scenes video from last year, have amassed millions of views online.
