Disney child star Steven Anthony Lawrence makes surprise TV return to Rob Lowe’s ‘The Floor’
Former Disney Channel star Steven Anthony Lawrence made a surprise appearance on Rob Lowe’s game show “The Floor” this week, more than 20 years after becoming a fan favorite on television.
The 35-year-old actor, best known for his role as “The Bean” on the Shia LaBeouf-led sitcom “Even Stevens,” competed on Wednesday’s episode of the FOX trivia series, where contestants battled for a $250,000 prize.
Lawrence took the “Renaissance Faire” stage and told host Lowe that she felt prepared for the medieval-themed questions because she had previously played an elf.
“I have done a lot of acting in my life, so I feel I have a lot of experience in this field,” he said.
Lowe asked the actor what his favorite role was over the years.
“My favorite was definitely the beans from ‘Even Stevens,'” Lawrence replied, drawing the audience in.
Lawrence won the Renaissance-themed round before losing his match in the Global News division later in the show.
The appearance marked one of Lawrence’s biggest TV moments in years.
Lawrence became widely known in the early 2000s for playing Bernard “Beans” Aranguren, the eccentric neighbor of the Stevens family in “Even Stevens” alongside LaBeouf, Christy Carlson Romano and AJ Trauth.
First introduced as a recurring character, Bean quickly became one of the most popular characters on the Disney Channel show.
Lawrence eventually appeared in 22 episodes and later starred in “The Even Stevens Movie” before leaving the series in 2003.
He also appeared in family hits of the early 2000s, including Mike Myers’ live version of “The Cat in the Hat” and the 2003 hit “Cheaper by the Dozen” with Disney Channel star Hilary Duff.
While Lawrence has continued to act over the years, one of his last big films was the 2005 Will Ferrell comedy “Kicking & Screaming.”
Earlier this year, Lawrence made headlines after accusing Universal Studios Hollywood of firing him in retaliation for reporting what he described as “alleged molestation.”
In a January post on Instagram, Lawrence shared a photo of his former work ID and name tag next to a Super Mario-themed costume from the park.
“I delayed posting this for about a month because I was hoping we could find an amicable solution because I loved playing and dancing with all of you wonderful people,” Lawrence wrote.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that my time with Universal Studios has come to an end,” he continued, lamenting that he was terminated “in retaliation for reporting a suspected child abuser among children.”
Universal Studios Hollywood denied the allegations.
“We have investigated and reviewed the complaints brought by this previous employee and found that they are inaccurate and inappropriate,” said the spokesperson.
“We take all employee concerns seriously and have established procedures to raise any concerns without fear of retaliation.”
