Rise to Fame
The Disney casting in 2019 handed him a built-in fanbase. What it didn't hand him was the fame he got when Olivia Rodrigo dropped drivers license in January 2021 and the internet decided he was the villain. His response single Lie Lie Lie dropped the same day he was hospitalized for septic shock and heart failure. Doctors reportedly put his survival odds at 30%. He spent nine days in hospital. By the time he got out, he was suddenly famous in a way no Disney press cycle could have manufactured.
In the Spotlight
The drivers license drama made him famous as a villain before he'd done anything particularly villainous on record. Coming out as queer in May 2021 repositioned him, and he's since built a public identity around candor over craft. His debut album The Golden Years came out in July 2024, didn't chart, but he backed it with a 39-date North American and European tour. A memoir releasing May 2026 covers abuse, addiction, and recovery, with Bassett donating a dollar per copy to NAMI. He's 25 and pivoting fast.
Side Notes
Growing up as the only boy in a family of five sisters, he was homeschooled through the California Christian theater circuit and handed a set of drum sticks at age 7 by his father. His first stage role was JV Jock #2 in a regional production of High School Musical. He later starred in the Disney+ reboot playing the lead. He moved to L.A. at 16 and reportedly lived in his car before booking his first real role. The full-circle from amateur High School Musical cast member to professional lead is either fate or a very good origin story.