CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses child sexual abuse.
Drake Bell and Josh Peck starred in some of the Nickelodeon’s biggest shows, including Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, and they’ve now opened up about what it was like working as child actors.
Appearing on the Dear Media Good Guys podcast on Thursday, Bell also discussed working alongside former dialogue coach Brian Peck(no relation to Josh), who was latter accused of sexual assault in 2004.
Bell first publicly revealed that he was a victim of sexual assault in the 2024 docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
“Where I felt most comfortable, where I was the happiest was when I was on set with you guys,” Bell said.
“And the worst part was every day I got there, the monster was there, you know?”
Bell described his former dialogue coach as a “monster”. (Source: Getty Images)
Amid the shocking claims discussed in Quiet on Set — which saw Brian spend 16 months in prison and be mandated to register as a sex offender — Bell remarked Brian did the “worst thing” to him when he was aged 14 to 15.
“Imagine the worst thing someone could do to someone as sexual assault,” Bell said in documentary.
“I don’t know how else to put it.”
The 2024 docuseries also exposed allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and misconduct that involved underage child actors and production staff on Nickelodeon TV shows, particularly those supervised by showrunner Dan Schneider.
Schneider – who was known for creating popular children’ s TV shows like Drake & Josh, iCarly, Zoey 101, and Victorious – was called out in the docuseries for sexist remarks and misconduct.
Peck also discussed his feelings watching the documentary, mentioning in the podcast episode that Brian “deserved” to be put to justice.
“It’s only in watching the doc that I can realize that just him being put to justice,” Peck said.
“Thank God he was, and deserved, and deserved to go longer, but like, what about you?
“What about the trauma you endured? It’s so much; it’s so much deeper.”
Bell and Peck discussed substance abuse issues and sobriety in the podcast. (Source: YouTube)
The pair also discussed their former costar Amanda Bynes, who starred in her own TV show in 1999: The Amanda Show.
“She was an idol to me… She’s one of the most talented people, unbelievable,” Bell said.
“She’s just the greatest. She was great then, she remains great, and such a good person, and obviously has had some public struggles,” Peck chimed in.
“But I think she [has] one of the great hearts and great skills, great talents of anyone there is. I just love her.”
Bynes began her career as a child star in ‘The Amanda Show’. (Source: Getty Images)
Bynes’ work in her eponymous show made her a break-out star, and was also featured in a range of iconic films including She’s The Man, Hairspray, and Easy A.
The former child star has struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues, and was released from a prolonged court battle involving her parents over her conservatorship in 2022.
