Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell recently opened up in regards to the pressure he and his co-star, Josh Peck, felt to be responsible young adults after their show concluded in 2007.
Bell, who rose to fame starring in productions like “Drifting School” and “Home Improvement,” joined the Nickelodeon family in 1999 when he was forged in “The Amanda Show.” After that, the actor transitioned to other shows on the network, like “All That” and his show with Peck, “Drake & Josh.”
During a candid interview about life after his hit television show, which aired 4 seasons and 56 episodes from 2004 to 2007, Drake Bell explained that he found adjusting to the true world difficult, considering he wasn’t taught about certain topics when he was younger.
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Drake Bell Admits Life After Nickelodeon Got here With Uncertainty
In an interview with PEOPLE, Bell explained that navigating life after his television show resulted in 2007 was a challenge.
At 21, the actor struggled to make your mind up which direction to take because he did not have anyone directing him.
“You are thrust to the world, and nobody’s telling you what to do,” Bell, now 38, said. “You are thrown to the wolves, and also you’re expected to make the suitable decisions, do the suitable things with none guidance.”
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Drake Bell Says He And Peck Felt Pressure To Do The Right Things
Bell revealed that he and his “Drake & Josh” co-star, Peck, who also appeared in “The Amanda Show” and “All That,” felt required to “be good role models” for the young viewers who watched them. Consequently, this caused much “stress” for the performer, who then explained he was still determining life for himself.
“You are like, ‘Whoa, I do not even know … do I purchase fabric softener? Does that go within the washer?’ You have got to know every part about taxes, bank accounts, automotive loans, insurance, mortgage payments, and [rent]. I do not know what I’m doing!” he said.
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Drake Bell And Peck Experienced Their Ups And Downs
Although they co-starred of their eponymous show on Nickelodeon together, Bell and Peck experienced their very own challenges as friends. Prior to now, Bell sparked controversy after revealing Peck hadn’t invited him to his wedding to Paige O’Brien.
Nonetheless, he cleared things up during a previous interview and said he believed life got in the way in which of their friendship before revealing they speak “quite a bit.”
“Each of us becoming fathers has had a huge effect on our relationship,” he said. “We hold a really special place in one another’s hearts. We do have an incredible love for one another.”
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Bell Had A Troubling Experience On Nickelodeon Sets
Within the 2024 Investigation Discovery documentary “Quiet on Set,” former Nickelodeon stars opened up about their alleged experiences of abuse, racism, and mistreatment on Dan Schnieder’s sets. The latter is understood for creating several popular kid’s television shows, including “Zoey 101,” “iCarly,” and, after all, “Drake & Josh.”
Bell was one in all the victims who shared their experience, and in a single interview, the actor detailed a moment to producers where he felt “trapped” and “had no way out.”
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“I used to be sleeping on the couch where I’d normally sleep. I woke as much as [Brian Peck, a convicted sex offender who used to work for the network in the early 2000s] — I opened my eyes, I woke up, and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or the best way to react, and I do not know the best way to get out of this case,” Bell, who was 15 on the time of the incident, said within the documentary.
“The abuse was extensive, and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know the best way to elaborate on that on camera, really,” he said. “Why don’t you’re thinking that of the worst stuff that somebody could do to someone as a sexual assault, after which I’ll answer your query. I don’t understand how else to place it.”
Peck Reached Out To Bell After The Documentary
After the documentary aired in March 2024, Peck initially stayed silent, which many brought attention to, considering their previous dispute. Nonetheless, after noticing the negative pushback, Bell told his fans that Peck reached out to him to supply support. He also reminded his followers that processing the data “could be very, very difficult.”
“But I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me, and it’s been very sensitive. But he has reached out to speak with me and help me work through this. And has been really, really great. So just desired to allow you to guys know that and to take it a little bit easy on him,” he finished.
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Weeks later, Peck made a public statement and explained that he “reached out to Drake privately” after ending the documentary. He ended by offering his “support” to the survivors “who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets.”
