Latest news with #childactor
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Drake Bell claims Nickelodeon doesn't pay residuals to child stars
Drake Bell, a former child actor who found fame starring on the Nickelodeon sitcom "Drake & Josh," accused the network of not paying its stars. Bell, 39, claimed he and co-star Josh Peck never received residuals for their show, which ran for three years on the kid-focused network before its final episode aired in 2007. The actor, who previously revealed alleged abuse he suffered while working for Nickelodeon, addressed what he said was a misconception in the entertainment world. "That's the perception of the world – it's always been this way: It's like, you know, 'Oh, you made a Folgers Coffee commercial. You must live in a mansion in Hollywood. I saw you on TV, you're rich,'" Bell said during an appearance on "The Unplanned Podcast." "That's far from the case. And especially – which is the bummer for most of us on Nickelodeon – we don't get residuals for our shows." Bell noted that most networks pay actors residuals for work used after its initial run, but said Nickelodeon only offers a one-time payment to actors. Host Matt Howard wondered if the network was attempting to take advantage of stars due to their age, to which Bell said, "Keep going. Keep trying to figure it out." "It's a lot of evil, corrupt people... that is the answer," Bell said. "There's no other answer. Do everything that they do to us mentally and emotionally, and then throw us to the wolves. And we're like, 'Okay, cool. I got rent this month.'" The sitcom, which also received TV films in addition to video games and books, is still popular with audiences, Bell said. "There are three channels doing 'Drake & Josh' marathons. Netflix just bought it, it's top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month," Bell said. "And some fat cat with a cigar is just sitting up at the top of Viacom... It's just like getting high on child labor." He continued, "We're putting in all of this work. This corporation is making billions with a 'B' off of us, and we're being compensated for the week of work, cool, but that's it. And forever, in perpetuity, it literally says in the contract, across universes and galaxies and planets. "If Elon [Musk] gets us to Mars and they show 'Drake & Josh,' it's impossible for me to get paid for it." Nickelodeon representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The documentary "Quiet on Set" premiered in March 2024, covering the bulk of Dan Schneider's time at Nickelodeon. As a showrunner, Schneider was alleged to have run a toxic workplace, discriminated against female writers on staff and made requests for massages from employees on set. The most alarming claim from the documentary came from Bell, who detailed sexual abuse allegations against Brian Peck, an actor and dialogue coach hired by Nickelodeon. Bell recalled the day the relationship went from uncomfortable to full-blown assault and abuse. "I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep, and I woke up to him… I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. And I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react," Bell said. "And I had no idea how to get out of the situation… What do I do, call my mom, 'Hey, can you come pick me up? This just happened, I'll sit here and wait.' I had no car, I didn't drive. I was 15 at this time." He continued, "The abuse was extensive. And it got pretty brutal, pretty brutal. I don't know, I really don't know how to elaborate on that on camera really." When asked by a producer what he would feel comfortable talking about, Bell said, "Why don't you do this, why don't you think of the worst stuff that someone can do to somebody as a sexual assault and that'll answer your question. I don't know how else to put it. It was not a one-time thing." Nickelodeon issued a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the alleged behaviors on past production sets. "Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct," the statement said. "Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crews, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience."
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Cheaper By The Dozen star tragically passes away aged 85 just days after suffering a heart attack as devastated fans pays tribute
Cheaper By The Dozen star Jimmy Hunt has tragically passed away aged 85 it's been announced. The former child actor who found fame in the original 1950 comedy, before retuning for its 2003 remake with Steve Martin, died just days after suffering a heart attack.
Fox News
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Drake Bell claims Nickelodeon doesn't pay residuals to child stars
Drake Bell, a former child actor who found fame starring on the Nickelodeon sitcom "Drake & Josh," accused the network of not paying its stars. Bell, 39, claimed he and co-star Josh Peck never received residuals for their show, which ran for three years on the kid-focused network before its final episode aired in 2007. The actor, who previously revealed alleged abuse he suffered while working for Nickelodeon, addressed what he said was a misconception in the entertainment world. "That's the perception of the world – it's always been this way: It's like, you know, 'Oh, you made a Folgers Coffee commercial. You must live in a mansion in Hollywood. I saw you on TV, you're rich,'" Bell said during an appearance on "The Unplanned Podcast." "That's far from the case. And especially – which is the bummer for most of us on Nickelodeon – we don't get residuals for our shows." Bell noted that most networks pay actors residuals for work used after its initial run, but said Nickelodeon only offers a one-time payment to actors. Host Matt Howard wondered if the network was attempting to take advantage of stars due to their age, to which Bell said, "Keep going. Keep trying to figure it out." "It's a lot of evil, corrupt people... that is the answer," Bell said. "There's no other answer. Do everything that they do to us mentally and emotionally, and then throw us to the wolves. And we're like, 'Okay, cool. I got rent this month.'" The sitcom, which also received TV films in addition to video games and books, is still popular with audiences, Bell said. "There are three channels doing 'Drake & Josh' marathons. Netflix just bought it, it's top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month," Bell said. "And some fat cat with a cigar is just sitting up at the top of Viacom... It's just like getting high on child labor." He continued, "We're putting in all of this work. This corporation is making billions with a 'B' off of us, and we're being compensated for the week of work, cool, but that's it. And forever, in perpetuity, it literally says in the contract, across universes and galaxies and planets. "If Elon [Musk] gets us to Mars and they show 'Drake & Josh,' it's impossible for me to get paid for it." Nickelodeon representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The documentary "Quiet on Set" premiered in March 2024, covering the bulk of Dan Schneider's time at Nickelodeon. As a showrunner, Schneider was alleged to have run a toxic workplace, discriminated against female writers on staff and made requests for massages from employees on set. The most alarming claim from the documentary came from Bell, who detailed sexual abuse allegations against Brian Peck, an actor and dialogue coach hired by Nickelodeon. Bell recalled the day the relationship went from uncomfortable to full-blown assault and abuse. "I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep, and I woke up to him… I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. And I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react," Bell said. "And I had no idea how to get out of the situation… What do I do, call my mom, 'Hey, can you come pick me up? This just happened, I'll sit here and wait.' I had no car, I didn't drive. I was 15 at this time." He continued, "The abuse was extensive. And it got pretty brutal, pretty brutal. I don't know, I really don't know how to elaborate on that on camera really." When asked by a producer what he would feel comfortable talking about, Bell said, "Why don't you do this, why don't you think of the worst stuff that someone can do to somebody as a sexual assault and that'll answer your question. I don't know how else to put it. It was not a one-time thing." Nickelodeon issued a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the alleged behaviors on past production sets. "Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct," the statement said. "Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crews, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience."
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
This Friends actor is set to star in I'm Glad My Mom Died – read the book behind the series
Adults of a certain generation will instantly recognise Jennette McCurdy. The child star played Cat in the Nickelodeon show iCarly and appeared alongside Ariana Grande in Sam & Cat. But it was her 2022 memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, which revealed a darker side to her fame. In the boldly titled book, she recounts her dysfunctional childhood of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her narcissistic mother. Expertly balancing humour and heartache, the memoir lasted more than 80 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and garnered critical acclaim. Unsurprisingly, the rights to the book were snapped up by Apple TV. Now, it's been announced that Jennifer Aniston is set to star in the 10-episode series inspired by McCurdy's memoir. While other details are thin on the ground, Apple TV describes the upcoming show as a 'heartbreaking and hilarious recounting of Jennette McCurdy's struggles as a former child actor while dealing with her overbearing, domineering mother. 'The dramedy will centre on the codependent relationship between an 18-year-old actress in a hit kids' show, and her narcissistic mother who relishes in her identity as 'a starlet's mother.'' The adaptation will likely stay true to its source material, with McCurdy signed on as co-writer, executive producer and showrunner alongside Ari Katcher. Excitingly, Aniston and Bad Sisters' Sharon Horgan are also listed as executive producers. With the rest of the cast yet to be announced, it could be years until the TV adaptation arrives on our screens. In the meantime, here's everything you need to know about McCurdy's memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died. Part exposé on the perils of child fame and part reckoning with the relationship with her mother, I'm Glad My Mom Died secured a spot in my review of the best memoirs and autobiographies. The provocative opening of the book sees McCurdy at her mother Debra's hospital bedside. She's got cancer and is in a coma - in a bid to wake her, McCurdy whispers, 'Mommy, I am... so skinny right now.' What follows is the Nickelodeon star recounting her dysfunctional childhood with her cruel and narcissistic mother, who failed at her own acting career. Despite her comic roles on screen, behind the scenes, McCurdy was depressed and anxious, suffering from disordered eating and alcohol abuse in her teens. In the book, McCurdy reveals how her mother forced her to diet and wouldn't let her shower alone until she was 18 years old. It wasn't until her mother died in 2013 that she understood the abuse she had suffered. This could be a depressingly sad memoir in anyone else's hands, but McCurdy's skill for storytelling and dark humour balances the bleakness of her story. Ultimately, it's about abuse masquerading as love. McCurdy's narration of the audiobook adds further depth to her story – it's well worth a listen.
CBC
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Joshua Jackson had to make a tricky transition before Dawson's Creek
Before Joshua Jackson landed his breakout role as Pacey Witter on Dawson's Creek, he had already been working for years as a child actor. Jackson's mom was a casting director who helped him get his first big gig on the 1991 film Crooked Hearts when he was just 11. In a Q interview with guest host Gill Deacon, the Vancouver-born actor says his mom was "completely uninterested in being a stage mom," but she supported his enthusiasm for the performing arts and taught him the importance of being a professional on set. "I certainly wasn't shoved into it, it was something that I was totally gung-ho for," he says. "[I remember] how important it was for me to be in a space with adults where they heard me, right? You show up, you do your job and these grown-ups will respect you…. That was the addictive part. Like, 'Oh, look, I can walk through the world as a quasi-grown-up in this space in a way that I cannot anywhere else.'" Roughly a year or so after that, Jackson played Charlie Conway in one of Disney's most iconic films, The Mighty Ducks, which went on to become a successful franchise. He says he thinks those movies were hits because they didn't talk down to kids. "I remember being so annoyed at that age … and I found so much of what was made 'for me' to be really insulting and annoying," Jackson says. "You're young, you're not dumb." Similar to The Mighty Ducks, the hit teen drama Dawson's Creek also became known for reflecting the maturity and intelligence of young people. But leading up to that role, Jackson experienced a long dry spell in his career as he made the tricky transition from child star to teen heartthrob. "I wasn't just going through a dry spell — I was dead in the water," he says. "I was preparing to no longer be an actor at 17 or 18 years old…. I was not a kid, so those roles were suddenly gone, but I wasn't anything close to a man yet, and I was kind of a gawky young adult. So, yeah, that transition was hard." Like most actors, Jackson says he's experienced several ups and downs in his career. "The ups are fabulous, but what you're really trying to do is survive the downs," he says. "And I don't know anybody, like literally anybody, who's had a linear up career. This is not part of the way the thing works." You can catch Jackson narrating the Canadian Audible Original series Oracle 3: Murder at the Grandview, which is a psychological thriller that combines crime investigations with supernatural elements.
