Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell has revealed that most actors from the children’s network do not receive residual payments for their shows, even when they are streaming successfully on platforms like Netflix.
Bell, who starred in Drake & Josh from 2004 to 2007 among numerous other projects throughout his nearly three-decade career, spoke about the financial struggles of former child actors on The Unplanned Podcast. He explained that there is a common misconception about TV actors being wealthy, stating that appearing on television does not automatically mean living in a Hollywood mansion.
According to Deadline, “It’s a lot of evil, corrupt people,” Bell said about the studio executives who take advantage of child actors. He mentioned that while Drake & Josh is currently streaming on Netflix and running marathons on multiple networks with major sponsors, he still struggles to pay his monthly rent despite his former success.
Former child stars struggle to make ends meet despite shows’ success
The actor explained that television actors typically aim to reach 100 episodes to qualify for syndication payments, which is where they usually make their money. However, this hasn’t been the case for many Nickelodeon stars.
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Bell criticized the system that is meant to protect child actors’ earnings, calling it “flawed.” He pointed out that while Drake & Josh is performing well on Netflix and being broadcast on three different channels, he receives no financial benefit from these successes.
The former child star expressed his frustration about network executives profiting from child labor, stating that “some fat cat with a cigar is just sitting up at the top of Viacom just getting high on child labor” while the actors themselves struggle financially.
These revelations come following Bell’s recent appearance in the Investigation Discovery docuseries Quiet on Set, where he disclosed the abuse he experienced from his former Nickelodeon dialogue coach and manager, Brian Peck. The abuse occurred during his time on The Amanda Show and continued through the filming of Drake & Josh. Peck was later arrested on multiple charges and sentenced to 16 months in prison, also being required to register as a sex offender.
