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Daily Mail
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Meet the child stars who earned a fortune... and lost everything: From the highest paid teenager in Hollywood to the singer who made $200million before he turned 18
It really wasn't supposed to be this way. Not after a life spent living beneath the glaring spotlight of celebrity, a spotlight charged by a career that began with a significant role in one of the most prominent children's shows of the 2000s. But Drake Bell admits the immeasurable wealth he may well have dreamed of at the height of his acting career is as beyond reach now as it was when he entered the industry as a naive 12-year old boy. In a frank admission, the former child star, now 39, admits he's struggled to pay the rent on a home far removed from the sprawling Beverly Hills mansions one typically might associate with the Hollywood acting community. 'It's like, you know, "Oh, you made a Folgers Coffee commercial. You must live in a mansion in Hollywood. Like, I saw you on TV. You're rich,' he explained during a recent interview with 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 became a household name thanks to his association with childrens' TV network Nickelodeon and a series of starring roles - first on The Amanda Show, before earning a wider fanbase on the hugely successful Drake & Josh. Taking centre stage alongside fellow child star Josh Peck, Bell played the angsty, cool, music loving teenager Drake Parker to Peck's clumsy, bookish and socially awkward Josh Nichols. It was an instant hit with viewers, pulling in an astonishing 3.2 million viewers for its show premiere and remaining one of the most watched children's' shows of the era, winning numerous awards along the way. But while Peck has enjoyed significantly bigger roles since leaving the show - among them a portrayal of celebrated American physicist Kenneth Bainbridge in Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning blockbuster Oppenheimer - Bell has struggled to match the early heights of his career. Like so many child stars before him, he has seen those promising early roles amount to significantly less than the pot of gold he was promised. But who else has suffered a similar financial fate? 1. Dustin Diamond It's a show that appears to transcend the early nineties generation of teenagers it was originally made for. Indeed, countless reruns have given Saved By The Bell the sort of multi-generational success one usually associates with the biggest era-defining shows, among them the tirelessly popular Friends. Launched in 1989 and set at the fictional Bayside High School in Los Angeles, the NBC show became an overnight success - and rightly made household names of its genetically blessed principal cast. But it was the nerdy pimple magnet Samuel 'Screech' Powers - named as such because of his grating, high-pitched voice - who claimed many of the show's accolades. Dustin Diamond had already featured in two episodes of coming-of-age comedy The Wonder Years before making his first appearance at Bayside High, but it would be his portrayal of Screech that endeared him to millions. The American actor was just 11 years old when he auditioned, ostensibly for a role in Disney show Good Morning, Miss Bliss - an early prototype of what would ultimately become Saved By The Bell - in 1988. He would maintain the role for the next five years, with Saved By The Bell running across four seasons before airing its final episode for a prime time audience in 1993. One could forgive Diamond for viewing it as a promising start, but it would prove to be a false promise, with bigger roles failing to materialise as he moved into adulthood. Indeed, the actor subsequently reprised his best known role in numerous spin-offs throughout the 1990s - among them the forgettable Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style and short-lived sitcom Saved By The Bell: The College Years. Screech would be resurrected yet again, this time for a prolonged six year spell on Saved By The Bell: The New Class - in which he returns to his old Bayside stomping ground as a teaching assistant. 'I didn't know what to do,' he admitted during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2013. 'It was hard to get work that wasn't Screech-clone stuff.' But for all his endeavours as the divisive character, Diamond's financial returns paled in comparison to the enormous success of Saved By The Bell - for reasons not unlike those that would later affect Bell. While the actor was thought to have made an initial $2million from the show, poor residual deals meant Diamond and his cast-mates failed to receive payment for any of the show's extensive re-runs. In later years the actor would turn to reality TV as a means of income, with Diamond memorably featuring on the British version of Celebrity Big Brother in 2013. Tragically, Diamond died aged 44 in 2021, just weeks after being diagnosed with extensive small-cell carcinoma of the lungs. The actor's estimated net worth at the time of his death ranged from $300,000 to $500,000. 2. Gary Coleman 'What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?' For Diff'rent Strokes fans it became a signature catchphrase, but for the young actor responsible for delivering it throughout the show's run, it soon grew tiresome. Gary Coleman was 10-years old and already a paid actor with a string of commercials to his name when a starring role on the show changed his life, but ultimately not his personal fortune. Alongside co-star Todd Bridges - the aforementioned 'Willis' - Coleman played Arnold Jackson, the younger of two black children adopted into an affluent white family following the death of their mother. It was a divisive premise, but Diff'rent Strokes became an overnight success following its launch in 1978, running for eight years and making household names of all of its principal cast-members - notably Coleman. Earning a reported $100,000 per episode at the show's peak, Coleman was one of the highest paid child stars of the 1980s - but he only saw a fraction of the riches he earned as Arnold. Managed by his adoptive parents, the actor - who was born with a growth deficiency - saw a larger percentage of his sizeable earnings diverted, leading to a bitter financial dispute in later life. In 1989, just three years after the final credits rolled on Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman sued parents W.G. and Edmonia Sue Coleman, and manager Anita DeThomas, for misappropriation of earnings. A judge at Beverly Hills Superior Court agreed that Coleman's parents and manager had wrongly banked $1.28 million in commissions, salaries, fees and pension distributions from the actor between 1982 and 1987. He would walk away from court after agreeing to a $1.3 million settlement, pocket change when compared to the amount he'd lost. The actor suffered an additional financial blow in 1995 through a failed attempt at launching an arcade business, the Gary Coleman Game Parlor, losing an additional $200,000 through the endeavour. Four years later Coleman filed for bankruptcy protection. 'I can spread the blame [of filing for bankruptcy] all the way around,' he said at the time. 'From me to accountants to my adoptive parents, to agents to lawyers and back to me again.' Coleman, who had struggled with a series of health issues, died aged 42 in 2010 following a fall at his home. An initial will stipulated that his funeral service be '...conducted by those with no financial ties to me and can look each other in the eyes and say they really cared personally for Gary Coleman.' At the time of his death, Coleman's net worth estimated at $75,000 - a fraction of the $18million he earned throughout his career. 3. Jack Wild As film adaptations go, there's no denying that big-screen musical Oliver! was an enormous commercial success. Directed by Carol Reed, this 1968 rendering of Charles Dickens' classic Oliver Twist won a remarkable six Academy Awards and raked in more than $40million at the box-office. It also made overnight stars of its young cast, notably Mark Lester, who played the titular Oliver, and his 16-year old co-star, Jack Wild. As precocious pickpocket Artful Dodger, the hitherto unknown Wild endeared himself to millions through his versatility as a highly capable actor, singer and dancer. Indeed, his captivating portrayal of the beloved Dickens character would earn him deserved BAFTA, Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations the following year. Reflecting on his early success in posthumously released memoir It's A Dodger's Life, he wrote: 'Even before the movie was released, people were saying, "You've stolen the film! You and Ron Moody [who played Fagin] have such chemistry!" 'But I couldn't begin to have any idea of what was to happen when the film was premiered three months later in Leicester Square. 'I'd never experienced anything like this before: the cameras, the attention, the noise; I thought I must be the fifth Beatle.' Oliver! would lead to further roles, notably that of Jimmy in 17 episodes of American children's show H.R. Pufnstuf and a starring role in The Pied Piper - another musical, released in 1974 with a stellar cast that included John Hurt, Donald Pleasance and Roy Kinnear. Fame led to fortune, and Wild later admitted to living the high life during the 1970s, frittering away his money on lavish restaurants, expensive clothes and handouts to friends and family. 'I had suits hand-made by a Mayfair tailor,' he recalled. 'If I asked for something, I got it. In restaurants, I'd get the best table and there were always chauffeur-driven cars to take me everywhere.' But the actor's initial success would fail to provide a launch-pad for his career as he moved into adulthood and began a rapid descent into alcoholism. 'Over the years, people have tried to blame my battles on my early success as a child actor, but I just don't see that,' he wrote in his memoir. 'I'd have been an alcoholic no matter what career I had chosen and, rather than my success unbalancing me, I think it balanced me out. 'Without it I would have been capable of anything, even murder. Some of my family ended up on the wrong side of the law, and I think I would have been there too if it hadn't been for my success; my success did not destroy me, it saved me.' By 1980 Wild's career was in freefall, the money was gone and he was forced to make ends meet with small roles in low-budget pantomimes while his drinking steadily escalated. Finally, in an act of desperation, he turned to Jobseekers Allowance as a means of bringing in money to feed his crippling alcohol dependency. 'I'd sign on for Unemployment Benefit and use that for drink,' he recalled in his memoir. 'I would constantly have a drink within three feet of me so I could be unaware of what was going on around me. 'At the same time I was expecting a phone call from Spielberg saying: 'I want you to be in my next movie!' It was insane.' Wild blamed excessive drinking for his oral cancer diagnosis in 2001. He subsequently underwent chemotherapy and had his tongue and voice-box removed - leaving him unable to communicate verbally for the rest of his life. He died aged 53 in 2006, 17 years after successfully beating his addiction to alcohol. 'I only wish I'd invested the money and not drank quite so much,' he wrote. 'But other than that I don't think there is much else I'd change. 'And I did have a lot of fun.' 4. Amanda Bynes Arguably one of the defining American child stars of her era, Amanda Bynes earned as much as $3million a year at the height of her career. But a life overshadowed by mental health issues, hospitalisations and a strict conservatorship has decimated her earning power, with Bynes no longer working as an actress. Aged just 14 and already established thanks to her role in Nickelodeon show All That, Bynes took centre-stage in spin-off The Amanda Show, a heavily financed vehicle for her evident potential. The show ran for three hugely successful seasons following its 2000 launch, with the actress's versatility paving the way for subsequent roles in a string of Hollywood productions. Indeed, she would take a starring role alongside Frankie Muniz in 2002 teen comedy Big Fat Liar before landing one of the biggest parts of her career, this time as Penny Lou Pingleton in Hairspray. Released to critical and commerical acclaim, director Adam Shankman's 2007 screen adaptation of the legendary Broadway musical placed Bynes alongside acting greats John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken in a star-studded cast. It all hinted at greater things for the young actress, by now 21 and commanding life-changing sums of money for her services, but her career would rapidly unravel following a final film appearance in 2010 rom-com Easy A. By 2013, Bynes' most significant appearances were in court, notably for driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and possession of marijuana, as her life went rapidly off the rails. That same year she was hospitalised under a 72-hour Mental Health Evaluation Hold after starting a fire on a complete stranger's driveway - prompting a successful conservatorship from her concerned parents, Rick and Lynn. Bynes owned a reported $5.7 million worth of assets at the time of the conservatorship, much of it accrued through property investment. But despite earning vastly more throughout the 2000s, her parents discovered she had pulled in just $144,000 in 2012, a fraction of her former income, the vast percentage of which coming from a $1.8million rental in southern California, bought by the actress in 2011. In full control of her financial affairs, they also claimed she squandered $1.2 million of her savings in less than one year - among them two $100,000 cash withdrawals. Worse, she was spending heavily despite having no significant source of income. Rick and Lynn's conservatorship ran until 2022, when Bynes' successfully filed to end it. Now looking to reinvent herself after walking away from the TV and film industry, Bynes - who is still said to be worth an estimated $6million - has turned to subscription only service OnlyFans for a source of income. A source close to the former child star has claimed the move will not only afford her the opportunity to make money, share her fashion designs and provide a potential springboard into reality TV, but will also be a safe space to reveal 'what happened from her past at Nickelodeon.' 'Amanda was looking into making money and is convinced that OnlyFans will bring some serious cash her way,' the insider told 'Her intentions are to do this before she seeks any reality show opportunities. She understands the stigma around OnlyFans, but she is determined to make this very safe - nothing naughty. 'She wants to share some of her future designs with her fans, collaborate with them and she also wants to tell stories to people who don't know everything about what happened from her past at Nickelodeon. 'She is seeing OnlyFans as a bit of a career renaissance.' 5. Aaron Carter He'd banked a reported $200million before his 18th birthday, but Aaron Carter would still struggle with financial problems as he entered adulthood - among them a $3.5million tax bill. The younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, the singer was only 10-years old when he recorded his self-titled debut album in 1997. It would go on to sell more than a million copies worldwide and provide a launch-pad for an incredible run of early success for the baby-faced Carter. By the time he was 18, the singer had already recorded four multi-platinum albums, but his departure from Jive Records - the label responsible for launching his career - would prove to be the catalyst for a dramatic commercial decline. Indeed, there would be a sixteen year wait for his fifth album, Love, in 2018, but the popularity Carter enjoyed during the early years of his career had long since waned as his young fan-base inevitably grew up. The younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, the singer was only 10-years old when he recorded his self-titled debut album in 1997 (pictured in 1998) By the time he was 18, the singer had already recorded four multi-platinum albums, but his departure from Jive Records would prove to be the catalyst for a dramatic commercial decline Five years earlier, the singer had filed a bankruptcy petition to free himself of a $3.5 million debt, accrued through outstanding unpaid taxes in 2003, at the height of his career. But despite his financial struggles, Carter- who battled mental health and substance abuse issues throughout his adult life - insisted he wasn't desperate for money. 'I'm not broke. I mean, I don't make all the money in the world right now, but I'm doing the best that I can,' he told Oprah Winfrey during an appearance on Oprah: Where Are They Now - Extra. 'I do a lot of shows and I write a lot of music. I'm rebuilding my life. Over the last 10 years, my story's been really difficult.' He added: 'No disrespect to my brother, but when Nick was 18 years old and I was 10 years old, I was just kind of starting to make lots of money. 'I made over $200million in my career before I even turned 18 years old. 'We had this massive compound, with, like, 12 houses on it. It was worth over $10million, and I had paid a lot of that money. 'I had done a lot of that stuff, and I never got any of those returns back or anything like that… Even at this point, I've never even owned my own home.' In 2013, the singer filed a bankruptcy petition to free himself of a $3.5 million debt, accrued through outstanding unpaid taxes in 2003, at the height of his career Aaron (right) with older brother Nick in 2004. The singer claimed his parents mishandled his money and neglected his finances Carter also claimed his parents mishandled his money and neglected his finances. 'There was a lot of neglect on my parents' part,' he said. 'They didn't do a lot of things right.' The singer revealed he was only given $2million when he became an adult, despite the Coogan law - which is designed to safeguard a portion of child performers' earnings - stating he should have been given about $20million. Carter died of accidental drowning aged 34 in 2022, after inhaling difluoroethane - a colourless gas - and taking Xanax. His estate, valued at $550,000, was reportedly insolvent after debts and other financial commitments were met following his death.
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."
The Sun
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Kids TV star admits he's ‘struggling to pay rent' after being underpaid for huge hit shows
DRAKE Bell has admitted he's "struggling to pay rent" after being underpaid for his huge hit shows. Kids TV star Drake, 39, opened up about his financial struggles in a new interview, claiming his work with Nickelodeon hasn't provided the long-term security many people assume. 5 The actor shot to fame on The Amanda Show and later became a household name thanks to Drake & Josh, which ran for three years and remains hugely popular in reruns. But despite the show's lasting success, Drake says he's far from wealthy - and is still worried about how to pay the bills. Appearing on The Unplanned Podcast, he said public assumptions about his wealth couldn't be further from the truth. He said: '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. Like, I saw you on TV. You're rich.' '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.' Drake said that unlike the contracts seen by many adult stars, his Nickelodeon deals involved one-off payments. This means he doesn't earn anything when his shows air today - even as they continue to reach new audiences via streaming and syndication. He said: "If I had a fair contract, I'd be seeing money from that work now." He pointed to the cast of Friends as an example of how different things could've looked. Drake added: 'The Friends cast at the peak was making a million dollars an episode. You make 13 episodes that year, you make $13,000,000. You make 20 episodes that year, you make $20,000,000, right? Drake Bell tells Today Show kept his 'child sex abuse a secret' because he was afraid of the reaction 'But right now, each cast member of Friends just in syndication alone is making over $20,000,000 a year, and they're not filming a show every week. "They're not going to work, but they're playing their show and they're using their likeness and they're doing all this, so they get paid for it.' Even as his own show lands in the Netflix top 10, Drake says he's figuring out how to cover rent, continuing: 'Netflix just bought it, it's top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month." 'And some fat cat with a cigar is just sitting up at the top of Viacom just going [chuckles]. What do you call it? It's just like getting high on child labor.' He added that many people don't realise how little control young performers have behind the scenes: 'People don't understand how the business works, the business side of this. They just see what the perception is on Instagram and social media and all the glitz and the glamour of Hollywood. '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.' Drake also alleged that he experienced sexual abuse while working on set, saying the challenges he's faced as an adult are the result of deep-rooted issues within the industry. He said: 'It's a lot of evil, corrupt people. That's the only thing, that is the answer. 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. There are three channels doing marathons.' Drake's finances aren't the only part of his past under scrutiny. In 2021, he was sentenced to two years' probation and 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to child endangerment involving a teenage fan. The case involved a girl who met Drake online when she was 12 and later attended one of his shows in Ohio at 15. In court, she accused him of grooming her from an early age and of sexually abusing her. However, Drake wasn't charged with any sexual offences. Speaking about the case last year, he denied any abuse and said he only pleaded guilty because he was in no position to fight a legal battle. 'I responded on some DMs and was incredibly irresponsible and got myself into conversations that I shouldn't have had,' He said on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast: "I responded on some DMs and was incredibly irresponsible and got myself into conversations that I shouldn't have had. 'I ended up finding out that I was talking to someone that I shouldn't have been talking to, and it snowballed into these allegations that were not true, and it just turned into this big thing.' Drake said he pleaded guilty because he had just become a father and couldn't afford a drawn-out trial. He claimed: '[I] ended up pleading guilty, because financially I was just devastated, and I had just had a son and I didn't want to put my family through all of this anymore. 'I ended up going through the process the way that I did. Very regretful.' He said he wasn't aware of the girl's age when they first interacted online, and once he found out, he claims he ended communication. 'I was doing everything I could to kind of keep my distance,' he said. Drake also insisted that some of the most serious claims were investigated and found to be untrue. He said: 'A lot of the things she said about sending inappropriate pictures and things like this, it was able to be investigated and show that none of that existed.' Still, he admitted fault for having the conversations in the first place, saying: 'I did have those conversations and I took responsibility for that.' Reflecting on his past decisions, Drake said: 'There's just so much that I've had to deal with, and through that, like I said, not having the tools or not knowing how to process things, I made a lot of decisions in my life that I shouldn't have made and hurt a lot of people. 'But now, where I am in my life now, I think that I'm finally at a place where I can process and deal with this through therapy that I've been through and actively going through, unearthing all of these things and being able to face them head on for really the first time in my life.' 5 5 5 5
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Child star Drake Bell fumes that he has been left struggling to pay rent while 'some fat cat with a cigar' 'is 'high on child labour' due to strict Nickelodeon payment terms
Former child star Drake Bell has hit out at the contract terms from his work with Nickelodeon, that he says have left him struggling to pay rent. The actor, now 39, explained that despite the ongoing success of his show Drake & Josh, he is not living anything close to a life of luxury. Having also starred in Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show, Drake revealed that he was given one-off payments for his work and does not receive residuals. He told The Unplanned Podcast: '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. Like, I saw you on TV. You're rich." '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.' Drake said that had he been given a fair contract, he would still be benefiting from his work. This is because residual checks - achieved through the sale of reruns - would allow him to still get paid for appearing in reruns of the hit shows, which he still features in. The star is still recognisable to many after starring in the Drake & Josh show with Josh Peck from 2004 to 2007. He said: 'The Friends cast at the peak was making a million dollars an episode. You make 13 episodes that year, you make $13,000,000. You make 20 episodes that year, you make $20,000,000, right? 'But right now, each cast member of Friends just in syndication alone is making over $20,000,000 a year, and they're not filming a show every week. 'They're not going to work, but they're playing their show and they're using their likeness and they're doing all this, so they get paid for it. 'And they're making over $20,000,000 in a year just because other networks are buying the rights for syndication.' The former child star, who also claims to have been sexually abused on-set, described his current financial situation as the result of the actions of 'evil people'. Drake, who is also known for The Amanda Show and The Fairly OddParents, said: 'It's a lot of evil, corrupt people. That's the only thing, that is the answer. 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. There are three channels doing marathons. 'Netflix just bought it, it's top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month 'And some fat cat with a cigar is just sitting up at the top of Viacom just going [chuckles]. What do you call it? It's just like getting high on child labor. 'People don't understand how the business works, the business side of this. They just see what the perception is on Instagram and social media and all the glitz and the glamour of Hollywood. '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.'
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."
