Latest news with #SnowDay
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Nickelodeon Star Shocks in Surprise Cameo on 'The Last of Us'
Over the course of a season and a half, The Last of Us has brought an incredible caliber of names into its apocalyptic wasteland, ranging from Nick Offerman to Melanie Lynskey to Catherine O'Hara. But the HBO drama took a step out of the ordinary in this week's episode, as actor Josh Peck made a suprise cameo in the opening minutes. Episode 4 of Season 2 opened with a flashback to 2018 in Seattle. In it, we get our first glimpse at militia leader Isaac (Jeffrey Wright), then working for FEDRA. Alongside Isaac are a gaggle of men decked out in SWAT uniforms. That includes Peck's character, who eagerly regales his co-workers with a story of a FEDRA thug who cracked down on a group of "voters" (their ironic nickname for disenfranchised citizens) disseminating pamphlets. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 FEDRA, AKA the Federal Disaster Response Agency, is a fictional agency of the U.S. government tasked with responding to disasters and emergencies. When the 2003 corydceps outbreak first ravaged the world, FEDRA took charge of the government, setting up "quarantine zones" in major metropolitan areas. The first season of The Last of Us took us into 2023 when FEDRA still had an iron grip on the "QZs," imposing martial law and being accused of fascist behavior. Even though this scene takes place five years earlier – and on the exact opposite side of the country from where Season 1 began – it, and Peck's character's temperament, serve as a firm reminder of FEDRA's unchecked power. In his brief time on screen, Peck gloats about the authority they're able to exercise, and many of his cohorts laugh and join in on the "bro-ing down" in support. Related: Josh Peck started his career as a child actor, appearing in the film Snow Day and The Amanda Show. His big breakthrough came with his next Nickelodeon series, Drake & Josh. Starring alongside fellow Amanda Show veteran Drake Bell, the comedy ran from 2004 to 2007, making it one of Nick's most successful sitcoms. Peck went on to star in shows like Grandfathered, How I Met Your Father and Turner & Hooch, and recently made a cameo in the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer. While Peck's appearance on The Last of Us was previously unannounced, the actor has made his fandom of the series known. Last week, he posted a TikTok sketch, simulating a therapy session in the wake of the tragic and shocking death of series protagonist Joel (Pedro Pascal). And, in that video, the actor actually alluded to the fact that he would be appearing on our screens soon, writing, "Oh and I'm officially allowed to say, episode 4, let's just say, you're not ready." Unfortunately, Peck's escapades on The Last of Us were evidently one and done. The cold open ended up serving as the backstory for Isaac's defection from FEDRA and joining the "voters" in the resistance Washington Liberation Front. As his formal act of rebellion, Isaac proceeds to toss two live grenades into the FEDRA truck, then locks the doors. Save one person, who follows him into the WLF, everyone else is brutally killed, including Peck's character. With the world essentially ending in 2003, The Last of Us has much of its set decoration and aesthetic frozen in a period of nostalgia. And they just showcased that in a major way by cameoing – and killing off – a millennial fan-favorite actor.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Josh Peck's Net Worth In 2025 From Nickelodeon to Big Bucks
Josh Peck's in 2025 is enough to let him maintain his lifestyle, choose projects that excite him and relax a bit in between, and that's exactly how he likes it. "I'm uniquely lucky because my purpose is the thing that I love and can also financially sustain me," the actor, podcaster and YouTube star previously told Parade. Wise words from The Wackness co-star are part of what Peck says keeps him both grounded and successful in a world where child stars often struggle not just to keep working as adults, but also to find their own senses of self and healthy coping mechanisms. "I was asking him for advice and I thought he was going to tell me these secrets to being a movie star," Peck recalled. "But what he told me was, 'Find your apostles. Surround yourself with people who make you better.' Since then, I've lived by that advice." It's worked spectacularly: From Nickelodeon to an Oscar-winning juggernaut, find out how Peck became famous and how much he's worth today. Related: Born Nov. 10, 1986 in New York City, Peck grew up in the Big Apple and attended the Professional Performing Arts School. He began working as a child, performing standup comedy and appearing on The Rosie O'Donnell Show when he was just 10 years old. At 13, he was cast alongside on The Amanda Show, and he and his mother moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career further. He remained on The Amanda Show until its 2002 cancellation, but worked other jobs during that time as well. In 2000, Peck made his movie debut in the family comedy Snow Day, and in 2001 starred in Max Keeble's Big Move and guest-starred on network drama E.R. and appeared in several indies. Peck became a household name in 2004 when he landed the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh with , but it was a mixed bag for him emotionally: While he became financially secure and super successful, he worried about getting typecast because of his weight at the time. "On the one hand, I was getting to perform my favorite kind of comedy on a network I dreamed of being on, but on the other hand I was introducing myself to the world in a body I didn't want to be in," he previously confessed to Parade. "People are used to a big, funny guy. It's synonymous with the wrapping on your favorite candy bar. It brings people pleasure and they get used to it." Peck recalled being told he'd be the next or , but the idea didn't thrill him. "Those guys are geniuses and I would be happy to have one-tenth of the careers that they've had," he said. "But people weren't comparing me to their talent; they were comparing me to their girth." Peck went on a weight loss journey when he was 16, dropping more than 70 pounds in 18 months, but still struggled with self-esteem, leading him to battle substance abuse and addiction. Thankfully, he got sober thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous and has continued to thrive. Related: According to Celebrity Net Worth, Josh Peck's net worth in 2025 is estimated at about $6 million. By "royalties," you likely actually mean "residuals." And no, he doesn't: He told Trade Secrets that there "are no residuals on kids' television." That said, when the show ended, he still got some pay for a time. He explained, "It was like we had 18 months of runway, you know. It's as though someone had lost their job." Related: Peck revealed on the Trade Secrets podcast that he made about $15,000 per episode of Drake & Josh. "You live with about $450,000 over five years, which breaks down to a little less than $100,000 a year—now, certainly a great amount of money, but not enough to set you up for life," he said of his payday for the Nickelodeon series. "And a lot of it, we lived on, and I'm not gonna brag: My mom and I had a used BMW 5 series. We lived in a two-bedroom apartment with amenities." With an estimated net worth of $6 million, Peck is plenty wealthy. Related: After Drake & Josh ended, Peck continued acting, including on other Nickelodeon shows like iCarly and Victorious as Josh Nichols. He's a prolific voice actor, providing his pipes for Eddie in the Ice Age franchise, Casey Jones in the 2013-2017 iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series and more. In terms of live-action projects, Peck starred in Grandfathered alongside , How I Met Your Father and the Disney+ TV adaptation of Turner & Hooch. He's also guest-starred in Fuller House and Pitch and appeared in the ensemble drama Oppenheimer, among other movies, and starred in the Netflix musical comedy 13. In 2022, Peck released his memoir Happy People Are Annoying. Peck is also an influencer on Instagram, creating sponsored content for mega-brands like HBO, Enfamil and Babylist, as well as on YouTube, where he boasts more than 3.4 million subscribers. He co-hosts the Good Guys podcast with comedian Ben Soffer and previously hosted Curious With Josh Peck. Related: Peck's payday for Oppenheimer isn't publicly known, but it's safe to say the prestige from that movie may pay off in its overall impact on his resume—and he said so himself, though not in so many words. Peck played real-life Manhattan Project scientist Kenneth Bainbridge in the film, which won a slew of Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for and Best Supporting Actor for . He previously told Parade that working alongside Murphy and in the critically lauded historical drama was a "masterclass." "I love being around people who are operating at a high level so I can basically steal from them," he said. "I'm trying to figure out all their cheat codes and their hacks, so getting to just watch these greats operate at that high level was an honor. And I'm very proud to be a part of it. Any time I have an opportunity to work with someone like that who I really look up to, I run at it." Up Next:
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Another Dumb Blonde' At 25: Hoku's Breakout ‘Snow Day' Hit Captured The Last Gasp Of Millennial Innocence
Nostalgia exists for every generation, of course, but given the fact that they were raised on a steadily increasing diet of internet access, millennials have found unique ways of communally expressing their almost indescribable longing for the past. A constant online juxtaposition between what is and what once was creates a wistful, and oftentimes jaded, dissonance for individuals who grew up in that sweet spot between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. Songs, film, television, toys, food, and even the quality of sunshine seemed more…vibrant. Yeah, it could be that we were all more present, more in-the-moment prior to the rise of social media and omnipresent screens, which negatively warped our perception of reality. And sure, it could also be a byproduct of rose-tinted glasses; our penchant to dampen the chaos of an eternally harsh world by forcing it through the naive simplicity of childhood, when the grown-ups would make all the tough decisions for awhile. But maybe, just maybe, there was something truly unique about that brief period in time. The musical artist known as Hoku (born Hoku Clements) was already a young adult when she got her big break at the turn of the millennium, and remembers it vividly. "I do look back on that time and it feels just like golden, innocent, bathed in teal and pink and summer and sunlight,' the Hawaii native tells me over Zoom as we discuss her self-titled debut album, celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this week. Released under the Geffen Records banner, Hoku prominently featured the singer's breakout pop single, 'Another Dumb Blonde,' written by successful Rock Mafia co-founders/producers Antonina Armato and Tim James, the former of whom signed Clements to a production deal. 'I had been recording all these [demo] The Billboard-charting song was recorded and promoted as the marquee track for 2000's Snow Day, a Nickelodeon-produced coming-of-age comedy starring Chevy Chase, Jean Smart, and Chris Elliott. 'I remember we got hooked up with Nickelodeon and that movie pretty early on,' Hoku remembers. 'That really kicked things off, because then I did The Big Help with them, and that was my first big performance at the Palladium in LA. I noticed that once Nickelodeon was involved, once we were hitched onto that pony, things did go from there. It gave us a nice vehicle to rock it out with.' The American Graffiti-esque Snow Day, in which a group of kids discover love and freedom over the course of a wintry day off from school, was emblematic of the films Nickelodeon tended to make at the time. Like Max Keeble's Big Move and Big Fat Liar in the years that followed, the movie celebrated the wonderful and rebellious possibilities of childhood. Despite being played by big name actors, the adult characters had no power in these worlds and were often the main source of conflict — not to mention the eventual butt of the joke. 'It is kind of a bygone era now that you mention it,' muses Hoku. 'I haven't really thought of it before, but they're not really making programming the same way … And it was sad to hear about some of the scandals that came out Nickelodeon later because … everyone [I worked with in those days] While it technically has nothing to do with snow, 'Another Dumb Blonde' — which plays twice throughout the movie (once in the story proper and then again during the end credits) — the song embodies the invigorating agency and crushing disappointments of youth. The super-catchy lyrics told from the perspective of a young woman finding the confidence to dump her cheating boyfriend recalls the impassioned pleas of Dolores O'Riordan in The Cranberries' 'Linger." More than just a simple break-up song, it's a fiery and touching tribute to the rollercoaster ride that is the adolescent experience. It doesn't matter whether you're trying to stop a snowplow driver from clearing the roads in order to get an extra day off from school, or working up the confidence to tell someone how you feel about them. 'Another Dumb Blonde' somehow recalls those formative experiences, beautifully capturing the highs and lows of growing up. 'Ultimately, it's a really empowering song, which never goes out of fashion,' the artist agrees. 'I think it did really resonate with people at the time. It had this sassy thing that lent to my image and that carefree kind of summer feeling. That's timeless and something everyone goes through. The feeling of, 'I'm not being appreciated, you're dismissing me, you're minimizing my value.' So as long as that is a thing, I feel like 'Another Dumb Blonde' will have relevance." A little over a year later, Hoku saw the release of a second hit single, 'Perfect Day,' which played as the main theme for Legally Blonde. As fans have pointed out many times over the years, Snow Day should have swapped its main song with the Reese Witherspoon classic. 'It's so funny because I literally said that to my label when this was all happening back in the day,' Hoku reveals. 'And they were like, 'Oh no, no. It's fine. No one will even notice.' Literally, almost every single person who interviews me or talks to me about this asks about that. I wasn't in charge of any of that stuff back then, but I would have flipped them, for sure.'" The carefree millennial illusion was shattered just two months after Legally Blonde in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Center. For many who had come of age in the quietly prosperous '90s, that terrible day marked the death of childhood innocence. There was no coming back. 'It's sad to think of that,' says Hoku, who was actually in New York at the time for the Disney Channel in Concert tour. 'Things really did change. There's just this layer of disillusionment and cynicism that couldn't help but settle across everything. Pop culture is, in a lot of ways, a reflection of where we are as a society. Not perfectly, but it's an art-form. It's art reflecting back the world as artists see it. So you can't help but have some of that cynicism make its way into it … It was definitely a big before and after moment for everything, including pop culture.' With the passage of time, however, 'Another Dumb Blonde" (along with its contemporaries) has become a comfortingly nostalgic time capsule with the power to transport the listener back to a simpler time. A time when kids were the masters of their own destiny with the entire world laid out before them. 'It was a short period of my life and there were a lot of ups and downs at that time. But it's these conversations, just hearing from people who connected with and have these beautiful memories attached to my music, [that I love]," finishes Hoku. 'I've moved on with my life. I have a whole family and a whole life beyond that now … but it's really moving and touching for me. It's been a blessing to see how it's unfurled as time has moved on.' Hoku Courtesy of Matthew Morgan
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Staffing halved at Knoxville community farm after AmeriCorps cuts
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The number of staff at a community farm in Knoxville that produces more than 65,000 pounds of food every year has been cut in half after AmeriCorps was ordered by the federal government to terminate some of their grants, Beardsley Farm shared. On Tuesday, Beardsley Farm shared that their staff of 10 had become a staff of 5 because the AmeriCorps grants that were cut included the funds that support CAC AmeriCorps in Knoxville. Woman raises awareness about rare bacterium after son's death In Knox County, around 250 people work for or volunteer through AmeriCorps, which is locally run through the Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee. With federal cuts, 85% of the AmeriCorps workforce in East Tennessee was placed on leave in April. Beardsley Farms explained that AmeriCorps has been an integral part of the community farm's history as it was one of the first and longest running CAC AmeriCorp's partners. Most of the farm's remaining staff are AmeriCorp's alums. The impact of the reduction in the farm's staff is expected to reach past the staff and to the community members who interact with Beardsley Farm every day. Those community members include hundreds of gardeners throughout the support, those in need of grocery support, and students who learn from the garden. 'We are not going away, but we do need your support. We are fundraising for staff positions so that we can continue donating produce and plants, teaching free classes, managing school gardens, and putting on events such as Harvest Festival and Snow Day. Please consider a donation to Beardsley Farm so that programming isn't downsized, affecting our most vulnerable populations. Fresh food for all, ya'll. No matter what,' Beardsley Farm wrote on social media. Beardsley Farm is accepting donations, but those looking to discuss ways to help can also email Knoxville woman who faced eviction due to daughter's behavior given more time to find new home AmeriCorps was founded in 1993 and incorporated the Volunteers In Service To America program, which was founded in 1964 to help communities combat poverty, as well as the National Civilian Community Corps program, which was created in 1992 to help communities recover from natural disasters and other critical needs. Over the last 30 years, AmeriCorps has been the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. In mid-April, however, the program became the largest target of the Trump administration's campaign to slash government spending, the Associated Press reported. The move prompted around two dozen states to sue the Trump administration, an AP report from Tuesday said. A spokesperson with America's Service Commissions said its commissions in Wisconsin, Alabama, Wyoming, Oregon and Maine have reported that their entire portfolios for AmeriCorps grant funding have been cut. According to the AP, the AmeriCorps State and national program were budgeted to receive $557 million in congressionally approved funding this year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Are schools closed tomorrow? Here's the list of OKC schools closed or virtual Thursday
Several Oklahoma schools are canceling school or shifting to virtual or remote learning due to the threat of severe weather. Check below for any changes or cancelations for local schools organized by district. ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location Here are the schools closing at this time in the Oklahoma City metro area. This story will be updated as closures are announced. Bethany Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public School: No cancellations announced at this time Deer Creek Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Edmond Public Schools: Traditional Snow Day on Thursday. Epic Charter School: No cancellations announced at this time Midwest City-Del City Public Schools: Remote Learning Day on Thursday Moore Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Mustang Public Schools: Distance/remote learning on Thursday Norman Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Oklahoma City Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Piedmont Public Schools: Traditional snow day on Thursday Putnam City Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Santa Fe South Charter Schools: Virtual classes on Thursday and Friday. Western Heights Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Yukon Public Schools: No cancellations announced at this time Keep up with school, church and event closings using the link below. Oklahoma City Severe Weather Closings: Schools, churches, other services Oklahoma City Severe Weather Closings: Schools, churches, other services This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Schools closures: See list of OKC schools closed, virtual Thursday
