Drake Bell Says He’s Struggling Financially While Nickelodeon Keeps Getting Paid from “Drake & Josh” [Video]

Drake Bell is pushing back against the illusion that childhood stardom leads to financial security.

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During an appearance on “The Unplanned Podcast” earlier this month, the actor shared that neither he nor many of his former Nickelodeon co-stars have ever received residual payments for the network shows they helped make popular.

Bell began his Nickelodeon career on “The Amanda Show” in 1999 before landing the co-lead role on “Drake and Josh,” which aired from 2004 to 2007. Despite the show’s continued popularity in reruns and its recent addition to streaming platforms, Bell says he sees none of that revenue.

“Netflix just bought it, it’s top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month,” he added.

Bell explained that people often assume that appearing on television means an actor is financially set.

“That’s the perception of the world. You make a Folgers Coffee commercial and people think you live in a mansion. They see you on TV and assume you’re rich. That’s far from the case.”

He said Nickelodeon actors were typically paid once, with no share of long-term profits, even when their shows are syndicated or streamed globally.

In contrast, Bell pointed out that actors on other networks, like the casts of Friends or Seinfeld, continue to earn millions each year through syndication deals. “The Friends cast was making a million dollars an episode. Now, in syndication, they’re still each making over twenty million dollars a year, and they’re not even filming anymore.”

When asked if the lack of residuals was tied to the actors being minors at the time, Bell rejected the idea.

“It’s not because we were kids. It’s because the business was run by a lot of evil, corrupt people. That’s the only answer.”

Bell, who filed for bankruptcy in 2014, said the financial struggles faced by former child stars are widely misunderstood. He blames media and social platforms for promoting unrealistic images of wealth. “People just see the glitz and the glamour of Hollywood on Instagram. They don’t understand how the business works. We’re putting in all this work. The corporation makes billions. We get paid for the week we filmed and that’s it.”

He ended with a sharp critique of the contract terms actors were given at the time.

“It literally says in the contract, in perpetuity, across universes and galaxies and planets.”

Bell’s experience highlights a broader issue in the entertainment industry. While networks continue to profit from the faces and performances of young actors, many of those same performers are left with nothing but old footage and unpaid bills.