Former child stars turning to drugs and alcohol abuse as they enter adulthood is sadly nothing new to the public. Some of them have managed to kick the habit while others sadly see their lives end prematurely. Josh Peck, the former Nickelodeon star famous for his roles onThe Amanda ShowandDrake and Joshback in the early 2000s, surprised the masses when he confirmed that he too once participated in that sort of lifestyle in his younger days.
Peck, who was recentlycast in Christopher Nolan’s upcomingOppenheimerfilm, opened up about his past with drugs. Peck said the drug use started around the time he had gone through a body transformation during his time onNickelodeon’sDrake and Josh.
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“When I lost the weight, it was a game-changer, but… pretty quickly I got to my goal weight and then became viciously addicted to drugs and alcohol, which took over the next four years of my life,” Peck said during an interview on Michael Rosenbaum’sInside of You. Peck stated that he drank alcohol, used cocaine, and popped pills regularly around the time he hit 18 years old. Although usual child stars around that time take drugs to cope with their lives, Peck admitted he did it at the time to impress a girl and because, as a crowd-pleaser at the time, he perceived it to be normal for actors to do such a thing at that age. “I was in this crazy people-pleasing storm my whole life, and suddenly, I’m looking like a normal… teen, and I’m like, “Oh, they do drugs and that’s normal… When I finally said yes (to cocaine)… All I thought was, a. I hope she’s watching and (b.) Oh good, I’m normal.”
Luckily, Peck has since kicked the habit, having been sober since 2008. Better yet, he is one of the few former child stars who have continued to find work in show business as an adult. Some of his most recent credits include starring in the Disney Plus seriesTurner and Hooch, recurring as Drew onHow I Met Your Fatherand starring inGrandfathered. He is also slated to be a guest star on the reboot ofiCarlywith his former television co-star Miranda Cosgrove.
Peck’s candidness is refreshing because back then, no one would have thought of someone like him as one who would live that sort of lifestyle. Especially because, at the time, there were no tabloids or exposes covering Peck’s personal life. That is also surprising considering around that time, Vanessa Hudgens' leaked nudes and Jamie Lynn Spears' teen pregnancy truly shockedthe world of teenage Hollywood. Maybe Nickelodeon’s public relations team deserves props for keeping it out of the public eye. Actor or not, Peck’s story falls in line with someone who frankly, just wanted to fit in. Fans can’t blame him for that.
Everyone wants to fit in as they try to find who they are. Especially when they live the life of an actor. It’s clear that Peck is no different. Even if Peck wouldn’t have been someone audiences would have pegged as a drug user, it still is heartwarming to see that he not only kicked the habit but continues to findsuccess in Hollywood. Suffice to say, fans can’t say the same about his formerDrake and Joshco-star Drake Bell.
Drake and Joshcan currently be streamed on Hulu.
