Updated
Updated · The News International · Jun 27
Josh Peck Says 'Drake & Josh' Paid $125,000 a Year, Dividing Internet
Updated
Updated · The News International · Jun 27

Josh Peck Says 'Drake & Josh' Paid $125,000 a Year, Dividing Internet

2 articles · Updated · The News International · Jun 27

Summary

  • Josh Peck said he effectively took home about $125,000 a year during Nickelodeon's four-season "Drake & Josh," pushing back on assumptions that child stars were set for life.
  • On the podcast Financial Tea with Mrs. Dow Jones, Peck said pay rose from $3,000 an episode on "The Amanda Show" to about $15,000 an episode by the end of "Drake & Josh."
  • Across roughly 60 episodes, Peck estimated he and Drake Bell earned about $900,000 over four years but kept roughly half after agents, managers and taxes.
  • Peck tied the disclosure to childhood financial insecurity, saying the experience fueled a lasting fear of being broke and explained why he kept working.
  • Online reaction split between critics who said $500,000 over four years was exceptional for a teenager and supporters who said it still was not retirement-level money.

Insights

Why is a teen star's $450,000 salary not considered 'set for life' money in Hollywood?
What hidden financial dangers, beyond salary, still threaten Hollywood's youngest stars today?
If child actors aren't paid for reruns, who profits from streaming these classic shows?