As a 10-year-old stand-up comedian performing at “Kid’s Cabaret” shows in New York City, Josh Peck dreamed of joining the cast of “All That” — Nickelodeon’s version of “Saturday Night Live.” By age 12, while working on his first film, “Snow Day,” Peck met Albie Hecht, then-president of television and entertainment at Nickelodeon. Seizing the moment, Peck pitched himself for the network’s lineup and nine months later landed a role on “The Amanda Show.” Just six months after the show ended, in 2002, “Drake & Josh” was born.
“I didn’t know that, at 14 years old, [“Drake & Josh”] was going to be one of those life-defining things, but I’m glad that it is,” Peck said this month. “That show changed my life.”
Gen Z and millennial fans might remember Peck as a teen with iconic lines like “Hug me, brotha!” — but the 38-year-old actor has come a long way. He took the stage at CSUN’s Plaza del Sol Performance Center on Nov. 14, for Associated Students’ annual Big Lecture. The actor and social media star spoke about his Nickelodeon days, his role in the Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer,” his memoir “Happy People Are Annoying” and his journey through showbiz.
Peck offered candid advice to the theater majors in the audience, sharing relatable struggles from his acting career.
“If there’s anyone here in the arts … you’re my people. We’ll go read scenes at Freudian Sip … we’ll go to G’mo’s [cafeteria] and not eat the food,” he joked, as the crowd erupted in laughter.
Peck emphasized the importance of resilience in the arts, telling Matadors that they have to be in it for the long run — because setbacks come with the career. He also encouraged students to embrace leadership in their roles. “You, as the actor, are irreplaceable,” he said. “It’s important that you show up and take the leadership role … and that applies to all jobs.”
He also shared his thought process about returning to acting classes at 31, after realizing he needed to prepare for the next chapter in his career. His role in the 2023 film “Oppenheimer,” as physicist Kenneth Bainbridge, marked a shift for Peck, to more serious, dramatic territory.
Peck’s memoir, published in 2022, explores his struggles growing up in the spotlight. “Memoirs were [typically] written by people at the finish line — in their 60s and 70s — and their lives felt hard to relate to. I thought, ‘Let me give views from the halfway point. Here’s what I’ve learned so far at 35, and here’s what I’m working toward.’”
Before leaving the stage, Peck encouraged the student audience to embrace social media and create content that reflects their authentic selves. “Make your sh*t, do it,” he urged.
After the event, four CSUN theatre majors — seniors Wren Grant and Maliya Elizondo and juniors Kevin Boecher and Alexa Lara — shared their most important takeaway from the childhood star they’d long admired: Peck’s advice to Matadors on staying true to their passion and sticking with it for the long run.
Grant also reflected on the actor’s advice about resilience and lifelong learning: “‘You never learn anything on a good day,’” she quoted. “That was something really special I needed to hear.”
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