It was a chilly Thursday night, on Nov. 14, when CSUN students lined up outside the University Student Union’s Plaza del Sol Performance Hall for “Big Lecture with Josh Peck,” a sold-out event hosted by Associated Students.
Many recognize Peck from The Nickelodeon show “Drake and Josh,” which aired in 2004 and ran for four seasons. Peck has also appeared in films such as “Oppenheimer,” “Red Dawn” and “The Wackness.”
Students cheered loudly when Peck walked on stage. He cracked jokes to warm up the crowd before delving into how he became an actor.
Before his run on Nickelodeon, Peck started his career at 10-years-old doing stand-up comedy in clubs across New York City.
“I liked being funny,” said Peck. “I found this avenue for kid-comedians in New York, where we would be at stand-up clubs at like 2 p.m for a special kids cabaret night.”
He also spent a lot of time watching TV, where his love and passion for television began.
“Shows like ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,’ people like Billy Madison and Ace Ventura, they were my friends,” said Peck. “Those people raised me and so for me, TV was this great escape my whole life.”
Peck has been acting since he was 12-years-old, booking his first major gig for a movie called “Snow Day.” At the time, he would also audition for Nickelodeon, hoping to land a spot in a commercial or another small role, such as an extra on a TV show.
One day, then-president of Nickelodeon, Albie Hecht, approached Peck and had a conversation with him.
“I was giving him some material for my stand-up and he was cracking up,” said Peck. He then stepped out of his comfort zone and told Hecht that he would love to be on the show, “All That.”
Nine months after the conversation with Hecht, Peck received a call confirming that he would join “The Amanda Show,” starring Amanda Bynes. He packed his belongings and moved to the San Fernando Valley with his mother, where he lived until he was 29.
Six months later, the show “Drake and Josh” was born.
“That show changed my life,” said Peck. “I didn’t know at 14-years-old, when I was making [‘Drake and Josh’], that it was going to be one of those life-defining things, but I’m glad that it is.”
Although the show ended after four seasons in 2007, Peck mentioned that many people can relate to the story of two brothers adapting to new circumstances. To this day, many people still watch the show. Drake and Josh has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has availability on streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Paramount+.
Life after “Drake and Josh” took an unexpected turn for Peck. For a while, he became an influencer on Vine, a now-defunct social media app similar to TikTok, but with six-second videos.
While still booking small roles on movies and TV shows, most of his income came from the videos he posted on Vine.
Peck wanted to do more, but felt unprepared. At 32, he returned to acting classes.
“I would go to these black box theaters in Venice and just sit there with a bunch of other actors,” said Peck.
He eventually secured a role in the acclaimed film “Oppenheimer” and began to work on projects beyond comedy.
Peck also wrote a book called “Happy People Are Annoying,” a memoir of his life growing up and becoming the person he is today.
“A lot of people had grown up with me, and I could give them an insight of ‘This [is what] I was going through at 18,” said Peck.
He encouraged the audience to pursue their passions.
“Make your shit, do it,” said Peck. “Be your own audience. If it makes you laugh, cry or makes you feel something, then it’s of value.”
Many students enjoyed the conversation, including CSUN theater majors Kalise Espiritu and Robert Quezada.
“I thought it was inspiring,” said Espiritu. “I came to get some advice and some insight for acting and the entertainment industry.”
Quezada shared a similar perspective. “It was very motivating, especially as an actor trying to work your way up in the industry,” he said.
For more upcoming events, visit the CSUN Associated Students website.
