By Hannah Gonzalez
On Thursday, April 26, actor Josh Peck of “Drake & Josh” fame took the stage as this year’s Spring Weekend speaker. His visit was put on by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) Speakers Series and moderated by CAB member Kathryn Teaney, FCRH ’19.
The Q&A format of the dialogue incorporated student-submitted questions and a “word associations” portion. Peck spoke on his path to acting as well as his approach to the craft from the perspective of an artist, opening up about his struggle between moments of confidence and self-doubt. He reflected both on his experiences during “Drake & Josh” and his subsequent experiences working with celebrities.
Peck first met Drake Bell during their time on “The Amanda Show,” and Peck remembered that, originally, the now-iconic pair didn’t get along. It wasn’t until Bell asked to hear a joke that the two were able to bond over their shared love of comedy.
“I told him a joke, and he laughed like I had never heard anyone laugh before, and all of a sudden he became my biggest fan,” said Peck. “And from there on out, we were just inseparable best friends.”
Peck also spoke on the success of “Drake & Josh.” Many attendees of the event came to know Peck through his role on the hit Nickelodeon show, Kaylee Kurkierewicz, FCRH ’20, being one of them.
“I have been a huge fan of Josh Peck since “Drake & Josh,” of course,” said Kurkierewicz. “That show was my childhood, so I couldn’t not go and see him.”
During the Q&A, Peck acknowledged the widespread influence of “Drake & Josh.” Most recently, while in transit to New York, a TSA agent quoted the show to him.
“The guy’s checking my ID and my ticket,” Peck said. “He’s like, ‘Alright, bro, you good. Pip pip da doodly doo.’”
Peck’s desire to pursue comedy was influenced by his childhood self-doubt. He stated that, in his youth, he often used humor to mask his insecurities, making fun of himself before anyone else could. He now wishes he could encourage the younger version of himself with the knowledge he has of his future successes.
In more recent years, Peck has taken to the online platforms of Vine, YouTube and Twitter. He expressed his enjoyment of producing content for fans directly rather than going through the “middle man” of a producer.
Kurkierewicz said she appreciated the opportunity to hear Peck’s thoughts on content creation.
“I really liked when he was talking about artistry,” said Kurkierewicz. “No matter how much you doubt yourself, the content you create is wanted, and you should never stop yourself from creating. As an aspiring screenwriter, that was awesome to hear.”
