“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” continues to be a topic of discussion among viewers and child stars alike.
The Investigation Discovery docuseries, which premiered in mid-March, is a four-part documentary that explored the working conditions of Nickelodeon’s sets in the 90s and 2000s. An additional fifth episode was later released on April 7 following viewers’ strong reactions.
“Quiet on Set” touched on influential producer Dan Schneider and how he created popular shows and launched the careers of stars like Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell. In the episodes, some child stars and staffers claimed Schnieder created a “toxic environment” on the sets of his shows.
Schneider — who does not appear in the project — eventually parted ways with Nickelodeon in 2018. Following the release of “Quiet on Set,” he released a statement apologizing for his behavior.
“The main thing that I would change is how I treat people and everyone,” Schneider said in a YouTube video. “I definitely at times didn’t give people the best of me. I didn’t show enough patience. I could be cocky and definitely overambitious and sometimes just straight-up rude and obnoxious and I am so sorry that I ever was.”
Additionally, in a bombshell moment, Bell revealed that he was sexually abused as a child star.
With appearances by many former Nickelodeon child stars, here is who appeared on “Quiet on Set” and where they are now.
Drake Bell
Drake Bell's claim to fame was starring alongside Amanda Bynes on “The Amanda Show.” Following his role on the comedy sketch show, he landed his own show with Josh Peck, “Drake & Josh.” The show ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2007.
The actor would continue to act and release music. However, he did find himself in legal trouble, getting arrested on suspicion of drinking under the influence and sentenced to two years of probation for child endangerment, among other controversies.
In “Quiet on Set,” Bell revealed that former dialect coach Brian Peck sexually abused him when he was a young teen. Peck, who was arrested in August 2003, was found guilty of two charges — lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 by a person 10 years older and oral copulation of a person under 16 — and served more than a year in jail. The now 63-year-old Brian Peck also had to register as a sex offender.
Brian Peck has not responded publicly to “Quiet on Set” and has not responded to TODAY.com’s requests for comment.
Following the release of “Quiet on Set,” Bell released a new song titled “I Kind of Relate,” inspired by his personal experiences. He has also been doing interviews about his revelation and docuseries.
Alexa Nikolas
Alexa Nikolas is best known for her role as Nicole on “Zoey 101.” She appeared on the series, created by Schneider, for two seasons before her departure. She continued appearing in shows before her final acting credit: one episode in 2013’s “Mad Men.”
In “Quiet on Set,” Nikolas spoke about not feeling protected as a young teen after being forced to wear a short miniskirt while on the set of “Zoey 101.”
She would go on to create Eat Predators, an organization that works to end “pervasive cover-up of sexual abuse and predatory behavior within the music and entertainment industry.”
Leon Frierson
Leon Frierson was a member of “All That” from 1997 to 2000. He was known for his characters Leroy in “Have a Nice Day with Leroy & Fuzz” CJ from “CJ and the Cloudy Knights” and Repairboy, among others.
Following his time on the children's comedy sketch show, he had a few acting credits before leaving the profession.
In “Quiet on Set,” Frierson spoke about the pressure he felt while on “All That,” saying, “It was in our best interest to go with the flow.”
He also recalled being uncomfortable while portraying “Nose Boy.” In the sketch, he wore a large brown prosthetic nose on his face and shoulders that resembled male genitals.
“Frankly, it was just uncomfortable,” Frierson said. “But I always did my best to be a trooper, never complained. We knew being close to Dan could mean an extra level of success. It was important to be on his good side, and he made it known who was on his good side.”
According to his Instagram, he is currently a producer on “Child Star Central,” which appears to be a platform that gives updates on former child stars.
Bryan Hearne
Also a cast member on “All That,” Bryan Hearne was known for his sketches like Lil Fetus, Zigfree the Taxi Cab Driver and Mr. Flopples. He was a cast member from 2000 to 2002.
After a few appearances on shows like “Law & Order,” “Lie to Me” and “Everybody Hates Chris,” his last acting credit is a short film in 2015 titled “Retrospect.”
In “Quiet on Set,” Hearne recalled a moment during a Lil Fetus fitting where people commented on his skin tone and made him cry.
“Someone said the skin tone should be charcoal. I started to get teary-eyed. That was a moment when I felt, ‘I could go get my mom about this.’ But also, I know my mom and I know she would’ve rose hell,” Hearne said.
He also recalled how "uncomfortable" one of the “On Air Dares” segments had made him. In the segment, Hearne was covered in peanut butter and then licked by dogs.
Katrina Johnson
Katrina Johnson was a longtime “All That” cast member from 1994 to 1997. She was known for her sketches a Lemonade Scammer, Explaining Girl, Dorothy and Didi, among others.
In “Quiet on Set,” Johnson says she was “edged out” after Bynes, whom she called a “younger version” of herself, became “the new favorite.”
Johnson saw Bynes perform at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles and told Schneider he should check her out.
The actor left the industry, but according to IMDB has two projects in the works, “Black Creek” and TV movie “Shane on You.” Johnson also went on to host a radio show called “Uncensored Radio.”
Raquel Lee Bolleau
Raquel Lee Bolleau’s breakout role was on “The Amanda Show,” portraying an array of characters in the comedy sketch show starring Bynes.
From there, Lee Bolleau continued acting in shows like “The Hughleys,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” and voicing Nubia Gross on “The Proud Family.”
In an episode of “Quiet on Set,” Lee Bolleau recalls being “infuriated” when Bynes spat in her face for a sketch called “The Literals.”
“And every time I said, ‘Spit it out,’ she would spit what was in her mouth — whether it was the water or whatever — like, directly in my face,” she said, saying she did “not find it funny.”
The now-mother of three continued to act and is the founder of Métisse Natura, an organic hair care line.
She recently posted on social media, slamming the "Quiet on Set" team for not inviting her to be a part of the follow-up episode and to a discussion event. In a video shared on April 10, she seemed to be reconsidering being a part of Hollywood in general.
“Let me tell you what my problem is with this industry,” she said in the video. “‘Quiet on Set,’ did the same thing that the industry always does: They get what they want from you. And then they’re done.”
Shane Lyons
Shane Lyons was a cast member on “All That” from 2002 to 2004, but ultimately departed the industry after his run on the sketch show. His last acting credit is one episode of “Wizards of Waverly Place” in 2008.
Lyons was interviewed for the first time on “Quiet on Set,” where he revealed that he was also subjected to inappropriate behavior from Brian Peck during his time on set. However, the former actor said he was “lucky that nothing” happened to him like what Bell went through.
Lyons says Brian Peck had a sexually charged conversation about “blue balls” with him.
“He was like, ‘Well, we know what blue balls are, right Shane?’” Lyons said in the episode, explaining that as a kid he thought they were racquetballs. “And as I think back now as an adult, who is a 36-year-old, you know, would I ever have a conversation with a 13-year-old boy like he had with me? No!”
Lyons would follow in his parents' footsteps to become a chef, he said in the docuseries. He was a contestant on Season Four of “The Next Food Network Star,” earned his culinary degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and was named one of Zagat’s 30 best chefs under 30, according to The Denver Gazette.
Giovonnie Samuels
Another “All That” cast member, Giovonnie Samuels was a part of the show from 2002 to 2004. She was known for characters like Gail, Mandy Smackson and Stacey Chit.
Samuels described herself as the “token Black girl” during her interview on “Quiet on Set,” explaining racial dynamics during her time on “All That.” She said she felt that Schneider had a “closer relationship with some of the white kids.”
Following her time on “All That,” Samuels continued to act, appearing in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” “You’re the Worst” and “Raven’s Home.”
Kyle Sullivan
Kyle Sullivan was a member of the “All That” cast from 2002 to 2005, portraying characters like Harry Bladder, Buzz of “Sugar & Coffee,” Elliott and Little Boy, among others.
He is also known for his role as Dabney Hooper in “Malcolm in the Middle” and Larry Gold in “The War at Home,” which was his final acting credit.
Sullivan called the "All That" set “dysfunctional," describing certain scenes as "uncomfortable."
“It was gross, it was weird,” Sullivan said of having to pour sugar and coffee into their mouths. “The show was full of these uncomfortable sketches. I think Dan got a kick out of walking the line with that.”
Sullivan also recalled the admiration people had for Peck. He said his opinion of the registered sex offender changed when he was at one of Peck's parties and saw a self-portrait by convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy on his walls.
Sullivan would go on to study psychology at Columbia University and become a partner at Rainfall Ventures, a venture capital firm, according to the company's website.
