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Drake Bell does not get residuals for his role as Drake Parker on Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh.
The standout opened up about his financial situation on a recent episode of The Unplanned Podcast with Matt & Abby on iHeartRadio, revealing that the public often overestimates how much money celebrities actually earn from starring in series.
"That’s the perception of the world. It’s always been this way: It’s like, you know, ‘Oh, you made a Folgers Coffee commercial. You must live in a mansion in Hollywood. I saw you on TV. You’re rich. That's far from the case. And especially, which is the bummer for most of us on Nickelodeon, we don't get residuals for our shows."
Bell continued, explaining that despite the show being top 10 on Netflix in 2025, he doesn't see any of the money.
"It's a lot of evil, corrupt people...that is the answer. There's no other answer. Do everything that they do to us mentally and emotionally, and then throw us to the wolves. And we're like, 'Okay, cool. I got rent this month.' There are three channels doing Drake & Josh marathons. Netflix just bought it, it's top 10 on Netflix, and I gotta figure out how to pay my rent this month."
According to Entertainment Weekly, Bell filed for bankruptcy in 2014, while Drake & Josh guest stars continued to receive checks for their brief role in the series.
"There's people who said two lines in one episode that still get checks in the mail. Josh and I? Not a dime."
Listen to the full podcast episode on iHeartRadio and read Drake Bell Reveals His Thoughts On How 'Quiet On Set' Handled His Story for more on the actor's time with Nickelodeon.