Nickelodeon stars Drake Bell and Josh Peck have spent the past four television seasons appearing in the hit teen series, Drake & Josh, and now, both are ready to move on to bigger and more mature ventures.

"Ending it is bittersweet," Drake Bell, who launched his acting career at the tender age of 5 and is currently writing songs for his third album, told Variety.  "It's like graduating high school.  You miss all your friends, but now I can do my music more and other stuff.  I can't wait to tour again."

Aside from his music, 21-year-old Drake Bell, who made his directorial debut on the spin-off made-for-television movie, Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp, is also hoping to develop his still amateur directing skills.  He also wants to go further with his acting career, and is slated to appear in the upcoming spoof, Superhero, wherein he plays “the Tobey Maguire character, except I'm a dragonfly.”

As for Peck, who will celebrate his 21st birthday next month, the actor will be gracing the big screen as well with the film, The Wackness, where he stars opposite Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.

"I play a drug dealer who gets therapy sessions from Sir Ben's drug-addled psychiatrist in exchange for pot," Josh Peck explained to Variety with much glee.

The role is certainly a departure from his more wholesome and eponymous character on Drake & Josh, but Peck, who is now working on Drillbit Taylor with Judd Apatow and Owen Wilson, said he welcomes the challenge.  He also said that debuting as a stand-up comedian at the young age of 9 built his confidence and helped him to rely more on his talent than his looks.

"So many kids rely on cuteness, and when that dissipates, they're stranded,"Josh Peck told Variety.  "Thank God I was never blessed with that cuteness.  I always had to rely on technique and hard work, and that's helped me so much."

Bell and Peck first met when they were cast in The Amanda Show, after which they began starring on Drake & Josh.  "It was a total education, doing sketch comedy, writing and being forced to play five different characters with dialects," Peck recalled.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Variety
(Image Courtesy of Nickelodeon)