The end of Drake & Josh has given way to a new phase in show star Josh Peck's career.  The 21-year-old actor is easing his way back into the big screen by taking on more mature and challenging roles, with the most recent being a young troubled drug dealer in Jonathan Levine's The Wackness.  Peck said he was drawn to the project mainly because it meant working alongside Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.

“Sir Ben has been my favorite actor since as long as I can remember,” Peck told MTV from the Sundance Festival in Park City, Utah.  “Looking at a movie and really appreciating someone's process and just giving it all up.  I feel great acting is fearless and I think he embodies that.  I would have paid them to do this movie.”

In The Wackness, Kingsley plays Dr. Squires, a drug-addled psychiatrist who trades therapy sessions for marijuana with Peck's troubled character, Luke Shapiro.  The movie is among those being featured at this year's Sundance Film Festival, which kicked off on Thursday, January 17, and conclude on Sunday, January 27.  It is registered under the "Dramatic Competition" category.

So far, the film has been receiving more favorable reviews, prompting Peck to admit that “this whole thing has been pretty surreal.”  For one, the Hollywood Reporter called the movie a “tightly packed entertainment” that “explodes through familiar teen-transition territory with dark ironies, but, all the while, touches are sentiments.”  The entertainment news vehicle also praised Josh Peck's portrayal of Luke.

“Peck as low-key Luke is a wonderful touchstone, exuding both decency and daring,” the Hollywood Reporter said.

While it seems Peck is ready to shed the tween persona he became so known for throughout his days on Drake & Josh, he revealed that there is a possibility of him working on another Drake & Josh-inspired movie.

“Yeah, it could definitely be in the works,” he told MTV.  “I'm just trying to do… cool parts to complement this movie.  I got the Nickelodeon thing, and there's something to be said [about being] able to make kids happy everyday.”

Still, he adds that he is at a point where he is yearning to find more challenging work.

“Now I'm just doing projects that kind of feed my soul – things that are challenging and creative,” he said.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: MTV
(Image Courtesy of  slashfilm.com)