Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV sparked a wave of conversations after its debut in March 2024. The five-part show (which is streamable with a Max subscription) featured ex-Nickelodeon stars discussing the network’s allegedly toxic culture amid the tenure of former producer Dan Schneider. Since then, other former child stars have opened up as well. Now, Nick vet Avan Jogia has seen the doc, and he’s getting candid about how his experiences compared to shows discussed.
What Did Avan Jogia Have To Say About Quiet On Set And His Time As A Teen Actor?
Fans who grew up with the Nickelodeon shows of the early 2010s probably know Avan Jogia best for his role as the laid-back Beck Oliver on Victorious. He played the role of the heartthrob throughout all four seasons of the teen sitcom, which ran from 2010 to 2013. The show was also notably one of the many programs developed for TV by Dan Schneider. After watching Quiet on Set, Jogia explained that his experiences as a young actor were “so different” from the accounts that were shared, but he also shared a balanced point:
My experiences on set with my friends and colleagues were so specific and so different than what I witnessed on the documentary. But I also know that two truths can exist at the same time.
What the now-33-year-old Canadian actor is conveying is that just because he had a more positive time working at Nick, it doesn’t undercut the stories that others have shared. That reasonable logic is similar to that of Kenan Thompson, who admitted how “tough” it was to discuss the subject matter, given that they didn’t line up with his own experiences at the network. Still, he did express solidarity with “anybody that’s been victimized or their families.” As for the Twisted alum, he does have a keen takeaway from the early years of his career:
If I look back at my time on that show, and now knowing as an adult how hard I work, I think we just worked really hard. We were on planes all the time to go to openings of things. We shot a show five days a week. We were on all summer doing stuff. Now as an adult looking back at that, I go like, ‘Oh, that’s too much to put on an 18-year-old kid.’ My experience looking back trying to discern between what is childhood memory or young people’s memory is interesting. It’s all fragmented.
Long working hours have been long discussed in regard to young actors in Hollywood. In the case of Avan Jogia, though, it sounds as though his time working with Nickelodeon was mostly beneficial. His recollections, however, starkly differ from the accounts shared by those that took part in the docuseries.
What Have Other Nickelodeon Alums Said About Their Time Working With The Company?
One of the stars featured on the show was All That alum Giovonnie Samuels, who said Dan Schneider reached out to her ahead of its premiere in order to ask for a quote of support. While discussing her time as a child actor, Samuels – the only Black actress on the show at the time – recalled being put in less-than-flattering situations amid production. She recalled being instructed on how to swallow copious amounts of fake sugar and coffee for a sketch and felt she could only laugh along when others on set began chuckling over that. Samuels also said that unlike her peers, she was not granted a personal hairstylist.
Giovonnie Samuels said she felt “tokenized” as did co-star Bryan Hearne, who also said he was put in demeaning situations. That included the On-Air Dare segments and sketches involving him playing a pre-natal rapper named Lil’ Fetus. Hearne also alleged that he was referred to as a “piece of charcoal” by one of the adult crew members.
Another account the doc featured came from former Amanda Show and Drake & Josh star Drake Bell. During the series, Bell revealed he’d been sexually abused by former dialect coach Brian Peck. In 2003, Peck was arrested and charged with 11 counts of lewd conduct with a minor, eventually being found guilty on two counts. With that ruling, Peck eventually spent 16 months in prison and, upon his release, he registered as a sex offender. When Dan Schneider issued an apology after the doc, he claimed he hadn’t hired Peck personally.
These experiences from Avan Jogia and more further drive home the former’s point that multiple “truths” can exist simultaneously. Ultimately one would hope that those who had positive memories can hold onto them. And, as for anyone whose time working in the industry was negative, with the proper support, they can be heard and process their experiences in a way that works best for them.
