The subject matter of Investigation Discovery’s five-part docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV continues to reverberate throughout the public and spark discussions. Said production, which highlights former child actors’ experiences working at Nickelodeon during the ‘90s and 2000s has received attention for a number of the anecdotes it featured. A lot has particularly been said about the account shared by Drake Bell, who was sexually abused by Brian Peck, who worked as a dialogue coach years ago. Interest around Peck and his court case has seemingly been reignited, with actor Kirk Cameron now weighing in as well. And, while doing that, he called out the “twisted sickness of Hollywood.”
Kirk Cameron himself was once a child actor, eventually breaking through and becoming a household name on the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains. Over the years, the star – who became a born-again Christian at 17 – has discussed his tenure on the family comedy. Around that time, Brian Peck also served as a dialogue coach and body double for him. Cameron recently recalled feeling uneasy about certain behind-the-scenes elements on set. Additionally, he reflected on Peck’s run-ins with young actors like himself and his Season 7 co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio:
So, the evil, the darkness, the twisted sickness of Hollywood has been going on for a long time. I started acting when I was 9-years-old. I began ‘Growing Pains’ at 14-years-old. And I was suspicious that that stuff was going on behind the curtains even when I was working on ‘Growing Pains.’ And there were several young boys like us [Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio] that he [Peck] interacted with on a regular basis. So, it’s shocking. It’s sickening.
Brian Peck, who was also an actor, appeared on several episodes of the show between 1988 and 1991. During Quiet on Set, behind-the-scenes footage from the ABC series was shown and depicted Peck rubbing Leonardo DiCaprio’s arms. Kirk Cameron also addressed his recollection of that during his interview with the Daily Wire:
That's the kind of thing you would see and make you pause and go, 'There's a little flag on the field,' but not enough to prove something worse.
It was in 2003 that Brian Peck was arrested and charged with 11 counts of lewd conduct with a minor. In 2004, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender. At the time, it was unknown to the general public that the child actor involved in the case was Drake Bell. More recently, it was also revealed that several notable celebrities, including Alan Thicke (who also starred on GP), James Marsden and Boy Meets World actors Rider Strong and Will Friedle, wrote character letters on Peck’s behalf. Bell, who read the letters, has since revealed that Strong reached out and the two have made amends. Rich and Beth Correll, veteran TV directors, also expressed regret for writing documents in support of Peck.
Kirk Cameron further explained that he felt protected while working as a child actor. He also opined that Hollywood “tries to indemnify, exonerate the very pedophiles that we say we want to get rid of, because they are the pedophiles.” From there, he shared his view on how such individuals are able to navigate the industry with ease:
The consensus was these individuals were charming, they ingratiated themselves into their victims' lives and were generally likable people when they were putting the 'nice guy' face on. It was like your 'Spidey-senses' told you something's not right. They were handsy and physical in a smarmy kind of way. But not so overt that you could totally detect what was happening.
After being released from prison, Brian Peck did find work with the Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, which aired during the 2000s. He reportedly did voiceover work and had no direct interaction with the cast and crew. Upon learning of his conviction, Disney reportedly cut ties with the dialogue coach. Since then, he’s also done uncredited work on a handful of other productions.
Those who are curious about the docuseries and the content Kirk Cameron is referencing can stream all episodes of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV -- which originally aired as part of the 2024 TV schedule -- using a Max subscription.
