Even though many Disney Channel fans are dedicated viewers of classic Disney Channel shows like The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, That’s So Raven, or The Wizards of Waverly Place, there is also a lot of crossover between Disney fans and Nickelodeon fans.
One popular kids’ show from Nickelodeon was Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, and the star of that show has just revealed some behind-the-scenes information about life as a child actor on the Disney Channel’s competitor!
Why Is Nickelodeon Fame Easier On Kids Than Disney Fame?
While being interview on the Iced Coffee Hour podcast, the actor who played Ned Bixby confirmed that Nickelodeon child actors are oftentimes “a lot better off afterwards than Disney Channel actors” (such as this Disney star, who referred to childhood fame as a “trauma”).
“It’s ’cause we’re less famous,” Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide star Devon Werkheiser explained in the TikTok clip shown below from the podcast interview.
@theicedcoffeehour Why Nickelodeon Actors are Less Famous Than Disney Actors #disneychannel #nedsdeclassified #nickelodeon
Werkheiser (who became famous after portraying the main character Ned Bixby on the successful Nickelodeon show) did acknowledge that there have been some upsetting stories coming from other Nickelodeon child actors about their struggles (i.e. Drake Bell from Drake & Josh), which said that “it breaks [his] heart to hear” them, but he also declared that Disney stars are still worse off for two big reasons.
The Disney “Machine”
One: “Disney has a better machine,” Werkheiser explained. A star from one of Disney’s classic ABC shows made an eerily similar statement recently, too.
“I had an overall good experience,” Devon Werkheiser reminisced. “But so did a bunch of the Disney kids. It really depends on who’s running your show.”
The Man Behind Ned’s Success
Which brings us to Werkheiser’s second point: Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide was run by Scott Fellows, who “is an incredible human”, “a great family man”, and “hilarious.”
Scott Fellows apparently produced the show alongside his wife, and the couple’s children would be on set alongside the actors.
“It was a blast,” Devon Werkheiser enthused. You can watch the entire podcast interview in the Youtube video shown below!
Do you find it interesting to hear from Disney and Nickelodeon child actors years after their shows have ended, or do you prefer to keep your enjoyment of their shows simple and unhindered by behind-the-scenes information?
