Analyzing Leonardo DiCaprio's Inclusion in the Nickelodeon Show Exposé on 'Quiet on Set'
Explore the significance of Leonardo DiCaprio's reference in the Investigation Discovery docuseries shedding light on the reported toxic atmosphere within Nickelodeon productions.
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Leonardo DiCaprio. Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Investigation Discovery’s Nickelodeon docuseries features a surprising mention of Leonardo DiCaprio. During the third episode of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, airing on Monday, March 18, Drake Bell opens up about accusing dialogue coach Brian Peck of sexual assault. The 37-year-old actor, along with his father Joe Bell, share their experiences with Peck, who is now 63, and discuss the trial that followed.
Joe, who first started working with Drake at Nickelodeon, remembered the first time he met Peck.
"I heard that Brian was a great coach and could help Drake land some jobs," Joe shared with the cameras. "People were saying, 'He's worked with Leonardo DiCaprio. He's worked with all these big names.'"
Drake mentioned in a private conversation that he first met Peck when he transitioned to the Nick on Sunset set from Paramount Studios. He described Peck as someone who easily connected with everyone and was well-liked by all. Despite Peck's long experience in the industry, he simply appeared to be a friendly coworker at that time.
Drake's father quickly became suspicious of Peck's motives, noting that it didn't take long for him to have doubts.
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In the beginning, everything appeared to be fine. However, I always made sure to keep a close eye on them," he said. "I was very observant. While other parents remained quiet, I would always find a spot where I could watch over Drake without being intrusive."
Joe felt uneasy about the way Peck was interacting with Drake.
Drake would be in the dressing room when Brian would suddenly appear. He would constantly touch Drake and do things that made me think, 'Wait a second, Drake can do that himself.' What made it worse was that this all happened in front of other people. Then Brian would approach Drake, feeding him lines while putting his arm around his waist or running his hand down his arm. This uncomfortable behavior became a routine occurrence.
The docuseries then showed old footage of Peck and DiCaprio, who is now 49, on the set of Growing Pains. The show aired from 1985 to 1992, with Peck playing various small roles and DiCaprio portraying a homeless teen in the final season.
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Peck said Leo is the latest, hottest teen idol before DiCaprio showed off his muscles on camera. (DiCaprio has not commented on his past interactions with Peck or Peck's legal issues.)
Joe mentioned the video in his confession, recalling, "I saw this clip of Brian Peck on Growing Pains with Leonardo DiCaprio touching him inappropriately. That's the same behavior I witnessed with my son. The exact same behavior."
Despite efforts to report Peck to production, Joe felt excluded. He decided to step back to protect his son's career.
In 2003, Peck faced accusations of child molestation. He served 16 months in prison for a lewd act and oral copulation with a minor. Court documents revealed that Peck received supportive letters from some of his former Growing Pains co-stars, including Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns. Kerns, now 71, expressed to ID that she would not have written the letter if she had known the inaccurate information provided to her.
The child's identity in the case against Peck was kept confidential initially. However, Drake has now decided to reveal himself as the individual who reported Peck to the authorities. He shared his story for the first time in the docuseries.
Drake described the abuse as extensive and extremely brutal. He found it difficult to provide further details on camera. He explained, "If you imagine the worst possible actions someone can take against another person as a form of sexual assault, that would give you an idea. It was not an isolated incident."
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV airs on ID Sunday, March 17, and Monday, March 18, at 9 p.m. ET.
We has reached out to Peck and DiCaprio for comment.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
