Directors Respond to 'Boy Meets World' Cast Discussing Relationship with Brian Peck

Quiet on Set Directors React to Boy Meets World Cast Addressing Their History With Brian Peck

Brian Peck Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

Quiet on Set directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz responded to comments made by Rider Strong and Will Friedle regarding convicted sexual abuser Brian Peck. The directors attempted to contact the actors for their docuseries.

“We reached out to everyone who wrote a letter of support for Brian Peck that we mentioned in the film, including Will and Rider. Unfortunately, we did not receive a response from them,” Schwartz shared exclusively with We. “It was surprising to hear that they released a podcast after our trailer was announced.”

Investigation Discovery unveiled a trailer in February for Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, focusing on discussions about a toxic work environment at Nickelodeon.

In a subsequent video, former cast and crew members of the network talked about dialogue coach Peck, who was arrested in August 2003 for allegedly sexually abusing a child. Peck, 63, admitted to committing a lewd act with a victim aged around 14 or 15, as well as to engaging in oral copulation with a child under 16. As a result, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Quiet on Set later revealed that Drake Bell was the young actor mentioned in the lawsuit. Prior to the docuseries airing on ID, Strong, 44, and Friedle, 47, talked about their previous friendship with Peck on their podcast called "Pod Meets World."

Quiet on Set Directors React to Boy Meets World Cast Addressing Their History With Brian Peck

Will Friedle and Rider Strong, who both collaborated with Peck on Boy Meets World, shared that they had written letters to support Peck and had attended his sentencing. They mentioned that they had no knowledge of the charges against Peck at the time they showed their support. However, Strong and Friedle have now distanced themselves from Peck and have not been in contact with him since.

Schwartz shared, "I learned a lot about what they had gone through and how they had seen Brian. It was interesting to see that they were using some of the same language that Drake would use to describe him. Will had also been in the courtroom and he used some of the very same language to describe how many people were there, just like Drake did."

Robertson mentioned that they still had "a lot of questions" about the letters of support. Some of the stars who contributed to the 41 letters of support included James Marsden, Taran Killam, Alan Thicke, and Ron Melendez. Peck provided these letters to the judge, but the docuseries pointed out that it remains unclear how much the people knew about the charges against Peck at that time.

Robertson expressed his admiration for the intriguing questions raised. He pondered about the circumstances in which they were written, whether any external influence was involved, who initiated the request for the letters, and the reasoning behind it. He eagerly anticipated gaining more insights in the upcoming weeks and months.

During the interview with Us, Schwartz explained the steps involved in unsealing the documents.

"We started hearing from people who had worked at Nickelodeon during that time that they were asked to write letters of support. Since I had experience as a court reporter, I knew that these letters were typically public documents," Schwartz shared. "However, when we checked with the court, we found out that they were not public. So we consulted our lawyers and asked, 'What can we do?' They advised us to petition the court to unseal the letters."

Schwartz went on to say, "That's exactly what we did. The court granted our request to release the letters. We had no idea what we would uncover or who would be mentioned in those letters. This is what you see in the documentary."

Robertson addressed concerns about the public response to the letters, stating that they have been made public and are accessible.

Schwartz talked about a scene in the docuseries where Bell, 37, remembered noticing Peck's supporters filling one side of the courtroom during sentencing.

"He was taken aback by the unexpected crowd. It was a moment that I believe deeply re-traumatized him, as he realized not everyone supported him," she shared with Us. "I think that's something that really stays with a person."

Bell shared about the intense day in the fourth episode of the docuseries.

Bell described the scene at the courthouse on Brian's sentencing day. His side of the courtroom was packed with familiar faces, while Bell, his mom, and his brother sat on the other side.

He then addressed everyone present, expressing his disbelief and anger. Bell made it clear that those defending Brian would always be associated with the crimes committed against him. He vowed to never forget the violation he experienced and the actions of the person they were defending.

Drake Bell Alleges He Was Sexually Abused as a Child by Nickelodeon Dialogue Coach Brian Peck 409

Investigation Discovery/YouTube

Several celebrities have since retracted their statements of support for Peck. According to Schwartz and Robertson, it took a lot of effort to gather the information that shaped the docuseries into a project that gave a voice to those who were previously silenced.

Schwartz mentioned to Us that there comes a point, as seen in other stories and projects, where people who were once afraid or too young to speak up, feel empowered to share their experiences. They compiled a large spreadsheet with hundreds of names, reaching out to crew members, on-camera talent, and industry professionals to learn about their experiences. Through these conversations, they discovered that many individuals had been holding onto their stories, and those who came forward wanted to shed light on their experiences in hopes of bringing some positivity out of the darkness they had faced.

Reaching out to Bell, in particular, was a time-consuming process for Schwartz.

Initially, they were quite confident that Drake was the victim in Brian Peck's case. However, broaching such a sensitive topic required caution. Schwartz highlighted the delicate nature of asking a survivor of child sexual abuse if they were willing to discuss their experience, as even reaching out could potentially trigger them. To initiate contact, a carefully crafted letter was sent, sparking an ongoing dialogue. After several months of back and forth, Bell eventually agreed to participate in an interview. For him, it was a significant journey towards accepting the idea of sharing his story, understanding the implications, and beginning the healing process from the trauma he had endured for two decades.

The main focus of Quiet on Set was to prioritize those who were impacted by the project.

The directing team aimed to highlight the accounts, stories, and experiences of individuals who had previously been overlooked. This approach influenced all of their decisions as both creators and journalists. They made a conscious effort to feature interviews from spaces that were often overlooked or behind the scenes. The goal was to give a platform to those who had not been heard before.

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV will be shown on ID on Sunday, March 17, and Monday, March 18, at 9 p.m. ET.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, please reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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