Landing a spot on Netflix's Top 10 might sound like a dream to many, but sometimes success on screen does not always translate to stability. In a surprising revelation, a revered sitcom star is opening up about real-life struggles that stand in stark contrast to the enduring fame, serving as a reminder that behind laughs and applause, even the most familiar faces can face battles that are exclusive to showbiz.

While his show reaches millions worldwide, the actor admits he is barely scraping by, and even rent is out of reach.

The actor making the shocking reveal in a new interview is none other than Drake Bell of Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh fame. The 39-year-old appeared on The Unplanned Podcast recently, where he divulged how people’s presumptions about TV faces being rich in today’s time could not be further from reality. Bell, whose show ran for three years between 2004 and 2007 and remains immensely popular in reruns on three different channels as well as on Netflix—where it found a place on the coveted Top 10 list—shared on the earlier mentioned show how, despite the streaming popularity of his work, he still has to “figure out my rent this month.”

Bell added how many people do not realize “how little control young performers have behind the scenes,” due to which they most of the time cannot get their contract acts negotiated while starting out on the show, especially if they are signing up to work with Nickelodeon. “Most of us on Nickelodeon, we do not get residuals for our shows,” Bell said, elaborating how, unlike many adult stars, his deal with the network involved a one-off payment. This means he does not earn a single penny when his shows air today. Bell pointed to the cast of another iconic sitcom as an example of how things could have been different if he had a fair contract.

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Drake Bell sheds light on how one beloved sitcom cast still cashes in on their decades-old fame thanks to fair contracts.

Drake Bell highlighted how the Friends cast made a million dollars an episode while actively working on the show. Meaning, if they did 13 to 20 episodes that year, their compensation would be between $13 million $20 million. However, even today, each cast member of the beloved sitcoms, per Bell, makes $20 million in “syndication alone.” Bell explained how the Friends cast members are still cashing in on their work every time it charts worldwide, as it is their likeness that brings in the business.

For those unaware, Bell was 17 when Drake & Josh first aired in 2004. When asked by podcast host Matt Howard if Nickelodeon stars did not receive residuals because they were child actors, Bell replied in affirmation, adding that it was also because the network was run by unethical people. Hence, ultimately, while Bell’s face lights up millions of screens, the paycheck behind it is not enough to keep the lights on at home.

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What are your thoughts on Drake Bell claiming he is not able to afford rent despite his show trending worldwide? Let us know in the comments!