The Wackness Proved Josh Peck Was More Than Drake & Josh

When you're an actor who's primarily known for one role, it can be hard to shed that identity and move on to other things. That is especially true if you're a former child star looking to take on more mature roles. To many, you're always the kid from that Disney Channel or Nickelodeon show. Simply put, it's hard to get people to take you seriously. But if there's one actor who proved that it could get done, it's Josh Peck.

A lifelong performer, Peck got his start with Nickelodeon in the year 2000, landing a spot on the popular sketch comedy show The Amanda Show, in which he had some particularly memorable bits with co-star Drake Bell. That resulted in the network giving the two their own sitcom, Drake & Josh, which premiered in 2004. As beloved as the show was (and still is), by the time it came to an end, it was clear that Peck was looking to broaden his horizons -- and he did just that with the 2008 film The Wackness.

Written and directed by Jonathan Levine, The Wackness premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008, taking home the Audience Award for Dramatic Film and getting a wide release around August. Set during the summer of 1994, the film follows Luke Shapiro (Peck), a Jewish teenage drug dealer from Manhattan with an affinity for hip-hop. Luke attends therapy sessions with Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Ben Kingsley), which he pays for with weed.

This premise may make The Wackness seem like just another cheap, run-of-the-mill stoner comedy. In reality, though, it's far from that. The film certainly has comedic elements, but, at the end of the day, it's a genuinely effective meditation on loneliness, depression, heartbreak, regret and, ultimately, perseverance -- all backed by some stellar performances.

Luke is at a crossroads in life. As he leaves high school behind and prepares to go off to college, he can't help but be overwhelmed by the pensive sadness stemming from his perpetual loneliness, as well as his parents' financial and marital troubles. Complicating matters is his infatuation with classmate Stephanie Squires (Olivia Thirlby), Jeffrey's step-daughter. The not-so-good doctor isn't exactly in a great place, either. While dealing with his own failing marriage and hanging out with Luke, Dr. Squires gives in to his worst impulses, desperately trying to recapture his lost youth.

The film is a testament to how talented Peck really is. While he was great (not to mention absolutely hilarious) as Josh Nichols on Drake & Josh, The Wackness highlights his range as an actor. Luke Shapiro could not be more different from Josh Nichols if he tried, yet Peck makes the transition seamlessly, just about disappearing into the role.

Peck clearly drew from his own real-life experiences, himself being a Jewish kid from New York who loved hip-hop and was raised by a single mother who struggled financially. Still, the fact that he was in his early twenties and keeping pace with Ben Kingsley cannot be overstated. Mind you, The Wackness was not Peck's first "grown-up" project. Years before The Wackness hit Sundance, the renowned film festival was home to the critically-acclaimed psychological coming-of-age drama Mean Creek, which also starred Peck. However, that film premiered in January 2004, around the time Drake & Josh premiered its first season on Nickelodeon.

By January 2008, much had changed. Drake & Josh had ended -- technically, at least. The main series wrapped up its original run on Nickelodeon in September 2007, though Peck and Bell later returned for the television film Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh, which premiered in December 2008. Still, from Peck's perspective, The Wackness probably felt like a real make it or break it moment.

During an appearance on Smallville alum Michael Rosenbaum's Inside Of You podcast in March 2022, Peck spoke rather candidly about his upbringing, his massive weight loss (which he partially attributes to his desire to be taken seriously as a performer) and his subsequent struggles with substance abuse. "All I wanted to be was a real actor -- not a kid actor, not the funny fat guy," he said.

"And I get this part in this movie called The Wackness, which was about 1994 hip-hop in New York," he continued. "And I was 20 years old, and I'm acting against Sir Ben Kingsley, my favorite actor. And I was like… nine times out of 10, I'm like, 'Give it to Jonah Hill… he'll do a better job,' or like, 'Are you sure Miles Teller is not available? Because I'm pretty sure he'd crush this.' But this story, this guy was like a New York hip-hop kid -- a Jewish kid from New York who loves hip-hop. I know how to do this."

To be perfectly clear, there's absolutely nothing wrong with being known as a child actor. Moreover, working in TV is a perfectly respectable way to make a living. By and large, Peck has spoken highly of Drake & Josh and his time working at Nickelodeon. He even recently returned to that world, appearing in the second season of Paramount+'s iCarly revival opposite Drake & Josh co-star Miranda Cosgrove.

Still, there's an undeniable stigma that can be hard to shake. "I don't hate it," Peck told Rosenbaum. "It is what it is now. Like, I hated being the kid actor, the child actor, because I knew that that triggered in people's brains -- like, for every Zendaya or Jodie Foster, there were a thousand other kids that just, you know, completely nosedived in front of the public. And so, I'm like, 'I don't wanna be in that class. I just wanna be an actor.'" Drake & Josh is undeniably intrinsic to who Peck is as a performer. However, with projects like The Wackness, the actor has decidedly proven that there's a lot more to him than that one show.