Dan Schneider responds to Nickelodeon documentary: “I wish I could go back”
After being one of the hallmarks of Nickelodeon sitcoms in the 2000s, Dan Schneider has responded to accusations about his behaviour towards his actors. This comes after the docuseries Quiet on Set was released, exploring the horrors many actors felt on set with Schneider.
In light of the documentary, Schneider has expressed regret over how he treated various members of the cast, telling former Nickelodeon actor BooG!E, “Watching over the past two nights was very difficult. Me facing my past behaviours, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology”.
Prior to working on Nickelodeon, Schneider already had a history in the sitcom world, having starred as the character Dennis Blunden on the coming-of-age sitcom Head of the Class. From there, the producer began work in children’s entertainment, directing numerous projects for Nickelodeon, such as The Amanda Show, Drake and Josh, and iCarly.
When discussing his past with BooG!E, who was known for playing T-Bo on iCarly, Schneider said that he wished he could do over those years working on the shows, explaining, “I wish I could go back, especially to those earlier years of my career, and bring the growth and the experience that I have now and just do a better job and never, ever feel like it was okay to be an asshole to anyone”.
Schneider also said it was a revelation seeing the amount of pain he caused many of the children working on the show, adding, “When I watched the show, I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes, and it made me feel awful and regretful and sorry”.
Of course, this is far from the first time that Schneider has come under fire by former Nickelodeon stars. When going public with her memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, star of iCarly Jennette McCurdy went into detail about how uncomfortable she felt when working on the series and the follow-up Sam and Cat.
Referring to Schneider as ‘The Creator’ in the book, McCurdy went in-depth about the uncomfortable parts of her job, including feeling like she was sexualised from an early age. She also explained how controlling Schneider could be, demanding too much from his actors whenever they were delivering a scene.
Schneider has received support from former cast members, with Drake and Josh star Josh Peck comparing him to a ‘tough boss’ mentality. Since being accused of inappropriate behaviour, Schneider has not worked on any other Nickelodeon franchises since 2018’s The Adventures of Kid Danger.
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