On the latest episode of his Good Guys podcast, former Drake & Josh star Josh Peck opened up about battling substance abuse during his time as a child actor.
"So I'm 16 years sober, 'cause I'm a classic cliché child actor," he said around the seven-minute mark of the podcast episode, as seen above. "Burned out at 21... I was on everything but skates." Peck, who has been forthcoming about his struggles with substance abuse in the past, was able to have a laugh about the situation with the episode's guest, comedian Ms. Pat.
"Damn, you done broke my heart," she said. "You mean to tell me all this time my kids was watching your 'lil chunky ass, you were high? We loved you! I got my kids watching a white crackhead."
Peck clarified that he wasn't high all of the time, but he was during the production of Seasons three and four of Drake & Josh. He and co-star Drake Bell were both 17 when they started working on the series, which means that Peck was dealing with addiction issues before he turned 20.
Last year, Peck appeared on Cancelled with Tana Mongeau and said that he first turned to alcohol and other substances when he was 17. "At 17, I lost all this weight but I was like the same head but in a different body. I thought, 'I'm at the finish line. I did it. Now I just don't have to worry about anything,'" he shared. "But quickly, I was still plagued with the same thoughts and things that had plagued me my whole life. Dad issues, you name it."
The 37-year-old actor said that, because he was overweight as a teenager, he felt the need to "catch up" when he lost weight. "I think the most insidious or corrosive moment of my life was the first time I tried drugs and I was 17. I'm lying in bed that night and I realized what a great time I'd had that night. I felt charming, handsome, and I was having great conversations and talking to girls," he added. "I remember thinking, 'Why would anyone ever want to feel any other way but this?' And I took that deep breath I'd been seeking my whole life. Suddenly, I felt free."
He committed to being sober by the time he turned 21, but admitted that there were a lot of "close calls."
Watch what Peck had to say about his past experiences with substance abuse above.
