Dan Schneider recently spoke to BooG!E and responded to the serious accusations made against him in the documentary ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.’
‘Quiet On Set’ claims child actors and the crew had pretty bad experiences on the Nickelodeon series Schneider was involved with. In the interview, the director said he watched the documentary, and his past behavior made him feel very sorry:
“Watching over the past two nights was very difficult. Me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”
He Shed Tears While Talking About Drake Bell
Bell was a star on some of Schneider’s shows, and he revealed he was sexually assaulted by his dialogue coach, Brian Peck. Schneider said he didn’t hire Peck and felt terrible about what happened to the actor:
“When Drake and I talked, and he told me about what happened, I was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career thus far. And I told him, ‘I’m here for you.”
He also said he helped Bell’s mom write a speech for the court when Peck was on trial. He teared up while recounting this incident.
Schneider Regrets His Past Deeds
‘Quiet On Set’ claims there was a toxic work environment around the director, and he had inappropriate behavior toward child actors. However, Schneider said he never meant to hurt anyone:
“When I watched the show, I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes, and it made me feel awful, regretful, and sorry. I wish I could go back, especially to those earlier years of my career, and bring the growth and experience that I have now and just do a better job and never, ever feel like it was okay to be an *sshole to anyone, ever.”
Schneider admitted some jokes in his shows were not okay and should be removed from reruns. He also said he regrets not making the workplace better for the child actors:
“There are definitely things that I would do differently. The main thing that I would change is how I treat people and everyone. I definitely, at times, didn’t give people the best of me. I didn’t show enough patience. I could be cocky and definitely over-ambitious, and sometimes just straight up rude and obnoxious, and I’m sorry that I ever was.”
The director then added he was sorry for asking people for massages on set. It seems he now believes that was wrong:
“It was wrong that I ever put anyone in that position. It was wrong to do. I’d never do it today. I’m embarrassed that I did it then. I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation.”
You can watch the full interview below.
