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Drake Bell Slams SAG-AFTRA Over Health Insurance
Confirmed
In Short: Drake Bell, star of Nickelodeon's 'Drake & Josh,' denounced SAG-AFTRA on Instagram after failing to meet the union's health insurance eligibility requirements.
Drake Bell, the actor known for his role in Nickelodeon's 'Drake & Josh,' took to Instagram to criticize SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, after he failed to meet the union's health insurance eligibility requirements.
Bell posted on Instagram Stories, 'Do not become an actor. Do not join SAG.' He added, 'Really though Sean Astin you’re doing a bang up job,' sarcastically tagging the union and its president, actor Sean Astin.
According to Bell's Instagram post, his reported earnings of $17,480.53 did not meet the minimum eligibility requirements of $28,933. He needs an additional $11,452.47 to qualify for the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
Bell's comments come amid a broader trend of actors facing difficulties in obtaining health insurance through the union. Last month, 'Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma' star Jack Haven and 'Wednesday' star Heather Matarazzo shared their precarious health care situations on social media.
In a statement, Bell wrote, 'You can work steadily for 35 years, and they still say [middle finger emoji].' He emphasized, 'Do not become an actor.'
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to SAG-AFTRA for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Bell's situation highlights the financial challenges many actors face, especially as fewer projects on the screen mean fewer jobs for working actors.
In recent years, Bell has turned his focus to music, but his current predicament underscores the ongoing struggle for many actors to secure health insurance.
Other actors, including 'Atypical' star Jack Haven and 'Princess Diaries' star Heather Matarazzo, have also spoken out about their struggles to qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance.
Haven and Matarazzo both revealed last month that they wouldn't qualify for health insurance if they didn't secure more work soon.
Bell's comments reflect a growing frustration among actors who feel the union's policies are not adequately supporting their health and well-being.
The situation underscores the need for more flexible and supportive health insurance policies for actors, especially those in the early stages of their careers or facing periods of reduced work.
What this adds
The union's policies have faced criticism from multiple actors, highlighting the need for more flexible health insurance options.
Bell's comments reflect a broader trend of actors speaking out about their struggles with health insurance eligibility.
What's confirmed
- “Do not become an actor. Do not join SAG,” Bell wrote on Instagram Stories.
- The screenshot shows that Drake earned $17,480.53 and that he needs $11,452.47 more to qualify by reaching the $28,933 required for the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
What's still developing
- Drake Bell, star of the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh, denounced SAG on Instagram after learning he had been booted from the plan for failing to meet income minimums.
- The 40-year-old former Nickelodeon star took to his Instagram Story on Tuesday (October 13) to slam the organization after he lost his health insurance.
- “For personal reasons, and with great sadness, I have to postpone the final concerts of this tour,” he wrote in a statement at the time.
- In 2024, he came forward on the docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” and revealed that he’d been sexually abused as a teen by dialogue coach Brian Peck.
- “I am literally in the same boat right now. Lots of my fellow actors are,” she wrote.
- He then tagged SAG-AFTRA and its president, “Lord of the Rings” and “The Goonies” actor Sean Astin, in his scathing message.
- “I’m in a bit of an emergency situation,” Haven said in a YouTube video at the time.