In a new documentary called “Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” actor Bryan Hearne joins an array of former child actors, such as Giovonnie Samuels and Drake Bell, who shocked the industry with their stories of racism, trauma, exploitation, and humiliation. Producer Dan Schneider has responded but many say his apology comes a little too late.
Hearne opened up about painful memories as a child actor on the set of “All That.” The comedy sketch series was positioned as a Saturday Night Live for a tween audience, yet, behind the scenes — and in front of the camera — Hearne was subjected to racial slurs, tokenism, and demeaning situations during his stint as part of the cast.
Hearne, now 35 years old, was a young teen when he joined the “All That” cast for seasons 7 and 8, appearing in 16 episodes from 2000 to 2002. His final episode aired on February 22, 2003. While jokes were played to howls of laughter, Hearne was mortified by some of the skits and has been haunted by his work there ever since.
These scary revelations come to light as the new docuseries “Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” premiered on Investigation Discovery on March 17 and March 18. In it, Hearne and other former child actors recount their harrowing experiences on several of Nickelodeon’s hit TV shows of the late ’90s and early 2000s. Many of these shows were created or executive produced by Dan Schneider, who got his start in 1993 as a producer and writer for “All That” and went on to produce “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh,” “iCarly,” and “Zoey 101.” Schneider left the network in 2018 after an internal investigation into his alleged verbal abuse and demanding behavior.
In “Quiet on the Set,” Hearne exposed the racist atmosphere he endured as one of the few Black child actors employed by Nickelodeon at the time. When filming “All That,” Hearne recalled one interaction with an adult during which he was referred to as a “piece of charcoal” during a discussion about a costume. “Remarks like that are harmful. They stay with you,” Hearne told People magazine in a recent interview.
He was also cast in racially stereotyped roles, like the time he played a teen “drug dealer” in one sketch. In another skit, Hearne had to play a rapper named “Lil Fetus” who rapped “yo yo yo yo embryo” while wearing a nude-colored leotard.
“I was already in an uncomfortable position being in a leotard. That’s not something that I’m used to at all,” he told People, adding that he felt he was treated differently than non-Black actors and had a “non-existent” relationship with Schneider.
But the worst of it happened in a recurring segment called “On Air Dare,” which was modeled after the competition show “Fear Factor.” In the ID docuseries, Hearne recounted the dangerous and downright disgusting challenges he was expected to partake in as a 13-year-old. In one stunt, he was covered in peanut butter from head to toe that was then licked off his body by a dog. Looking back on the experience as a 35-year-old adult, he described the scenario as “an awkward fantasy from a freaky dude.”
More than anything, Hearne wished he could have stopped it: “The thing that was most uncomfortable was having to watch your fellow cast mates be essentially tortured,” he said in the documentary. “If there’s anything on set that I wish I could have yelled ‘stop’ … it’s the ‘On Air Dares.’”
When speaking to People, he elaborated further, “We felt like we couldn’t say no. It was a really uncomfortable situation, and after a while, it felt like we were just part of this torture chamber.”
Other child actors allegedly contended with sexually predatory behavior on several of Schneider’s hit Nickelodeon shows, which counted multiple convicted pedophiles among the crew, according to The Los Angeles Times. The Times reported that one “All That” crew member described himself as a “pedophile, full-blown” and was ultimately sentenced to six years in prison on two felony counts, including one count of lewd acts on a child, with the help of an unidentified “Amanda Show” child actor.
On March 19, Schneider responded to the allegations made by the former child stars who worked with him. In a 20-minute sitdown with BooG!e, who played T-Bo on Nickelodeon’s iCarly, Schneider said, “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 continued, “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. 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 a—hole to anyone, ever.”
Through the years, many child stars have opened up as adults about the price they paid for fame. But young Black actors are particularly vulnerable to racist abuse and harassment, not to mention unequal pay. While existing child protections were strengthened since Hearne’s time on “All That,” young entertainers are still exempt from federal labor laws and must depend on state laws to protect them (17 states have no specific laws at all). More needs to be done, but bringing the reality to light in docu-series like “Quiet on the Set” is a step in the right direction.
