April 29th 2024.
During the early 2000s, Josh Peck gained widespread recognition for his role in the popular TV show Drake & Josh. As a former child star, Josh recently shared that his fans were not too happy when he embarked on a weight loss journey. Losing 100 pounds over the course of two years as a teenager, Josh revealed that his fans were "angry" because they felt like he had changed too much.
"I had taken away a person that they had fallen in love with and they weren't sure whether they loved this new guy," the now 37-year-old actor explained on his Good Guys podcast. "But my cardiologist loved him," he joked. Josh was discussing his early career with fellow child star Hilary Duff, who also experienced a similar struggle when her fans couldn't let go of her character from the TV series Lizzie McGuire.
Hilary shared that she also faced challenges when she wanted to break away from her character and be seen as her own person. "For so long, people were just like, 'Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie,' and still do now to this day - which doesn't bother me anymore - but it did for a while," the now 36-year-old actress recalled. Josh added that he also faced a similar experience when he was 17 and started losing weight.
"I just desperately needed to be my own person," Josh said. "I remember being on tour and having mothers come up to me and be like, 'Never change whatever you do. Just never, never, never change.' And I would go into my dressing room after meet and greet and just be like, 'What?' It was confusing to navigate. It's been tricky."
In his 2022 memoir, Happy People Are Annoying, Josh opened up about his public struggle with weight and a secret drug addiction. "I was always looking for something outside to fix my insides," he said. Hilary also shared that her fans were desperate for her to remain as Lizzie, but she longed to be her own person.
"Eventually, I saw that whether my life was beyond my wildest dreams or a total mess, it didn't change the temperature of what was going on in my mind," Hilary said. Josh continued, "It took me a really long time to love the 15-year-old version of me. But now I understand how strong he was. And I feel like everything in my life set me up to find this chapter of health, peace, and contentment."
After Drake & Josh, Josh went on to star in various films and shows such as Mean Creek, Battle of the Year, Turner & Hooch (based on the 1989 film), the Ice Age franchise, and most recently, iCarly, Junction, How I Met Your Father, and the blockbuster Oppenheimer. He is now set to host the new food competition series Best Bite Wins for US platform Roku.
Despite his struggles, Josh has come a long way and is grateful for his journey. "Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video, or pictures, get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us, calling 020 3615 2145, or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you," he shared on his Instagram page, inviting his fans to share their own stories.
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