Josh Michael Peck (born November 10, 1986) is an American actor and comedian. He started out as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his role on the The Amanda Show as well as in the films Snow Day and Max Keeble's Big Move. He also starred in the very successful children's sitcom, Drake & Josh, and recently appeared in the films Drillbit Taylor and The Wackness, the latter of which was an escape from typecasting.
Peck was born in the Hell's Kitchen area of New York City, New York, where he attended The Professional Performing arts school( where other stars such as Alicia Keys attended). His parents were unmarried at the time of his birth and Peck never knew his father. He grew up with his mother, Barbara, who is a career coach, and his maternal grandmother. Peck had asthma during his childhood, and often stayed indoors watching old sitcoms. Peck has described himself as a "Jewish kid that grew up in New York City just trying to hustle and make it in life". He performed in children's musical theater at New York's TADA! Youth Theater when he was nine years old. He was inspired to become involved in stand-up comedy when he was eight years old.
Peck subsequently appeared in local children's theater, as well as performed stand-up comedy at the Caroline's Comedy Club for the Audrey Hepburn foundation. In 1999, he was offered
Peck's favorite actors and inspirations are Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Lewis, Bill Cosby, Ben Kingsley, and Morgan Freeman. Peck, like his real-life best friend Drake & Josh co-star Drake Bell, plays an instrument, the piano, and he also likes to play ice hockey and play Runescape in his spare time. He admits to smoking marijuana in an article for High Times after starring in The Wackness. In the third season of Drake & Josh, Peck was significantly thinner than he used to be and by the fourth season of the show, he had lost even more weight. According to a 2006 interview, Peck stated that:
"I made a conscious effort to lose weight because I knew I could be happier as well as being healthier. I started by going on a diet a year and a half ago and I got a personal trainer, but I definitely have a healthier lifestyle now. Also I feel that because I do so much television, I am a better role model. I don’t really understand why I should be a role model but I know that kids do look up to me, so it is my responsibility to motivate people and be inspiring. I hope that I can do that for kids. It doesn't really matter what you look like though, it is who you are that matters,of course."
