Drake Bell is warning aspiring performers about the financial realities of acting after saying he does not qualify for health insurance.
The 40-year-old "Drake & Josh" star criticized the SAG-AFTRA union in an Oct. 13 Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of a benefits notice showing he was ineligible for coverage.
"Do not become an actor. Do not join SAG," Bell wrote, saying he had worked steadily for 35 years, yet still didn't qualify for coverage.
He also tagged SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin, telling him, "You're doing a bang up job."
"How about stop using actors to run things maybe?" Bell continued. "They literally just know how to say words in front of a camera."
allegations
The screenshot showed a notice stating that Bell's reported covered earnings from July 2025 through June 2026 did not meet the minimum requirements, or that he had not qualified under other eligibility rules.
A separate projection for 2027 coverage listed $17,480.53 in covered earnings and said he needed another $11,452.47 to qualify. That projection concerned earnings from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
According to the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan's eligibility guidelines, the minimum earnings requirement is $28,090 for benefit periods beginning in 2026. For benefit periods starting in 2027, the minimum rises to $28,933.
Covered earnings are wages from qualifying SAG-AFTRA work for which employers must contribute to the plan. The figure in Bell's screenshot therefore does not necessarily represent his total income.
Drake Bell's experiences as a child actor and guilty plead in child endangerment case
Bell appeared on Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show" from 1999 to 2002 before starring alongside Josh Peck in "Drake & Josh," which ran from 2004 to 2007.
In the 2024 documentary series "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," Bell said former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck sexually abused him as a teenager. Peck was convicted in 2004.
Reflecting on the response later that year, Bell described the experience as "an emotional roller coaster" in an E! News interview.
In 2021, Bell pleaded guilty to attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, receiving two years of probation and 200 hours of community service. Bell has denied having physical contact with the minor and said in 2024 that financial difficulties influenced his decision to plead guilty.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drake Bell shares stark warning to new actors – 'Do not become an actor'
