Overview

• Bell revealed on The Unplanned Podcast that he and most Nickelodeon performers receive only an upfront payment with no residuals for reruns or streaming.
• He accused network executives of exploiting young talent, contrasting their profits with adult sitcom casts like Friends and Seinfeld that earn millions annually in syndication.
• Bell linked the absence of residuals to his 2014 bankruptcy, highlighting that marathons on three TV channels and Netflix’s top-10 streaming status generate him no income.
• He noted that California’s Coogan Law protects savings but does not guarantee ongoing syndication checks, and that his contract specifies payments “in perpetuity” without royalties.
• Nickelodeon has reaffirmed its commitment to safer sets but has not proposed changes to residual policies, fueling calls for industry-wide reforms to fairly compensate child actors.