Entertainment, Movies - Navy Times

Actor breaks ground in ‘The Wackness’

Josh Peck has, up to this point, been known mostly as half of “Drake & Josh,” a Nickelodeon show popular with the tween crowd. That’s about to change.

Peck, 21, stars, along with Ben Kingsley, in “The Wackness,” which opened July 18. In the film, he sells marijuana, smokes it, curses like a (hip) sailor and has movie sex with Olivia Thirlby.

Whoa. Will the little kids understand? Ideally, they won’t see it.

Earlier this week, Peck talked about that, as well as acting with Kingsley and working out for a nude scene.

Q. In taking the role, were you worried about your Nickelodeon fans? They’ve never seen you doing these kinds of things, presumably.

A. I don’t know if it was ever such a conscious decision. More so, it was scary because it was the first time that I was sort of the lead in a film, and you’re going to be, like, playing basketball against Michael Jordan — Sir Ben Kingsley, there’s so many trepidations with that, as well. I think I was more wrapped up in something like that. But ... I do have this core audience of kids, and they love the show and whatnot. They’ve sort of made me who I am. I’m kind of in their debt and Nickelodeon’s debt. But I hope that the kids who were 12 when I was 15, when I was starting the show, and now they’re 18 will watch the movie, because it’s right in their wheelhouse. If they’re too young, I hope they watch it on DVD in a couple of years. But I hope they can take a leap of confidence in me.

Q. You mentioned Kingsley. Was working with him intimidating?

A. I mean, there are surreal moments when you’re smoking a bong or passing a blunt to Method Man, and you’re like, “I never thought I’d see a knight or any sort of phenomenal actor of his stature smoking fake pot with one of the members of the Wu-Tang clan.” But it can be completely surreal and mind-blowing at one moment and then you jump into a scene and you just give yourself over to the artistry of the moment. ... Truly, the craft and the task at hand takes over. Someone of Sir Ben’s stature can make you so much better than you ever thought you could be. And your only job as an actor against someone like that is to remove your ego and just be as available as you can.

Q. You do so many things in the film, go to so many places. Was one thing any more difficult than the rest?

A. Showing my bare ass on camera was a bit petrifying.

Q. Did you work out beforehand?

A. I worked out for like months beforehand. Luckily, I had just started getting into a workout routine. But it definitely got beefed up to a Schwarzenegger-level when I found out I got the part, and I found out I was going to have to be naked. ... I had to have faith that it was going to be really tasteful. ... Our cinematographer just shot it so beautifully. But I was definitely petrified. I mean, we all have body complexes and body issues, especially if you kind of grew up not the norm and have just slowly grown up into your body in the last few years.

Q. The movie is set in 1994. How old were you?

A. Eight.

Q. Were you listening to the Notorious B.I.G., like your character?

A. I was a Spice Girls fan and a Joey Lawrence fan. I was rockin’ LA Gear shoes with lights in them and flannels and stupid jeans with holes that were too big in them, oh man, watching “Power Rangers” and whatnot. But the great thing is that as an actor, you can investigate parts of your brain that might have otherwise have gone dormant. I tried to infuse a lot of what are adults talking about then.

Q. Not to denigrate the show, but after something like this, how do you go back to “Drake & Josh”?

A. Oh man, well, you’ve got to tone down the curse words and smoke less pot. You have to appreciate it for the arena that that’s in, which is, it’s a beautiful privilege ... to make kids laugh. I don’t think there’s any greater gift in the world. I enjoy being able to be a part of kids’ childhoods in a way. And it’s also a responsibility to make sure that it’s positive, if only because they’re able to laugh and enjoy the levity of life. ... It’s just something that’s totally different and rewarding in its own way.