Drake Bell slams Sean Astin and calls out SAG after being denied health insurance
Drake & Josh star Drake Bell has slammed the Screen Actors Guild after not qualifying for health insurance, as he did not meet the 'minimum eligibility requirements'.
Bell rose to fame in the early 2000s after starring in Nickelodeon's hit sitcom Drake & Josh, becoming a familiar face to a generation of young viewers alongside his co-star Josh Peck.
He made headlines after coming forward in 2024 as part of the docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, in which he opened up about the abuse he allegedly suffered as a teen on the show.
And now, he's publicly taken aim at the SAG, claiming he has been denied access to health insurance.
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"Do not become an actor and do not join SAG," the actor urged on Tuesday (October 13), after slamming the organization who stated he did not qualify for health insurance, having not earned enough this year.
The webpage says that Bell has brought in $17,480.53, and that he still needs $11,452.47 more to qualify by reaching the $28,933 threshold required for the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
He continued on Instagram: "You can work for 35 years and they still say [middle finger emoji]. SAG-AFTRA [president] Sean Astin, you’re doing a bang up job. How about stop using actors to run things maybe?
"They literally just know how to say words in front of a camera."
Though Astin is the fourth national president of the organization, he is also an actor, best known for roles in The Goonies, The Lord of the Rings, and Stranger Things.
The situation has reignited conversations about the challenges actors face when it comes to accessing support from their own union.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) provides eligible members with health insurance and other benefits, but performers must meet certain earnings or work requirements to qualify.
For actors whose careers have become less consistent, meeting those thresholds can prove difficult, raising questions about whether the system adequately supports those working in an unpredictable industry.
Bell isn't the only actor to have spoken out about being unable to qualify for health insurance through the union.
Bombshell's Jack Haven and Princess Diaries star Heather Matarazzo both revealed last month that they did not meet the minimum requirements for health insurance.
"I’m in a bit of an emergency situation," Haven said in a video on his YouTube channel.
"I need to make $4,000 by the end of the month in order to qualify for SAG health insurance starting in January."
Matarazzo, reassuring that the star isn't the only one suffering, added: "I am literally in the same boat right now. Lots of my fellow actors are."
UNILAD has approached the Screen Actors Guild for comment.
Mia Williams