In a new documentary called “Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” actor Bryan Hearne joins an array of former child actors, such as Giovonnie Samuels and Drake Bell, who shocked the industry with their stories of racism, trauma, exploitation, and humiliation. Producer Dan Schneider has responded but many say his apology comes a little too late.
Hearne opened up about painful memories as a child actor on the set of “All That.” The comedy sketch series was positioned as a Saturday Night Live for a tween audience, yet, behind the scenes — and in front of the camera — Hearne was subjected to racial slurs, tokenism, and demeaning situations during his stint as part of the cast.
Hearne, now 35 years old, was a young teen when he joined the “All That” cast for seasons 7 and 8, appearing in 16 episodes from 2000 to 2002. His final episode aired on February 22, 2003. While jokes were played to howls of laughter, Hearne was mortified by some of the skits and has been haunted by his work there ever since.
These scary revelations come to light as the new docuseries “Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” premiered on Investigation Discovery on March 17 and March 18. In it, Hearne and other former child actors recount their harrowing experiences on several of Nickelodeon’s hit TV shows of the late ’90s and early 2000s. Many of these shows were created or executive produced by Dan Schneider, who got his start in 1993 as a producer and writer for “All That” and went on to produce “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh,” “iCarly,” and “Zoey 101.” Schneider left the network in 2018 after an internal investigation into his alleged verbal abuse and demanding behavior.
In “Quiet on the Set,” Hearne exposed the racist atmosphere he endured as one of the few Black child actors employed by Nickelodeon at the time. When filming “All That,” Hearne recalled one interaction with an adult during which he was referred to as a “piece of charcoal” during a discussion about a costume. “Remarks like that are harmful. They stay with you,” Hearne told People magazine in a recent interview.
He was also cast in racially stereotyped roles, like the time he played a teen “drug dealer” in one sketch. In another skit, Hearne had to play a rapper named “Lil Fetus” who rapped “yo yo yo yo embryo” while wearing a nude-colored leotard.
“I was already in an uncomfortable position being in a leotard. That’s not something that I’m used to at all,” he told People, adding that he felt he was treated differently than non-Black actors and had a “non-existent” relationship with Schneider.
