Josh Peck: From Child Star to Sobriety at 21 & Finding Peace in Fatherhood

What happens when a child star who grew up in front of the world opens up about the real growth that happened when no one was watching? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Josh Peck, the actor, father, YouTuber, entrepreneur, and author whose journey from Drake and Josh to sobriety at 21 and finding peace in fatherhood is packed with raw honesty, brutal wisdom, and the kind of vulnerability that only comes from surviving Hollywood and coming out the other side as a better man. AJ and Josh dive deep into the reality of being a lifer in this business, the salmon run of surviving 30 years in Hollywood, and why the only true touchstone of who someone is comes from time in the game. Josh reflects on the chaos of show business, the constant struggle of never being comfortable, and why he loves the unpredictability of a career that never makes sense. He talks about the importance of saying no to protect family, the power of no involved with every yes, and why turning down a 12 hour day for a four hour gig was one of the most important decisions he's ever made as a father. Josh also opens up about his addiction, getting sober at 21, and the principle that changed his life: esteemable acts build self esteem. He shares the wisdom he learned in recovery about being self centered whether you think you're the greatest or the worst, the importance of doing things for other people, and why he spent his entire 20s trying to be a good man. Josh talks about the difference between being defined by your work and being defined by your character, the virtue of storytelling as a way to distract people from their hard lives, and why he's still sitting in acting class at 38 getting notes on his forward energy. Josh also reflects on his time on Turner and Hooch, shooting for eight months in Vancouver at the height of COVID, and the responsibility of being the lead who sets the tone for the entire set. He talks about showing up prepared, showing up relaxed, making the mistakes his and the wins everyone else's, and why if the lead knows their lines, everyone else will too. Josh shares the story of getting cast in Oppenheimer, sending in a two page monologue audition in November, getting the text that Nolan liked his tape, and surviving three months of callbacks before finally getting the role. He opens up about spending two months in New Mexico for 90 seconds of screen time, working with Killian Murphy who was the sweetest guy on set, and watching Christopher Nolan care about everything from the number 30 on the call sheet to shooting on 70 millimeter IMAX film. Josh also opens up about life after being the peak, the danger of thinking you've arrived, and why he auditioned the same way at 18 after Drake and Josh as he did at 38 after Oppenheimer won the Academy Award. He talks about the importance of being a worker amongst workers, going to acting class, and staying humble even after 25 years in the game. Josh reflects on the hardest thing emotionally he had to deal with growing up in the spotlight, the need to be honored as a human being instead of just for his achievements, and why he tells his son Max that the thing that makes him the happiest is when a teacher says he's kind, sweet, and listens. Follow Josh Peck Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shuapeck/?hl=en Facebook https://www.facebook.com/joshpeckofficial/ Josh Peck (@joshpeck) | TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@joshpeck?lang=en Follow AJ Buckley IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckley/ Fb: https://www.facebook.com/AJBuckleyOfficialPage TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Follow AJ Buckley Show IG: https://www.instagram.com/ajbuckleyshow/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ajbuckleyshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajbuckleyofficial Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aj-buckley-show/id1885802753 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Em0btYFt8QNKJPX2tFJhq https://www.ajbuckley.com Sponsors: http://www.ghostbed.com/buckley Code word Buckley for 10% off http://aj.purerx.co write "Time to shine" In notes http://www.bornofdiscipline.com http://www.coretrex.com