Actor Josh Peck asked Sir Ben Kingsley for career advice on the last day of the shoot for “The Wackness,“ the coming of age saga now out on DVD.
“I may never have this opportunity again,“ Peck recalls saying. “He was more concerned with who I was as a human being … and less about my artistry or my craft.”
“He gave me great advice on how to conduct myself,” he says. “He understood it’s so imperative to surround yourself with people who are truly supporting. It’s easy to gravitate toward people who aren’t.”
Sound counseling for Peck, a child star turned promising young actor. It‘s a transition which has caught more than a few of his predecessors by surprise, to put it mildly.
Peck rose to prominence as the co-star of Nickelodeon’s kid-friendly sitcom “Drake & Josh.” But “The Wackness” gives him a totally different role, that of a pot-dealing teen struggling through his first romance with the daughter of his psychiatrist (Sir Ben).
It’s the kind of project the 22-year-old is drawn to these days, but he has no regrets about his G-rated past.
“There’s no greater gift than making kids laugh,” he says.
The native New Yorker couldn’t believe his good fortune that his first major screen role came with a film steeped in Big Apple culture.
“New York is something inherently in your blood, part of your genetic makeup,” he says. “I’ve lived all over the city. Each part has its own vibrant scene, its own aroma and allure.”
The movie also gave him the chance to break free from his existing screen persona and leave the overt comedy behind – for the moment.
“It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing what you’re known for, what you’re good at,” he says. “I grew up this heavyset kid. I wanted to make people laugh before they made fun of me.”
(Photo: Josh Peck plays a mixed up teen who swaps pot for psychiatric help in “The Wackness.”)
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