Drake Bell warns ‘don’t become an actor’ after being denied SAG-AFTRA health insurance

Drake Bell has spoken out against SAG-AFTRA after revealing he doesn’t qualify for the union’s health insurance, despite acting and performing for more than three decades. 

The actor, best known for starring alongside Josh Peck in Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh, took to Instagram on Tuesday to issue a stark warning to aspiring actors about the realities of working in Hollywood.

“Do not become an actor. Do not join SAG,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “You can work steadily for 35 years and they still say [middle finger emoji].”

Bell then directly called out the union and its president, Sean Astin, sarcastically writing, “Really though @seanastin 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.”

Alongside this message, Bell shared a screenshot of his SAG-AFTRA Health Plan account. It says that he doesn’t qualify for coverage at this time as his reported earnings between July 2025 and June 2026 don’t meet the minimum eligibility requirements.

The screenshot also revealed that Bell had earned $17,480.53 towards the next coverage period, leaving him $11,452.47 short of the $28,933 threshold needed to qualify for next year. 

Bell is far from the only actor to speak out on the issue of late. Just last month, Jack Haven – best known for starring in Atypical and I Saw the TV Glow – shared a public plea for work. 

As they explained, they needed to earn $4,000 before the end of September to qualify for SAG-AFTRA health insurance from January 2027. 

In a YouTube video, Haven said, “So, I guess what I’m asking is if you, or anyone you know, can hire me on a set or production and pay me $4,000, I will do, pretty much, any job.”

“I can sing, I can dance, I can talk softly… loudly. I can do accents, British,” they continued, before adding their email address. “Thank you, it would be very appreciated.”

Thankfully, the appeal reached the right people and Haven later revealed they received numerous job offers. But many expressed online that it shouldn’t have had to come to that. 

The Princess Diaries actress Heather Matarazzo also spoke out on the issue, writing on Threads, “I am literally in the same boat right now. Lots of my fellow actors are. 

“I remember a time when we didn’t have to earn a minimum to qualify for insurance. Glad to see that Jack has gotten an offer that will let them qualify for 2027.”

Film Shrine has reached out to SAG-AFTRA for comment.

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Featured image credit: Gage Skidmore/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock