Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
Previously, in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, All That alum Giovonnie Samuels had spoken about her Nickelodeon experience. Samuels is one of the many former child actors who talked about former producer Dan Schneider’s toxic show sets. Following the docuseries’ premiere, Schneider released an apology video. However, many of his accusers, including Zoey 101’s Alexa Nikolas, claimed it wasn’t enough, reported Entertainment Weekly.
Per ABC News, Samuels described working on sketches for Schneider’s show as “torture moments for all of us.” She and her former co-star Bryan Hearne, the only Black actors on set, claimed they were often “overlooked.” People Magazine further stated that Samuels did not have a hairstylist. Moreover, she claimed they made her drink a lot of fake coffee and sugar during sketches. She claimed they trained her not to choke during those sketches and compared it to “waterboarding.”
In Quiet on Set’s episode 5, “Breaking the Silence,” which aired as a bonus episode, Giovonnie Samuels made more shocking revelations about Dan Schneider and the alleged abuse. Episode 5 premiered on Investigation Discovery on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Other actors alongside Samuels, who reappeared in the latest installment were Drake Bell, Bryan Hearne, another All That alum, Shane Lyons, and other guests.
What did Giovonnie Samuels say in Quiet on Set’s episode 5?
According to People Magazine, Quiet on Set’s episode 5 All That Alum Giovonnie Samuels and her former co-star Bryan Hearne reacted to Dan Schneider’s apology video. Schneider said in his video, “Diversity has always been very important to my shows.” He claimed this wasn’t as evident in the first show as it was “in the second one, and in the very first movie I made after that. I’m very proud of that.” The former producer said this in response to allegations that the Black child actors faced racism on his show sets.
However, Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Hearne were unhappy about Schneider’s comments. The former said, “It was very evident from the first day that it was just the two of us.” The actress added that she and Hearne were the only two on the show who experienced this, further claiming, “That’s usually the first thing you do in a Black space or as a Black person or a person of color, you count who’s in the room in front and behind the camera. And there were two.”
In Quiet on Set episode 5, Samuels recalled that they always went along with their jokes because the writer or showrunner himself was “laughing the hardest.” She added, “Because one, you don’t know any better, and two, this is your job, this is your boss.”
Giovonnie Samuels also revealed that a week before Quiet on Set aired, Dan Schneider called for “a quote of support.” According to Business Insider India, Samuels said, “I got a phone call. He [Schneider] asked if I could give a quote of support. He was like, ‘I love Gio, she’s great, she’s nice. Great, she could tell my side.'”
Samuels alleged Schneider made the request “because I came back to do Henry Danger.” Samuels reportedly returned to work with Schneider in Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger several years after All That. “He’s like, ‘You had a good time on set, right? Right?'” she said.
In response, the actress told the former Nickelodeon producer she “was terrified of him.” She told him, “‘You have the power to make people stars. And I was intimidated by you. I wanted to do a good job.'” Giovonnie Samuels claimed she declined Dan Schenider’s request, which he made despite knowing that she was part of the docuseries.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV premiered on March 17 and March 18. Episode 5, “Breaking the Silence,” aired on April 7 as a bonus installment. All five episodes are now streaming on Max.
