Nickelodeon stars are human just like anyone else. For the most part, they’re just normal folks who happen to be stars of million-dollar television shows and frequently go on to be stars of the screen. So, you know, just average, everyday people. And just like everyday people, some of them are super nice, and some of them are not so nice.
This list is about the Nickelodeon stars on the extreme ends of the scale, the nicest and the meanest of the bunch. The sweet Nickelodeon stars are graded here both on their behind-the-scenes demeanor and their philanthropy– you’ll be surprised just how dedicated some of the stars are to their favorite charitable causes. The sour Nickelodeon stars made their way to this list due to their spats with friends and coworkers, their snippy social media posts, and most importantly, their troubles with the law.
Are you ready to find out which of the Nickelodeon stars you grew up with are sweet, and which are sour? Some of the answers may surprise you.
Without further ado, here are 9 Nickelodeon Stars Who Are Sweethearts (And 6 Who Aren’t).
Sweet: Victoria Justice - Victorious
Victoria Justice caught her big break on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, where she played the title character, Tori Vega (after having played the character previously on Zoey 101). While Justice has gone on to do other things since her time on Nickelodeon, she has always made time for her charity work.
While Justice has made dozens of appearances at charity events, the cause closest to her heart is Girl Up, a campaign from the United Nations Foundation to support girls of all ages around the world. Justice raised thousands of dollars for the campaign from her music sales.
Justice hasn’t exactly gone on to break the bank or attain A-list levels of fame, so she doesn’t make headlines as much as she used to. Fans of hers who were won over by her roles on Zoey 101 and Victorious remember her for her altruism as much as her performances.
Sour: Drake Bell - Drake & Josh
Drake Bell played Drake from Drake & Josh, who was supposed to be the cool, chill one of the duo. After playing the lead in the famed Nickelodeon sitcom for several years, Bell’s career stagnated, and his personal finances along with it.
As far back as 2012, Bell could be found on Twitter bashing Justin Bieber. Bieber’s only comment on Bell, meanwhile, was to express his love for Drake & Josh.
Amidst a bankruptcy filing and multiple arrests for driving under the influence, Bell also found the time to lash out at his old friend Josh Peck (also of Drake & Josh fame) to take him to task for not inviting Bell to his wedding.
While Bell has made charitable contributions over the years (and eventually made up with Peck), his life is a far cry from the wholesome antics of Drake & Josh.
Sweet: Ryan Reynolds - Fifteen
Ryan Reynolds is known the world over for his appearances in big budget blockbuster films and his stunning good looks. He’s also well known for being a very nice guy in real life, appearing on several “nicest people in Hollywood” lists. So what may surprise you about his place on this list won’t be the fact that’s nice, but that he was a Nickelodeon star!
In fact, Nickelodeon distributed a Canadian soap opera that gave Reynolds his first big break in show business. The soap opera was called Hillside in Canada but was renamed Fifteen when Nickelodeon distributed it in the United States.
Reynolds’ good person credentials are much easier to find— from his charity work to his family ties to the fact that he befriended a 13-year-old cancer patient and let him see Deadpool before anyone else– it’s clear he’s genuinely a sweetheart.
Sour: Emma Roberts - Unfabulous
Former Unfabulous star Emma Roberts’ entry on this list is largely due to her romantic history - specifically, her on-again off-again relationship with actor Evan Peters. Roberts and Peters have gotten together and broken up multiples times, dating all the way back to 2012. And in 2013, things got ugly as Roberts was actually arrested for her part in an altercation with Peters— police found Peters bloodied, with bite marks on his body.
Roberts and Peters have since worked out their differences/ Peters did not press charges for the 2013 incident, and they even announced they were engaged fairly soon afterwards. This was just a prelude to another break-up, which itself was a prelude to them getting back together again.
Sweet: Kenan Thompson - Kenan & Kel
Kenan Thompson is now best known as the longest-running castmember of Saturday Night Live, but he got his start on Nickelodeon. First appearing in All That before getting a spinoff show with Kel Mitchell called Kenan & Kel, Thompson has forged a reputation of being one of the good guys of comedy.
He’s had some trouble with past cast members— including a minor spat with Mitchell that lasted until recently— but Thompson is regarded as one of the nicest figures in the industry, aided by his cherubic appearance.
Thompson has also donated time and money to various charities, fighting for causes like ending childhood hunger and more, so it’s not just an act. He really is just as sweet as he looks.
Sour: Matthew Underwood - Zoey 101
Matthew Underwood’s only real claim to fame is his Nickelodeon stardom. Aside from a few minor roles here and there, the only thing you’ll likely know him from is his main role on Zoey 101, where he played the cocky flirt Logan Reese. Unfortunately, his only other brush with infamy came when he was arrested for possession andparaphernalia while in the presence of a minor.
Police thus also charged him for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Underwood has since redeemed himself in the eyes of the public somewhat, as he intervened and helped a baby out of a car crash in 2017. While he doesn’t seem to be acting anymore, you can look up his Instagram account.
Sweet: Miranda Cosgrove - iCarly
Miranda Cosgrove, the star of iCarly who got her start on Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh, is known for having an upbeat, likable personality. Fiercely attached to her family (she was still living with her parents in 2016) and liked by her castmates, Cosgrove also has a long history of philanthropy and volunteer work.
Back when she was on iCarly, Cosgrove talked about her multiple visits to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, where she says they would run through episode scripts in live performances for the kids. There’s more where that came from—Cosgrove also was a spokesperson for Math-a-Thon, working to get kids interested in math and science.
Cosgrove has done acting work since moving on from Nickelodeon, but she hasn’t given up on her charity work in the meantime.
Sweet: Jamie Lynn Spears - Zoey 101
Jamie Lynn Spears may have seen her career in Hollywood end prematurely when she became pregnant at the age of just 16, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a nice person. The star of Zoey 101 appeared to be destined to be the next big thing in Hollywood before she essentially retired to be a mom.
Spears has a long track record of helping charitable causes, and it didn’t end when she left show business.
As recently as 2016, she took to social media to show her and her daughter, Maddie, volunteering to benefit the victims of flooding in Louisiana. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as she has been appearing at charity events for years and years. Soon, she’ll have another little helper— she announced at the end of 2017 that Maddie is going to be a big sister.
Sour: Ryan Rottman and Cody Longo - Gigantic and Hollywood Heights
What is it with Nickelodeon stars and driving under the influence? On top of Drake Bell, we had to include these two former stars for their DUIs, as well. Gigantic star Ryan Rottman and Hollywood Heights star Cody Longo each were arrested for driving under the influence, in 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Rottman was arrested (and released a few hours later) after being found to be driving at over twice the legal limit for his alcohol level. Longo was pulled over after repeatedly flashing his highbeams at another car, and was also found to be inebriated.
You may hear a lot about Hollywood figures getting DUIs and think it’s not that big a deal, but it’s an incredibly dangerous thing to do and demonstrates a lack of care for those around you.
Sweet: Daniella Monet - Victorious
If you were a fan of Victorious, you likely remember Daniella Monet. She played Trina, the older sister of the protagonist Tori (played by Victoria Justice)— a character that wasn’t exactly known for her good deeds.
While Trina was self-absorbed and borderline delusional, Monet has been shown to have a few causes she cares deeply about.
Chief among those is her love of animals. A vegan, Monet is both a member of PETA and a spokesperson, having helped with multiple advertising campaigns. She also supported Ariana Grande in calling out SeaWorld, and has supported both the Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Humane Society. This, on top of appearances at multiple charity events! How does she find the time?
Sweet: Keke Palmer - True Jackson, VP
Keke Palmer’s charity track record makes it clear she’s really a sweetheart. At the end of the day, the most important thing to her is helping children. Just to name a few of her favorite charitable causes, she has volunteered for and supported the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, the Girl Scouts and Saving Our Daughters, among many others.
Nickelodeon fans will, of course, know Palmer from her starring role in True Jackson, VP. Palmer played the eponymous main character, and even back then told her fans to believe in themselves and to be who they choose to be. Palmer may not always get along with everyone in Hollywood - she clapped back at Trey Songz for using footage of her in his music video without her permission - but her actions speak louder than her words.
Sour: Ricardo Medina Jr. - Power Rangers
Some stars make this list for being difficult or irascible— Ricardo Medina Jr. is here for a much darker reason. Medina was part of Power Rangers Samurai, where played Deker, a half-human half-Nighlok character. His acting career ended up being only the second-most famous thing Medina was known for, as he is know best known for taking his roommate’s life.
Medina was arrested for eliminating his roommate Josh Sutter in 2015, and pled guilty in 2017. He is still serving prison time for this crime, which involved Medina attacking his roommate with a sword. The stabbing had apparently happened because of a heated argument between the two. He is expected to be in prison until 2023.
Sweet: Tom Kenny - Spongebob Squarepants
You may not recognize his face, but you’ll recognize his voice. Tom Kenny has a decades-long career as a comedic actor, but surprisingly, it’s one of his voice roles that reached the highest heights of fame. Kenny voices SpongeBob SquarePants, arguably the most famous cartoon character in the world.
While Kenny may have started his career with more adult-friendly live-action roles, he now says he actually prefers doing voice work, as it suits him better. You may know him for his trademark, high-pitched guffaw, but his friends and family know him as a sweetheart.
On top of numerous charity events (some of which he actually performed music at), Kenny also spends time being a great dad to his two children.
Sour: Amanda Bynes - The Amanda Show
What can we say about Amanda Bynes that hasn’t been said already? Bynes was once an It girl, moving from popular sitcom to popular sitcom. She got her start on All That and The Amanda Show on Nickelodeon before moving on to other projects. Films, television— nothing seemed out of reach for Bynes.
Then the cracks started to show. First came a DUI, a serious charge for most people, but merely a footnote for Bynes. After blowing up on social media with a series of worrying, mean-spirited tweets and posts, Bynes again made the news in 2013, when she was taken into custody after allegedly starting a fire on her neighbor’s driveway. She received a psychological evaluation soon after and has not returned to public life.
Sweet: Ariana Grande
Arguably the biggest star on this entire list, Ariana Grande has solidified her status as a pop star several times over. After getting her big break on the Nickelodeon shows Victorious and Sam & Cat, Grande actually had a few incidents that could have landed her on the Sour portion of this list, like the infamous doughnut post.
Grande has since come through those difficulties all the stronger, as she has used her considerable platform to fight for issues she believes in. After the terror attack following her concert in Manchester, England, she performed a charity concert which raised $3.5 million for the victims.
This comes on top of her previous charity work for children’s hospitals and animal rights organizations, not to mention her performance at the recent March For Our Lives.
Who’s your favorite Nickelodeon star? Let us know in the comments!
