Drake Bell Blasts SAG-AFTRA After Losing Health Insurance: ‘Do Not Become an Actor. Do Not Join SAG’

Variety ^ | 10 13 2026 | Jordan Moreau

[yesthatjallen]

“Drake & Josh” actor Drake Bell is putting SAG-AFTRA on blast after he revealed he does not qualify for health insurance.

On his Instagram Story on Tuesday, Bell posted a screenshot of the SAG-AFTRA health plan website that says “you do not qualify for Health Plan coverage at this time. Your reported covered earnings from July 2025-June 2026 did not meet minimum eligibility requirements, or you did not qualify other eligibility rules.”

The webpage says that Bell has earned $17,480.53 and that he needs $11,452.47 more to qualify by reaching the $28,933 required for the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.

“Do not become an actor. Do not join SAG. You can work for 35 years and they still say [middle finger emoji],” Bell wrote on the screenshot. He then tagged SAG-AFTRA and its president, “Lord of the Rings” and “The Goonies” actor Sean Astin, in his scathing message.

SNIP

---

TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: healthinsurance; hollywood; sag

[KarlInOhio]

Can you count your time working in front of Starbucks’ security cameras as “acting”?

[rlmorel]

I had a buddy who went to see it in the theater, and I recall it was us and one other couple.

We didn't really know much about the movie except it was a comedy, and conservative. Neither of us were big "South Park" fans, so it was a bit of Terra Incognita for us.

When the movie started, with the opening scene showing a bad, poorly made and cheesy puppet with the stings intentionally visible and being wielded clumsily, I recall we might have nervously looked at each other, wondering if we had just wasted our money.

But once the movie began in earnest, we soon found ourselves unable to stop laughing, and we had literal tears running down our faces!

And when they had this scene, I could barely breathe-I thought I might have needed oxygen!

[Schatze]

Is he one of the many victims of that Nickelodeon child molester?

He was a victim of the dialog coach. There were multiple child molesters at Nickelodeon. I saw the docuseries about it on Investigation Discovery. Harrowing story.

[Brian Griffin]

If you’re an actor, you probably don’t have to act poor:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdzBEJXFDB-/

[Brian Griffin]

$15,960 - 100% of FPL for 2027 PPACA coverage

He can get an Obamacare exchange plan and Uncle Sam will pay the vast majority of the cost.

[alexander_busek]

with that earnings record, doesn’t sound like much of an actor.

Actually, I'd venture to guess that, in Hollywood, an actor with that earning record would be the envy of at least 80% of his fellow thespians - most of whom earn less and supplement their incomes by waiting on tables or working as parking lot valets. The lucky ones might earn on the side by working in a para-theatrical capacity (teaching acting, busking, etc.)

Drake's case is noteworthy only because of his former prominence as a teen actor.

Maybe SAG-AFTRA doesn't allow Drake to include his gigs giving interviews on radio, or making personal appearances at supermarket openings, towards his total earnings for insurance coverage. And shouldn't Drake also still be getting residuals from his career as a teen actor? Don't those residuals count towards his insurance?

Regards,

[Fresh Wind]

Looks like a Nazi salute in a labor union logo. And these are the same hypocrites who accuse Musk of doing the same thing.

[FreedomPoster]

I had been working with a bunch of younger guys, so was familiar with South Park from the early days.

And I was a fan of a marionette show from my childhood, Fireball XL5. So the marionette “look” and exposed wires was cool retro for me.

And then the CONTENT! LOLOLOL

Still refer to the FAG (Film Actors Guild for those in Rio Linda) today.

[wally_bert]

I’d try going to an acting school like this one.

https://youtu.be/DVVWF2DAeeU?is=rH5JcbeTuxCiVquF

[God luvs America]

Why get made at SAG? Because they are filled with left wing dbags who want “medicare for all”- except themselves and their members...and in this case, the guy will hop on obamacare, get a subsidy and we’ll end up footing his bill!!!

[DCBryan1]

just here for the f.a.g. references

[Romans Nine]

What movie?

[minnesota_bound]

Star Trek: The Next Generation co-stars Brent Spiner (Data) and Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker).

They both lost their health insurance recently too.
They now do a podcast called ‘Dropping Names’.