On Wednesday, January 31, 2018, Josh Peck came to Sacred Heart University to hold a comedy Q&A session that was surely the funniest, most laugh-filled Q&A session I have been to so far. I was pretty nervous about getting a bad seat in the Edgerton Theatre because I was still in class when people had started to form a line at the front door. The doors didn’t open until 7:30pm but by 6:15pm there was already a line tracing out the entire campus (I’m exaggerating but you get the point). SHU students were so excited to meet someone that had impacted their childhood in such a positive way! The event also served as a well-deserved break from the stress of schoolwork. After my class, I ran downstairs to join the long, single-file line. Luckily, I managed to get a seat in the second row so that I could be super close to my childhood ~man crush~ (I’m serious, I really had a crush on him!)
When Josh came out on stage, he was nothing short of happy, excited and enthusiastic to be at our school. Josh Peck isn’t your typical movie and TV star – he is the most down-to-earth, humble, and grateful actor I have ever met. From cracking several Drake and Josh puns (HUG ME, BROTHA) to rambling on about how in love he is with his life and his wife, Paige, Josh has truly grown up to be such a remarkable individual. I have never seen a celebrity be so open and personal with complete strangers! Josh gave the audience an inside look of what it was like to be a child star on television by describing his experiences of going to school, working with his idol, John Stamos, and even being rejected by Mary-Kate Olsen when he asked her out on a date! He wasn’t afraid to make fun of himself and laugh about his awkward “chubby” stage and his old binge-eating habits that have now evolved into a healthy lifestyle and going to the gym.
After Josh had answered the interviewer’s questions and given us all a ton of laughs, the floor was open to questions from the audience. Many students asked about his favorite moments from Drake and Josh and The Amanda Show while a few others also asked slightly more personal questions, like what it takes to become famous and follow your dreams, and what Josh would do in a situation where he felt like he was going to give up. This was, by far, my favorite part of the show. Josh had such great advice; while listening to him, I could tell that he has learned a lot over the years and the wisdom he speaks with really shows it. One of his pieces of advice that really stuck with me is that you need to enjoy the journey you are on right now because life is too short to not be happy and smiling. I honestly wish he was a guidance counselor at SHU because his advice was so helpful!
All in all, this was by far, my favorite event I have ever been to at Sacred Heart. The SHU community came together after a long school day to enjoy each other’s company and hear some great jokes from a long-time comedic idol. I would like to thank Sacred Heart’s Student Events Team for organizing this amazing segment and most importantly, Josh Peck, for coming to our school and letting us hear his stories while (repeatedly) letting us yell at him about Oprah. For just 5 bucks, I got an experience I will remember forever.