TooFab spoke to Drake Bell after he was unmasked because the Ice King Wednesday, the place he shared how liberating it was to compete on the present after a turbulent yr of ups and downs.
Drake Bell is having enjoyable once more.
TooFab spoke to the Drake & Josh alum after he was unmasked on The Masked Singer Wednesday, the place he shared how the present helped him step out of his consolation zone after the media storm that adopted with the discharge of the gut-wrenching doc, Quiet on Set: The Darkish Facet of Children TV, which uncovered the darkish facet of Nickelodeon.
“I used to be lucky sufficient to have the expertise of doing The Masked Singer: Mexico. And so when The Masked Singer America known as, I used to be like, ‘Oh, completely.’ I had such a blast on the opposite model that it was… you recognize, a no brainer to return in and be part of it,” Bell stated of what made him say sure to the present a second time. “And I feel it is one thing that, it is enjoyable. You get to play alongside.”
He continued, “While you watch exhibits like this, you suppose there should be some smoke and mirrors, a bit of little bit of Hollywood, just like the contestants most likely know who the opposite contestants are. It isn’t as quick paced as they make it appear to be, ‘Oh, be taught a tune, be taught the choreography, get on stage, carry out it.’ And it truly is.”
Calling the method fast-paced and enjoyable, when it got here to the principle variations between THS Mexico and the U.S. model, the singer-actor stated the U.S. manufacturing was “a bit of bit extra rigorous.”
“It blew my thoughts their schedule, as a result of I imply, they’ve it right down to the minute. I imply, they’re like, okay 9 o’clock to 9:18 you are in vocal rehearsal. Then from 9:18 to 9:32, you are in dance rehearsal. Then from 9, I am like, ‘Can it simply be like from like 9 to 9:15 to 9:30 to 9:20,” Bell quipped. “They’re like, ‘No, it must be on.’ They usually made it on these instances.”
“I imply, I used to be in dance rehearsal. I used to be like trying on the time and I am like, ‘You guys have this right down to a science, you recognize?'” he continued. “And so it is actually much more rigorous. Handed a tune the evening earlier than, rehearsing, attempting to be taught the lyrics, attempting to recollect — then you definately go into dance rehearsal, then you definately acquired to recollect the choreography and then you definately go into… so, I imply, I feel it is a way more rigorous expertise.”
Whereas Bell stated he was puffed up by the present’s workforce and crew backstage, he additionally acquired that power from the viewers and the judges, who lauded his performances with out having a clue about who he was — they even known as him a rockstar.
“That was a very liberating expertise, you recognize, as a result of I am singing songs that I have never sang earlier than or would by no means sing. And I do not do choreography on stage. I can not discover the guitar. And so it gave me the chance to actually simply lose myself within the character and truly really feel like this, Ice King,” Bell stated of the cathartic expertise of having the ability to sing and dance with true anonymity. “Having all of the manufacturing and the smoke and the snow and all of the confetti and all the things, it actually simply gave me the chance to only lose myself within the character.”
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It was additionally equally thrilling to listen to the judges guess who he may very well be. And as a fan of the panel, it was flattering, too, when Jenny McCarthy nailed it on the top.
“It was actually cool to listen to them guessing folks like Joe Jonas or Pete Wentz, like these different musicians — I used to be like, ‘Actually?’ And also you all the time marvel… I grew up on the panel. I imply, I watched all of them rising up, I am followers of them, and also you all the time suppose, ‘Do they even know who I’m? I imply, there isn’t any manner,'” the previous Nickelodeon star recounted.
“Jenny McCarthy guessed my identify and I used to be like, ‘ who I’m?! I crossed your thoughts earlier than? I watched Singled Out once I was a child… I have been a fan of you eternally, and the truth that you even guessed my identify simply blew my thoughts,'” he added.
Bell continued, “I used to be actually sitting behind the masks like, ‘Did Jenny McCarthy simply say my identify? Like, no manner. That’s so cool.'”
As for his or her reactions after he acquired unmasked, Bell stated that was surprising.
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“That was actually shocking, too,” he shared. “They’d actually sort issues to say. And the viewers response was superior, too. They had been all cheering, and as I used to be strolling off, all similar to high-fiving me and like, ‘No manner.’ So it is very nice to to be unmasked and and have that form of reception. It is cool.”
Whereas many followers of Bell and viewers of the present have already guessed him because the Ice King, he is longing for a constructive response from them, too, after they see his closing bow because the character.
“I do not know, as a result of I did not get to have that have, as a result of the Mexico model did not air in america, so I did not get to have that have,” Bell admitted, feeling cautiously optimistic of the reception he’ll obtain as soon as followers see him get unmasked. “What I used to be actually stunned about is, I am trying on the feedback and folks had been already guessing. I imply, it is actually — my identify.”
“They’re placing collectively photos of the Ice King, me performing because the Ice King after which me acting on stage when I haven’t got my guitar,” he continued. “And individuals are saying like, ‘No, look, when he– when he sings with out his guitar, have a look at his hand right here and have a look at his hand right here.’ And I am like, ‘You guys are detectives, bro.'”
Bell’s unmasking may even function a enjoyable second for him to attach with fellow Drake & Josh alum, Yvette Nicole Brown, who was unmasked as Showbird again in Week 2 of this season.
“It will be enjoyable to have the ability to inform Yvette, who performed Helen on Drake & Josh, as a result of I might solely congratulate her on being on the present. I could not inform her, like, ‘Oh, that is so rad. You had been on the present, too? So I feel she’ll be fairly stunned, like, ‘No manner, Drake, you probably did the identical season as me? That is so cool. That’ll be enjoyable too, for certain.'”
Competing on The Masked Singer for the second time has additionally served as a little bit of a launch for Bell, particularly after sharing his story on Quiet on Set. Within the traumatic ID doc, Bell revealed that he was the beforehand unidentified little one star who got here ahead with allegations of sexual abuse towards Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck.
“To have the ability to, you recognize, do one thing once more that is so out of my component, that is only a enjoyable recreation and is a contest… you are so out of your component that — I’m aggressive, however on the finish of the day, you are simply there to have enjoyable and play and so it is it’s very nice to have the ability to get into doing one thing like that after such a tough yr,” Bell advised TooFab. “After which having, you recognize, having the ability to go from there to go on tour and actually simply launch an album and get again to what I like to do. It is, it is, it is a actually lovely factor.”
When requested if he’d give it a go a 3rd time, Bell stated for sure.
“I would be on it,” Bell exclaimed. “It is a rigorous and hard expertise, however on the similar time, you are having a lot enjoyable that you simply’re like, ‘Yeah, I am exhausted and yeah, I acquired to do it, nevertheless it’s simply so enjoyable.’ You are like, ‘Yeah, it is a whole lot of work, however you are having a blast whereas doing it.”
The Masked Singer shifts to Thursday for subsequent week’s Thanksgiving Peanuts Extravaganza (and Group C Finals) at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
