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Dan Schneider
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Full Name
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Daniel James Schneider
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Nickname(s)
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Dan
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Gender
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Male
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Birthplace
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Memphis, Tennessee
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Birthdate
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January 14, 1966 (age 59)
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Occupation(s)
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Songwriter, actor, screenwriter, producer, creating, and directing
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Years Active
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1984-2018
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Spouse(s)
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Lisa "Hungry Girl" Lillien
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Nationality
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American
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Employer(s)
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Nickelodeon
Warner Bros. Studios |
Daniel "Dan" James Schneider (b. January 14, 1966) is an American songwriter, actor, screenwriter, and producer of films and television. He is the creator of Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, Sam & Cat, and Henry Danger.
Early life[]
Schneider was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, to parents Harry and Carol Schneider. He attended Harvard University for one semester. After returning to Memphis, he worked repairing computers. Soon after, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and eventually a screenwriting career.
Career[]
Acting career[]
In the 1980s, Schneider co-starred in several films including Making the Grade and Better Off Dead. Schneider also co-starred in the films The Big Picture, Happy Together and Hot Resort.
In 1986, Schneider played Dennis Blunden on the ABC television sitcom, Head of the Class. The series ran for five seasons from 1986 to 1991. In 1993, Schneider starred in the series, Home Free, and in 1994, he played Shawn Eckhardt in Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story, one of two made-for-television films about the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal.
Schneider is well known for making cameo appearances in TV series that he has helped to create produce. He has made cameo appearances in All That (and its subsequent film, Good Burger), The Amanda Show, Zoey 101, and iCarly. Schneider also lends his voice to be used as a voiceover in many of his projects.
Writing/Producing career[]
Schneider's career shifted directions in 1993 when he began writing and producing a string of highly successful television shows with Nickelodeon.
Schneider is the creative force behind the following hit TV series (all shows aired on Nickelodeon):
| Series | Run | Description |
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| Henry Danger | 2014-2020 | The show is Dan's sixth and final TV show A 13-year-old boy named Henry, lands a part-time job as Kid Danger, a sidekick in training to super crime fighter Captain Man. Their colorful adventures throw Henry’s otherwise ordinary life absurdly out of balance, yet he must keep his new job a secret from his best friends, Charlotte and Jasper.
Starring: Jace Norman as Henry, Cooper Barnes as Captain Man, Riele Downs as Charlotte, Sean Ryan Fox as Jasper, Ella Anderson as Piper |
| Sam & Cat | 2013–2014 | The show is Dan's fifth TV show and is a spinoff of iCarly and Victorious as it stars iCarly star, Jennette McCurdy, reprising her role of Sam Puckett and Victorious star, Ariana Grande, reprising her role of Cat Valentine. The show is about how the two meet in L.A. and become best friends and roommates.
Starring: Jennette McCurdy as Samantha "Sam" Puckett, Ariana Grande as Catarina "Cat" Valentine, Cameron Ocasio as Diceneo "Dice" Corleone |
| Victorious | 2010–2013 | The show is Dan's fourth TV show and it is about Tori Vega (Victoria Justice), who gets the chance of a lifetime to attend a performing arts high school in Hollywood.
Starring: Victoria Justice as Tori Vega, Leon Thomas III as Andre Harris, Matthew "Matt" Bennett as Robert "Robbie" Shapiro, Elizabeth "Liz" Gilles as Jade West, Ariana Grande as Catarina "Cat" Valentine, Avan Jogia as Beck Oliver, Daniella Monet as Trina Vega, Christopher Cane (portrayer) and Jacob "Jake" Farrow (voice) as Rex Powers |
| iCarly | 2007–2012 | The show is Dan's third TV show and it is about Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), who starts a weekly online website with her two best friends, Samantha "Sam" Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) and Fredward "Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress).
Starring: Miranda Cosgrove as Carly Shay, Jennette McCurdy as Samantha "Sam" Puckett, Nathan Kress as Fredward "Freddie" Benson, Gerald "Jerry" Trainor as Spencer Shay, Noah Munck as Orenthal "Gibby" Gibson (seasons 4-5) |
| Zoey 101 | 2005–2008 | The show is Dan's second show and it is about Zoey Brooks (Jamie Lynn Spears), who attends a boarding school in California.
Starring: Jamie Lynn Spears as Zoey Brooks, Paul Butcher Jr. as Dustin Brooks (credited as Paul Butcher), Sean Flynn as Chase Matthews (Main seasons 1-3, guest Season 4), Austin Butler as Jimmy "James" Garrett (season 4), Kristin Herrera as Dana Cruz (season 1), Victoria Justice as Lola Martinez (seasons 2-4), Christopher Massey as Michael Barrett, Alexa Nikolas as Nicole Bristow (seasons 1-2), Erin Sanders as Quinn Pensky Reese, Matthew Underwood as Logan Reese |
| Drake & Josh | 2004–2007, 2008 | The show is Dan's first TV show and it is a buddy comedy about two very different high school students who become stepbrothers.
Starring: Jared "Drake" Bell as Drake Parker, Joshua "Josh" Peck as Josh Nichols, Miranda Cosgrove as Megan Parker, Nancy Sullivan as Audrey Parker-Nichols, Jonathan Goldstein as Walter Nichols |
New Shows[]
In 2014 Dan created a show with Dana Olsen called Henry Danger.
Movies[]
Schneider has also been involved in movies. He has written the movie Good Burger, based on the All That skit which starred Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell (and features Schneider himself in a supporting role). The film was a successful moneymaker for Paramount Pictures, and has begun to enjoy "cult film" status over recent years.
Schneider also wrote and co-produced the movie Big Fat Liar which stared Amanda Bynes, Paul Giamatti, and Frankie Muniz. The film was a big success for Universal Studios, earning nearly $50 million in domestic box office alone.
As of 2007, Schneider has movies in development at both Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon's movie division.
Personal life[]
In 2002, Schneider married Lisa Lillien, the founder and president of Hungry Girl, a free daily email that features dieting tips, recipes, food finds, and food news.
After being overweight for much of his life, Schneider revealed in 2021 that he had lost over 100 lb. (45 kg) after his departure from Nickelodeon.
Misconduct allegations[]
Deadline Hollywood, the first to report about Nickelodeon parting ways with Schneider in March 2018, reported that there were complaints about Schneider's alleged behavior, including his alleged "well-documented temper issues for years" and his activities on Twitter, including showing photos of his young actors' feet. Nickelodeon did not respond to Deadline's report and Schneider's representative refused to comment on the report.
In 2021, The New York Times reported that Nickelodeon's decision to sever ties with Schneider came after ViacomCBS, its parent company, completed an internal investigation that found evidence of verbal abuse by Schneider to his colleagues. Some of Schneider's colleagues told the Times that they found him to be difficult to work with and "prone to tantrums and angry emails". The investigation did not find evidence of sexual misconduct. When asked about the allegations, Schneider defended his work and said that if people found him to be hard to work with, it was because he maintained "high standards" as showrunner.
In August 2022, Insider reported several new allegations from former actors and employees, including accusations of gender discrimination and "ask[ing] for massages from adult female colleagues". A person "close to Schneider" said Schneider "regrets ever asking anyone [for a massage] and agrees it was not appropriate". Russell Hicks, a former executive at Nickelodeon, denied allegations of "sexualized" scenes in the shows, claiming that "parents and caregivers and their friends [were] watching every single frame of footage and listening to every joke", and that "Every single thing that Dan ever did on any of his shows was carefully scrutinized and approved".
The 2024 documentary miniseries Quiet on Set discussed Schneider's alleged toxic workplace behavior at Nickelodeon. He responded by apologizing for his treatment of colleagues but denied other allegations regarding the sexualization of children in his past productions. Schneider received support from Game Shakers actress Madisyn Shipman, who shared that she had "nothing but positive things to say" about Schneider based on her experience on set. In May 2024, Schneider filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Sony Pictures Television, and the series' directors, claiming the docuseries defamed him by falsely implying he sexually abused child actors he worked with. In a statement, Schneider acknowledged "mistakes and poor judgment" exhibited during his time at Nickelodeon and expressed that reactions to the series left him "no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it.”
Schneider has also been accused of behaving inappropriately with some of the young actresses who appeared in shows he developed. Alexa Nikolas, who appeared in Zoey 101 for two seasons from 2004 to 2006, has said that, during her time on the show, she did "not feel safe" around Schneider, and that he had pressured her to wear revealing clothing and responded to her complaints about the way her costar Jamie Lynn Spears treated her by screaming at her. Lori Beth Denberg, who appeared in All That from 1994 to 1998, accused Schneider of touching her inappropriately, showing her pornography, and attempting to initiate phone sex with her when she was 19.
Trivia[]
- He was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
- He graduated from White Station High School (Memphis, Tennessee) in 1982.
- He attended various classes at Harvard University.
- He played multiple vocal roles on his show, such as Tandy in Sam & Cat, and more rarely some physical appearances, though he played the cab driver in Zoey 101 episode, "Chasing Zoey" and a Secret Service Agent in iCarly episode, "iMeet the First Lady."
External links[]
- Official Website
Dan Schneider on Wikipedia
Dan Schneider at the Internet Movie Database
Dan Schneider on Twitter- Dan Schneider on Instagram
- Dan Schneider on YouTube
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