John Wayne Gacy
© Bureau of Prisons/Getty; Steve Eichner/WireImageJohn Wayne Gacy, left, and a self-portrait.
Brian Peck, the former dialogue coach who pleaded no contest to sexually abusing former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell, had a signed self-portrait painting of infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy that he flaunted in front of another child star.

The revelation surfaced in an upcoming ID docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, premiering March 17. The show uncovers the price many former child actors say they paid while working long hours in an emotionally manipulative and sometimes sexually charged environment.

In an exclusive clip shared with PEOPLE, former All That cast member Kyle Sullivan, then 14, talks about seeing the inside of Peck's home, which included a shrine to Planet of the Apes and — most notably — a painting of a clown holding balloons, which seemingly had nothing to do with the famous sci-fi franchise.

Brian Peck.
© Albert L. Ortega/GettyBrian Peck.

Sullivan says when he asked Peck about the painting, the dialogue coach became excited.

"Brian flipped the thing around and on the back it said 'To Brian, I hope you enjoy the painting. Best wishes, your friend, John Wayne Gacy,'" Sullivan recalls in the clip.

The former child star also says Peck had a collection of letters he had been sent by Gacy, who was known as the "Killer Clown," and raped and killed over 30 young men and boys in the 1970s.

"Brian actually developed a pen pal relationship with John," Sullivan says. "He kept this pile of letters and photos from John Wayne Gacy in his nightstand next to his bed."


Comment: What are the chances that this pen pal relationship, between a serial killer and a top coach to child stars, was known to some in authority?


"When we uncovered this revelation during the process of making the documentary, we were shocked," said series directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz. "It raised a lot of questions about power dynamics on set and off, and what dangers were hiding in plain sight. Exploring those dynamic and revealing the secrets behind how culture is made is at the core of what we are trying to do with Quiet on Set."

Bell, who is featured prominently in Quiet on Set, says Peck, whom he met on the set of The Amanda Show, became his manager after originally working with him as a dialogue coach.

The former Drake & Josh star says Peck sexually assaulted him multiple times, beginning when he was 15 years old.

"You know anytime I had an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian's house," Bell says in Quiet on Set. "And it just got worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and I was just trapped. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal."

Peck pleaded no contest in 2004 to oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old, in connection with Bell's case. He was mandated to register as a sex offender after serving 16 months in prison.

Bell says that as a result of the abuse, he began drinking heavily and using drugs. In 2021, Bell pleaded guilty to attempted endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles after an online interaction with an underaged fan. He was sentenced to two years probation and community service.

Nickelodeon responded to Bell's revelations in a statement to PEOPLE.

"Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward," the statement says.

ID president Jason Sarlanis says in a statement, "Quiet on Set scrutinizes the complicated issues that power dynamics can bring into play in any given situation and seeks to achieve a more robust conversation and better understanding of the dangers that can impact families."