Inside Child Actor Danny Tamberelli's Life Now, 24 Years After His Massive Nickelodeon Stardom (Exclusive)

Danny Tamberelli is still reveling in laughs, decades after being one of the biggest names on Nickelodeon

Published Time: 10.05.2024 - 22:31:15 Modified Time: 10.05.2024 - 22:31:15

Danny Tamberelli is still reveling in laughs, decades after being one of the biggest names on Nickelodeon.

The 42-year-old actor — known for his roles in Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete and Pete, All That and more — continues working as a creator. The writer, actor, musician and comedian is still thinking back fondly to his time acting in some of the biggest kids' shows of the 90s.

Speaking with PEOPLE about the release of The Road Trip Rewind — his second book co-written with wife, literary agent and YA author Kate Tamberelli (née Detweiler) — Danny remembers star-studded events that brought different Nickelodeon casts together with other big names of the time to be some of the most memorable moments.

"I was doing all the Kids Choice Award stuff and meeting so many cool people," he recalls.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Danny's grateful for all the opportunities that came with getting his start on these projects.

"Figure It Out was great because there were so many interesting guests and we'd get celebrities like LL Cool J and some wrestlers. There was always something going on," he shares.

"All That was just full-on sketch comedy. In that last season, season 6, Mark Saul and I were writing sketches together. They brought us into the writer's room, Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and they made us writers for the last couple of episodes. We got writing credit and we were in the writer's room and they were basically giving us this opportunity."

"Pete and Pete was this weird, surreal, left of the dial kind of kooky show. And basically any scenes that I got to do with Iggy Pop or Toby Huss, they were quite memorable. I would use them in a comedy reel."

Kate laughs as she explains she still hears new stories from her husband all the time, despite, "dating for almost 10 years and being married the last six."

"I still get these random Easter eggs he'll drop in that he met so and so or did this thing that, to him, was no big deal. But I was at home watching TGIF and eating a Hungry Man for dinner while he was seeing Titanic with Destiny's Child, so to me, it is a big deal. I would have dropped that within three dates and he waited nine years."

Laughing, Danny admits, "They pop in and out of my head."

The couple is celebrating the release of The Road Trip Rewind, their second collaborative novel.

-

The time-travel adventure meets romantic comedy that follows screenwriter Beatrix Noel as she watches her beloved screenplay — based on actual events in her own world — come to life, with a child star turned adult actor, Rocco Riziero, playing her dad, a beloved author who became accused of a crime as a result of one of his books.

The couple is excited to bring forth Beatrix and Rocco, two characters who it was important to them both "felt real" as their stories progressed.

They balanced writing the book with their day-to-day lives as professionals in their respective industries and parents to an almost 2-year-old daughter, Penelope, and a 4-year-old son, Alfie.

"Writing the second book, we had two kids. There's our youngest and our oldest, who napped through book one but is no longer taking naps. So writing means a little screen time for him, which he's happy about. But it's hard," Kate says.

"We did it because we love the idea together and love having something to work on together. As parents, it can be hard to do that when all you want to do is zone out and watch TV. It can be hard to be motivated, but we did it."

When Danny isn't collaborating with his wife, he's co-hosting The Adventures of Danny & Mike, a podcast with his Pete & Pete co-star, and a live comedy show. Danny is also the bassist for the band Jounce.

"I do a comedy show called Nostalgia Personified, where we show old clips. It's me and whoever else I'm doing it with — usually Lori Beth Denberg, who was also on All That, or Mike Maronna, who is the other Pete — and we show old clips of us and talk about what was going on," he shares.

He'll always have a soft spot for the 90s and look back at the time with a lot of joy.

"It was that perfect sweet spot. You could use the internet, but you couldn't really use it the way we use it now," he points out. "There was still freedom and maybe you didn't have a cell phone, so you weren't completely connected. You could truly be off the grid for a little bit."He's looking forward to continuing that penchant for nostalgia, looking ahead to a special event 18 years down the road.

"There's a Nickelodeon time capsule that opens in 2042, so we still have some time. I know I put something in there," he recalls. Laughing, he adds, "It'll probably be something embarrassing."

The Road Trip Rewind is available wherever books and ebooks are sold on Tuesday, May 21.

Related Articles

Follow Us