Jared Drake Bell was born on June 27, 1986 in Orange County, California. Two older brothers (Robert and Travis), one older step-brother and one older step-sister . His mother, Robin Dodson, is a professional (champion) billiards player. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

He began acting at a young age, and received his first real role on television in 1994 at age eight, when he appeared on one episode of the television comedy Home Improvement starring Tim Allen. Over the next few years he had some television commercials and made some more television appearances (e.g., Minor Adjustments, The Pretender, the Drew Carey Show and Seinfeld).

While still doing television appearances, he began to expand his young talents onto the big screen and made his move debut with a very small appearance in Drifting School (1995).  This was followed by The Neon Bible the same year. The first big movie he appeared in was Jerry Maguire in 1996.

He also appeared in some made for TV movies in 1999, such as The Jack Bull with John Cusak and Dragonworld: The Legend Continues. He was nominated in 2000 for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot - Supporting Young Actor for his role in The Jack Bull.  Because he made such an good impression on John Cusak he was picket to appeared in the movie High Fidelity the following year along side him once again

In 1999, he also got what was later to become a big break when he appeared as a character actor in the teen variety show, The Amanda Show (starring Amanda Bynes).  The producers were looking for a talented young male who had talent, and Drake fit the bill. He appeared as various characters on the show from 1999 to 2002.

Because of the fan base he created on The Amanda Show, he was given his own show, Drake and Josh in 2004, in which he and a former cast member from The Amanda Show, Josh Peck, co-star in a comedy aimed at teens and pre-teens on Nickelodeon. The show done very well.

Drake was always musically inclined, and learned how to play the guitar when he was 13 (when he appeared in the film Chasing Destiny with rock legend Roger Daltry).  In 2003, he formed his own band, Drake 24/7. He and his band do tours around the country when not in school (Orange County High School of the Arts) or filming his television show. Drake’s first album, Telegraph, was released in September 2005 and it appears under Drake’s own record label, Backhouse. (note: the soundtrack from the Drake & Josh show  is available now and includes “Down We Fall” by Drake).

In 2006, Drake and Josh went big time and they filmed and released a made for TV movie entitled Drake and Josh Go Hollywood.  In late 2006, he also released his second album in 2006 entitled It's Only Time.

He is also very charitable and donates some of his time helping organizations such as Audrey Hepurn’s Children’s Foundation and World Mission.

Hobbies & Interests: Playing guitar, watching baseball

Favorites: food = Italian, car = 1966 Mustang, 1957 Corvette; music = Beatles, The Who, The Clash, David Gray, Elvis Costello; role model = John Lennon; ice cream flavor = rocky road; movies = Shawshank Redemption, Detroit Rock City, the original Oceans 11; actors = Benicio Del Toro, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Phillip Seymore-Hauffman; cartoon = Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Fast Facts: He has a fear of heights.