Drake Bellthe aggressor, Brian Peckhad an army of A-list support behind him during his 2004 sentencing – and we got the letters they all wrote, including some from James Marsden, Taran Killam It is Alan Thicke …who spoke enthusiastically about the guy.
TMZ obtained a total of 41 letters written to the judge in Peck’s criminal case, and while there were plenty of Hollywood types lending their voices in support of the convicted child molester — all defending his character and asking for leniency — these three are the biggest names.
Marsden’s letter is the longest, and he details his extensive personal history and friendship with Peck, saying he’s known him for 14 years (mind you, he wrote this in 2004, so apparently they go way back) and generally vouching for his character.
JM writes: “My name is James Marsden and I am very proud to say that I have been close friends with Brian Peck for around 14 years. I’m originally from Oklahoma and met Brian through an actor friend. I believed in my talent as an actor and encouraged my decision to move to Los Angeles and pursue this dream I had.”
Marsden goes on to say that he and Brian have remained close over the years, saying that BP mentored and trained him – all for free – and that they formed a very close bond, with Brian serving as a role model and instilling high character traits.
Marsden says that based on what he knows about Brian, he “couldn’t breathe” when the allegations were made. He says he had lived in his house for months and shared hotel rooms with Brian – and says he never felt uncomfortable or compromised being around him.
He ends by writing: “Brian is a good person, with a very healthy fear and respect for the law, and, I assure you, what Brian went through last year was the suffering of a hundred men. victimize Brian, nor would he ever want that, but I feel compelled to shine a light on the fact that (he) learned his lesson.”
Taran – who worked on “The Amanda Show” and who also knew Brian very well – was equally complimentary in his own letter of support to the judge who presided over the case, calling him a “co-worker, my friend” and saying that he did not is someone who belongs in prison.
TK writes: “When I found out Brian was arrested, I was shocked. Brian is the last person I would expect to be accused of criminal activity. My first thought was ‘this is a mistake’. I know many of our mutual friends had similar thoughts. This is very strange.”
Finally, there is the late Thicke… whose letter was much shorter but equally supportive of Brian, commenting on their days together on ‘Growing Pains’, a period in which Alan says Brian was a “highly professional and encouraging mentor to young people”. people on our television set.” Thicke says BP has never been inadequate.
There are dozens of other letters from people who defended Brian — including “Boy Meets World” stars Will Friedle It is Strong Knight“Growing Pains” star Joanna Kerns and directors of ‘Suite Life’ Rich It is Beth Correll …whose program Brian worked on briefly after his conviction.
You can also see their letters here in full… but there’s even more, archived by actors like Ron Meléndez, James Marshall, Kimmy Robertson and other showbiz players.
As we reported… Drake is defined in detail exactly what he says Brian did to him before he got his own show on Nickelodeon in the new documentary ‘Quiet on Set’. ‘Quiet on Set’ premieres over 2 nights at ID, starting at 9pm on March 17th and 18th.
We’ve reached out to representatives for Marsden and Killam… so far, no response.