Once a familiar face on Nickelodeon, Tylor Chase is now living on the streets of California.
The former Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide star, now 36, was recently filmed homeless in Riverside – sparking alarm among fans and a fundraiser that his own mother quickly moved to shut down.
Tylor Chase appeared on Nickelodeon between 2004 and 2007, portraying Martin Qwerly across all three seasons of the network’s popular series. Cast at just 15 years old, he became part of a show that reached millions of young viewers during the height of early-2000s cable television.
When the series concluded, however, his acting opportunities dwindled. After appearing in 2007’s Good Time Max – a James Franco film – Chase gradually stepped away from Hollywood altogether.
In the years that followed, Chase moved to Georgia to live with his father and distanced himself from the entertainment industry. His focus shifted from acting to writing and poetry, which later offered insight into his mental health struggles.
‘Perhaps I am nothing’
Beginning in 2014, Chase uploaded spoken-word poetry to YouTube, including a piece titled “Bipolar,” in which he openly described the emotional weight he was carrying.
In the poem, he said, “I’m chained down to my bedroom by the gravity of bipolar. I have a hard time in life.”
The poem continues with the lines, “I know that I can make it better, but right now, I’m a magician who has misplaced his top hat and rabbits. No one comes to my shows anymore. I’m a leaf in a running gutter with the inevitable fate of ending up in a drain.
“Perhaps I am doomed. Perhaps I have done nothing. Perhaps I am nothing.”
Living on the streets
In September, a TikTok video showing Chase living on the streets of Riverside spread rapidly online, capturing the moment he was recognized by an old fan as he stood wearing a tattered Raiders T-shirt.
When the woman asked, “Did you play on Disney Channel?” Chase calmly corrected her, replying, “Nickelodeon,” before confirming both his name and his role on “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.”
The clip has since been viewed millions of times.
‘Needs medical attention not money’
Following the video’s spread, TikTok user Citlalli Wilson (@lethallalli) located Chase in Riverside and began sharing her interactions with him online.
“I’m so sad for him he’s so sweet he doesn’t deserve this. He’s on the streets of Riverside, who would’ve thought,” she wrote in a Sept. 18 post that included before-and-after photos.
Wilson later launched a GoFundMe campaign intended to help Chase cover food and other basic necessities, but the effort was short-lived, raising just over $1,200 before it was taken down at the request of Chase’s mother, Paula Moisio.
Moisio, who works as a realtor, explained her decision in messages that were shared publicly and later reported by Gulf News.
“Tylor needs medical attention not money. But he refuses it,” she wrote. “I appreciate your effort. But money would not be a benefit to him. I have gotten him several phones, but he loses them within a day or two. He can’t manage money for his meds by himself.”
Devon Werkheiser, also shared his thoughts on his former co-star from Ned’s Declassified: “Tylor was a sensitive, sweet, and kind kid. It is heartbreaking to see him this way,” he told TMZ. “I haven’t seen Tylor in almost 20 years since the show ended. Anyone who has dealt with severe addiction and deep mental health issues knows it’s an unbelievably challenging situation if they don’t want help.”
Stretched the funds
But Wilson used the $1,207 in donated funds and stretched it to buy him some necessities, documenting the day she spent with the former star.
“Thank you guys so much I’m so grateful to be used as a vessel to help Tylor out,” she captioned the post.
Before distributing the items, the footage shows Wilson washing Chase’s hair on a sidewalk using a plastic water bottle, with the interaction taking place in public view.
Another clip shows Chase receiving the bags of clothing one by one, capturing his reactions as he is handed each item, while Wilson and a friend encourage him to open them.
During the exchange, Chase clasps his hands together and is heard saying, “Thank you so much, these are so pretty.”
‘Could use maybe a joint’
On Dec. 22, the Daily Mail tracked down Chase in Riverside and spoke with him directly, during which he pushed back against the suggestion that he was completely without support or connections to others.
“It’s not really like that, I have friends and family. I stay around here locally. My mom is here. have a lot of good people helping me.” He said. “It’s not too shabby. A lot of people help out. It goes a long way.
“I have family and friends, and the housing shelter assistance program. There’s graceful charity from the grace of God’s family people. That’s a pretty chill aspect of it all. It’s a true privilege, obviously.”
When the publication offered to get him food, he rejected it, saying: “I could use maybe a joint or a bong. Do you guys smoke weed?”
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