Nickelodeon

Dodgeball Was Banned On The Ned’s Declassified Set — And It Wasn’t Even Because Of Coconut Head

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide might've had an entire episode devoted to dodgeball, but the cast was actually banned from playing it on set after one game became a teensy bit too savage. Devon Werkheiser, who played Ned Bigby on the middle-school saga, stopped by The Brett Davern Show podcast earlier this month to chat about Burning Man, his new album, Prologue, Devon's Life Survival Guide, and — of course — the hit Nickelodeon show.

When asked to tell any "weird, behind-the-scenes stories" from the show, Werkheiser shared one that ended in bloodshed. OK, not really bloodshed, but it still had a painful conclusion.

During lunch, the cast would play rousing games of dodgeball, because why the heck not? One time, however, a temporary assistant director "just threw the ball so hard and hit one of our actresses, Michelle Kim [who played Evelyn Kwong], in the face," Werkheiser admitted. It was "to the point where she had the texture of the ball" basically imprinted on her face, which Werkheiser hilariously described as making her look like Two-Face from Batman.

Werkheiser explained how poor Kim's face was "so red and swollen," but she still had to film a scene. The AD never confessed it was him, and the lunchtime dodgeball excursions promptly ended after that. Womp womp.

Listen to Werkheiser's full episode on The Brett Davern Show below. The Ned's Declassified bit starts around the 36-minute mark.