The former child actor who rose to fame on Nickelodeon has been spotted living on the streets of California, sparking concern among fans and renewed conversations about mental health and life after premature stardom.
Tylor Chase, now 36, who played Martin Qwerly on the popular teen sitcom Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, was recently spotted in Riverside, California. A video that has surfaced on social media shows Chase wearing worn clothes and calmly talking to a passerby who recognizes him from the show.
In the clip, a cameraman asks Chase if he’s ever appeared on Nickelodeon. He responds by confirming his role in Ned’s Declassified, causing visible surprise and concern. The video quickly went viral online, with many viewers expressing their shock at seeing a familiar TV face in distress.
Soon after the footage went viral, a GoFundMe campaign was started on Chase’s behalf and raised more than $1,200. However, the collection was later withdrawn at the request of his mother, who said that financial support would not solve her son’s situation.
“Tylor needs medical care, not money. But he refuses it,” she said, adding that he is unable to manage his finances or consistently take his medication. She also noted that despite repeated attempts to help him stay connected, he often loses cell phones within days.
Chase’s condition was later publicly discussed by his former colleagues during an episode of Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide. Actors Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee shared emotional reactions after seeing the footage.
Daniel Curtis Lee said his first reaction was anger, questioning the ethics of filming someone in a vulnerable moment. He later admitted feeling powerless to help meaningfully. Lindsey Shaw said she would like to meet Chase in person and described him as someone she missed deeply. Devon Werkheiser called the situation painful and shocking and said it’s hard to see someone from such a formative time in their life visibly struggling.
Who is Tylor Chase?
Tylor Chase was born on September 6, 1989 in Arizona and started playing as a teenager in the early 2000s. He is best known for his role as Martin Qwerly in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, which aired from 2004 to 2007 and later developed a strong cult following.
In addition to the Nickelodeon series, Chase appeared in television shows such as Everybody Hates Chris and the 2007 film Good Time Max. After retiring from mainstream acting, he largely disappeared from the public eye, with little known about his life in the years that followed.
For many fans who grew up on Ned’s Declassified, Chase’s footage served as a sobering reminder of the fragile transition from child stardom to adulthood. His story has also reignited wider discussions about mental health care, homelessness and the lack of long-term support systems for former child actors in the entertainment industry.
