iCarly star Jennette McCurdy has confirmed that she is not reprising her role as Sam Puckett in the upcoming revival of the series, alongside returning main cast members Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jerry Trainor.
The streaming platform Paramount Plus ordered a revival of the series in December 2020. However, McCurdy has publicly stated that not only will she not be involved in the reboot, but she’s actually ashamed of her past acting roles.
Monsters and Critics reported that fans were delighted when news of a reboot was announced on December 9. However, McCurdy’s fans were left disappointed that she was missing from the main cast of the upcoming revival.
During the Season 2 premiere (February 24) of her podcast, Empty Inside, with guest Anna Faris, McCurdy, who is now 28 years old, confirmed she would not be returning as Sam in the upcoming revival of iCarly.
She then surprised many by stating she was “ashamed” of her past acting roles and has now quit acting for good.
“I’m so ashamed of the parts I’ve done in the past,” McCurdy said. “I resent my career in a lot of ways. I feel so unfulfilled by the roles that I played and felt like it was the most cheesy, embarrassing.”
McCurdy quit acting after her mom passed away
During the podcast, McCurdy revealed that she quit acting a few years ago to focus on writing and directing.
She said her work in writing and directing has been “going great” and that she never wanted to act. But she had ended up acting because her family “didn’t have a lot of money,” and acting provided a “way out.”
She explained that she always found acting difficult and that she was initially nervous. Her mom encouraged her to start acting when she was only 6 years old, but she decided to quit after her mom passed away.
“I ultimately quit after my mom passed away because with her death kind of died a lot of her ideas for my life, and that was its own journey, and a difficult one for sure,” McCurdy said.
McCurdy also talked about memories from early years in acting
McCurdy recalled an incident from her early years in acting when she was passed over for a role in the 2005 comedy-drama film Because of Winn-Dixie.
She overhead the casting agent telling her mom that she did not get the role because she was “homely” and not an “ethereal beauty.”
McCurdy has talked about her personal and professional struggles in the past
McCurdy has talked about her eating disorder issues in the past. She reportedly struggled with anorexia and bulimia when she was between 11 and 13 years old.
There have also been rumors and allegations that Nickelodeon stars might have been victims of abusive behavior on set.
These rumors gained traction in 2018 after Nickelodeon let go iCarly creator Dan Schneider with a multimillion-dollar payoff.
Indications that her time on Nickelodeon set was troubled came in 2014 when she boycotted the Kid’s Choice Awards over what was rumored to be a salary dispute with the producers of Sam & Cat.
The original iCarly series premiered on Nickelodeon in September 2007 and ended in November 2012, after six seasons.
McCurdy starred in the series as Sam Puckett, alongside Miranda Cosgrove, who played lead character Carly Shay, Nathan Kress as Freddie Benson, and Jerry Trainor as Spencer Shay.
McCurdy also co-starred with Ariana Grande in the iCarly and Victorious spinoff series Sam & Cat.