Miranda Cosgroveis opening up about the challenges of teen fame.
Speaking with PEOPLE, the actress, 28, gets real about growing up in the public eye, reprising her role as Carly Shay in the upcoming Paramount+iCarlyrevival, and whether or not she has any regrets.
“I think one of the most challenging things growing up makingiCarly, I went through my awkward phase and completely grew up on the show,” says Cosgrove.
Lisa Rose/Paramount+
“I feel when I was little and people would call me a role model, I think it always was really flattering, but it’s also scary because when you’re a little kid and someone’s calling you a role model, it’s like, ‘Oh no, I don’t want to let anyone down,'” she explains. “But you also aren’t fully formed and you don’t really know how to be a role model. So there are nice things about it but it’s also challenging.”
“I feel from this experience in particular, I’ve learned a lot of things really fast that I never knew about before,” Cosgrove says. “I’m getting to help edit all the episodes. I’ve never edited anything in my life. So just even seeing all the behind the scenes things, even talking to the set designers from the very start, figuring all that out and seeing how they put the sets together. These are all things that I’ve never done before. So it’s just been a real learning process and I’ve really enjoyed every second of it.”
Nathan Kress, Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy.Nickelodeon Network/Photofest
“And I also just feel like I’ve gotten better at speaking up for myself because when you’re being asked questions all day long about, ‘Where should this go? What should we do, and do you think your character would say this,’ you really start to get used to it. People are looking to me and asking me questions, so I feel it’s been really empowering and that’s one of the things that I’m most proud of from this experience.”
The revival, set 10 years after the Nickelodeon classic, will follow Carly and her friends navigating love, family and friendships in their 20s.
“It’s kind of funny because in the showiCarly, Carly’s character goes to college after she is in Italy with her dad for a few years, she goes to college and then she ends up coming back to the show.iCarlywas like me in real life,” she says. “And she starts up the show for the first time in 10 years. So when we were doing the scene, it was kind of weird for me just because that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m starting the show again for the first time in 10 years. So there are a lot of moments like that within the show where it really mirrors my real life.”
Miranda Cosgrove.Sarah MOrris/getty
Reflecting on her journey, Cosgrove — who finds joy in taking care of her five animals and fostering other pets — is grateful for every step that has led her to this moment.
“I wouldn’t say I have any regrets because I am really grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had and I do think even hard stuff makes you who you are,” she says. “And I think I had a lot of amazing experiences making the show. I wouldn’t change anything, but I am grateful for this experience because I think it’s just made me kind of see it in a new and even better light than I did before.”
TheiCarlyrevival premieres Thursday on Paramount+.
source: people.com
