Miranda Cosgrove Opens Up About Different Relationship With Former ‘iCarly’ Co-Star Jennette McCurdy

Miranda Cosgrove admits she may not be as close to her former “iCarly” co-star, Jennette McCurdy, as she once was, but she is still wishing her well.

Miranda Cosgrove Loved Filming ‘iCarly’ With McCurdy As Teenagers

In a new interview with PEOPLE, Cosgrove reflected on the time she and McCurdy shared on the set of the Nickelodeon show.

“We had each other,” the actress said, also pointing to her male co-star, Nathan Kress. “I’ll always love them, and they’ll always be family to me, because we grew up together for so many years.”

Cosgrove recalled navigating the fame that became “so much at once” alongside her two co-stars. She even admitted to being “bummed” about leaving public school, but quickly shifted her perspective after realizing the three of them would be homeschooled together.

“So I do feel really lucky that I had them,” she said.

Miranda Cosgrove Explored A Different Part Of Herself After ‘iCarly’

After “iCarly” concluded, Cosgrove explained how she took some time to explore different parts of herself. More specifically, Cosgrove went back to school to study psychology at the University of Southern California.

“I was trying to find something else that I was really interested in or passionate about,” Cosgrove said. “And I feel like I never really found that. But I’m still really happy I did it, because I think I would’ve always wondered if there was something else.”

Cosgrove then spoke about McCurdy, who famously left acting behind years before publishing her bestselling memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” saying she was glad her former co-star has found a new passion in writing.

“And I feel like that’s amazing, because her path led her to the thing that she loves. So I’m really happy for her,” Cosgrove said.

About Their Relationship

And while the pair spent years together on the hit Nickelodeon show, Cosgrove admitted they aren’t as close today, sharing that she doesn’t “really see her as much now.”

Cosgrove added, however, “I always know she’s out there, and that if I really needed her I could call her, and I hope she knows the same. … I’m always going to be cheering for her.”

Miranda Cosgrove Reflects On Child Stars

Elsewhere in the interview, Cosgrove reflected on the unique pressures of being a child star and the role parents can play in the lives of young performers.

“It’s like an adult job in an adult world, and a kid’s in it. That makes it really strange,” she said. “So many kids end up acting since their parents wanted them to do it, and I think that’s where it gets really messy and complicated because then it’s way more about the parent than it is the child.”

Cosgrove’s message is similar to McCurdy’s, who spoke openly about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother during her time as an actress.

“My earliest memories of childhood were of heaviness and chaos,” McCurdy explained in an interview with PEOPLE. “My mom’s emotions were so erratic that it was like walking a tightrope every day. The mood fluctuations were daily.”

“My mom had always dreamt of being a famous actor, and she became obsessed with making me a star,” she added. “I felt like my job was to keep the peace. And I wanted to make my mom happy.”

McCurdy’s Book Is Being Turned Into A Series

The success of McCurdy’s memoir led to the development of a newly scripted series, starring Jennifer Aniston, on Apple TV+. The streaming giant announced that the book will be adapted into a 10-episode dramedy, with McCurdy serving as showrunner and writer.

McCurdy’s book was first released on August 9, 2022, and spent more than 75 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List.

According to a previous report from The Blast, the former actress reflected on her milestone with an emotional post on Instagram, writing, “I can’t believe millions of you (millions ?!) have taken the time to read this book and have connected with it so deeply.”

After the book’s release, McCurdy spent time on the road promoting it, and during a stop in Sydney, Australia, the 33-year-old had a mind-altering experience.

“Speaking at the Sydney Opera House was unforgettable!! Years ago, I hit what I consider my ‘rock bottom’ in Australia, in the backseat of an Uber, while looking at the Sydney Opera House from afar, down a tooth and a lot of hope, fresh off purging my Tim Tams,” she wrote online.

“I was at a place where I didn’t really believe things could get better but knew if there was any chance of that happening, of things changing, that I was gonna have to start by changing the only thing I had any control over: myself.”

After returning to Australia under “different circumstances,” McCurdy explained how things had changed for her.

“To have gone back to Australia now, years later, under completely different circumstances, for a career I am proud of and, more importantly, as a person I am proud of – and to connect with an audience in a real, meaningful way (IN THE F-CKING SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ITSELF!! ) was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me.”