Jennette McCurdy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennette McCurdy
Jennette McCurdy in 2012
Born	Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy (1992-06-26) June 26, 1992 (age 33) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Writer filmmaker actress singer
Years active	2000–present
Musical career
Genres	Country country pop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Capitol Nashville EMI

Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy (born June 26, 1992) is an American writer, filmmaker, and former actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon TV show iCarly (2007–2012). This role helped her win four Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. She played Sam again in the iCarly spin-off show Sam & Cat (2013–2014).

Jennette also appeared in other TV shows like Malcolm in the Middle (2003–2005) and Zoey 101 (2005). She later wrote, produced, and starred in her own web series, What's Next for Sarah? (2014). She also had a main role in the science-fiction series Between (2015–2016).

In 2009, Jennette released her first song, "So Close". She released her first music collection, Not That Far Away, in 2010. Her song "Generation Love" reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

In 2018, Jennette stopped acting to focus on writing and directing. In 2022, she released a book about her life called I'm Glad My Mom Died. This book quickly became a bestseller and was praised for sharing her experiences as a child star.

Early Life and Family

Jennette McCurdy grew up in Garden Grove, California. Her family was not wealthy. They were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but Jennette later chose to leave the religion as an adult.

Her mother, Debra McCurdy, taught Jennette and her three older brothers at home. Jennette has shared that her earliest memories were often sad because her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Jennette's grandparents also lived with her family.

Jennette's mother had a problem with hoarding, which started after her cancer diagnosis. Jennette said their house was very cluttered. She and her brothers often slept on mats in the living room because their bedrooms were too full of stuff.

Jennette's Career Journey

Acting Roles and TV Shows

Jennette McCurdy at age 16 in 2008

Jennette McCurdy started acting when she was eight years old in 2000. Her first role was on the comedy show Mad TV. After that, she appeared in many TV series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Malcolm in the Middle, Will & Grace, and Zoey 101.

In 2003, she was in the movie Hollywood Homicide. She was also nominated for an award in 2005 for her acting in the show Strong Medicine.

Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett on iCarly around 2009

From 2007 to 2012, Jennette played Sam Puckett in the popular Nickelodeon TV series iCarly. She was nominated for several awards for her work on iCarly and for her role in the TV movie The Last Day of Summer. She also played Bertha in Fred: The Movie, which was based on a YouTube series.

Jennette then starred with Ariana Grande in the Nickelodeon show Sam & Cat. She played Sam Puckett again, and Ariana Grande played Cat Valentine. The show was about the two girls becoming roommates and starting a babysitting business. It began in June 2013.

In 2014, Jennette was not at the 2014 Kids' Choice Awards. She later said that there were some difficult situations with Nickelodeon. Sam & Cat was put on hold and then cancelled after only one season. Jennette later shared that she made up with Ariana Grande.

In August 2014, Jennette started her own online show called What's Next for Sarah?. She was the star, writer, and producer of the show. She said the show was loosely based on her own life. In 2015, she began starring in the Netflix drama series Between.

In 2016, Jennette signed a deal with Canvas Media Studios to create new projects. She also starred as Claire in the movie Pet.

Jennette later decided to stop acting. She shared that she felt embarrassed by many of her past acting roles. She wanted to focus on writing and directing instead. She said, "I never got the chance to be cast in a project I was proud to be part of. Now I have a better chance of making things I'm proud of than getting cast in things I'm proud of."

She also removed many of her old social media posts and videos. In 2018, Jennette wrote and directed her first short film, Kenny. This film was inspired by her mother's death. She has also directed other short films like The Grave, The McCurdys, and Strong Independent Women.

Jennette shared on a podcast that she had retired from acting. She explained that her mother had encouraged her to act when she was a child, and acting became her family's main source of money. After getting therapy, Jennette decided to quit acting because she felt ashamed of her past roles. When iCarly was brought back in 2020, Jennette chose not to return as Sam Puckett.

Music Career

Jennette McCurdy on a float at the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

In 2008, Jennette announced she was working on her first music album. Her first song, "So Close", came out in March 2009. She also released a cover of "Homeless Heart" to honor her friend Cody Waters, who passed away from brain cancer. Part of the money from the song went to the Cody Waters Foundation.

In 2009, Jennette signed a record deal with Capitol Nashville. Her first music collection, Not That Far Away, was released in August 2010. Her second song, "Generation Love", came out in 2011.

She released another music collection, Jennette McCurdy, in February 2012. Her full debut album, also called Jennette McCurdy, was released in June 2012. Soon after, Jennette left Capitol Nashville because of conflicts with a new TV show she was cast in. In 2022, she described her music career as a "much-regretted country music blip."

Writing and Books

In 2011, Jennette started writing articles for The Wall Street Journal. She wrote about different topics, including Shirley Temple and how people talk about body image. She also wrote for Seventeen magazine and The Huffington Post.

In June 2011, she wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal called "Off-Camera, My Mom's Fight With Cancer". It shared details about her mother Debra's long battle with cancer and how her family dealt with it. Her mother passed away on September 20, 2013.

On August 9, 2022, Jennette released her memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died. This book quickly became the number one bestseller on The New York Times Best Seller list for eight weeks. After the book's success, Jennette signed a deal to write two more books.

Podcasts and Live Shows

In 2020, Jennette created and performed a one-woman comedy show called I'm Glad My Mom Died. She performed it in Los Angeles and New York. She later had to pause her show because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. She resumed performing her show in Los Angeles in September 2021.

In July 2020, Jennette announced she was starting a podcast called Empty Inside, which was released later that year. In September 2023, she began hosting a second podcast called Hard Feelings.

Personal Life

Relationships

Jennette McCurdy dated American basketball player Andre Drummond in 2013.

Health and Well-being

In March 2019, Jennette shared in an article that she struggled with eating disorders, specifically anorexia and later bulimia, starting from age 11. She explained how her experiences as a child actor and her relationship with her mother played a role in these struggles.

Jennette also shared about seeking help for her eating disorders. She mentioned health scares, like losing a tooth and passing out from dehydration. She said that her eating disorder "robbed me of my joy". As of 2022, Jennette considers herself to be "fully recovered" from eating disorders.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Music Videos

Web Series

Director Credits

Music Albums

• Jennette McCurdy (2012)

Podcasts

• Empty Inside (2020)
• Hard Feelings (2023)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Jennette McCurdy para niños