The Stunning Transformation Of Miranda Cosgrove
Born in Los Angeles, California, Miranda Cosgrove has been on our screens since she was a child. The American actress and singer has earned awards left and right for her relatable TV roles on Nickelodeon and pop hits in her teen years. From "School of Rock" to "iCarly," Gen Z and Millennials grew up alongside Cosgrove as she went from new role to role (via IMDb).
In a 2018 interview with Larry King, Cosgrove went on about her love for acting, but said, "I would like to do some more mature roles, since a lot of the stuff I've done has been for kids." Wish granted because now she's reviving a more mature rendition of Carly Shay, in the "iCarly" reboot set to premiere on Paramount+ June 17th, 2021 (via CNN).
Now in her late 20s, Cosgrove isn't stopping anytime soon as she dives back into her beloved character, and getting more roles in films like "North Hollywood" (via IMDb). But Cosgrove has a unique upbringing compared to other actors in the business.
She was discovered at only three years old
Born on May 14, 1993, she is the only child of Tom Cosgrove, a dry-cleaning business owner, and Chris Cosgrove, a homemaker (via The Net Line). At only three years old, she was discovered in a popular L.A. restaurant while she was dancing and singing. Soon after, she started modeling and acting in commercials for brands like Burger King, McDonald's, and Mello Yello. But her insane rise in popularity didn't start until 2003, when she starred as Summer Hathaway in the blockbuster hit "School of Rock" alongside Jack Black (via The Famous People). When asked about Jack Black as her former costar, she sang his praises saying, "He just made it so much fun for everybody. He made me really feel that even though I was little, that I was really an actor." She continued, "It was definitely one of the best experiences I've had" (via YouTube).
Before "School of Rock" she guest starred in one episode of "Smallville" and afterward, an episode of "Grounded for Life" before transitioning to Nickelodeon (via IMDb).
Her Nickelodeon roles shot her into superstardom
Most of Cosgrove's fans know her as one of Nickelodeon's prime starlets, transitioning seamlessly from one show to another. Her major breakthrough was playing the devious little sister, Megan Parker, in the hit series "Drake and Josh" (per Insider). Three years later, she starred in her own show, "iCarly," which massively raised her public profile. In a 2010 interview with 93.7 WSTW, now on YouTube, the hosts asked Cosgrove if she was shocked how popular the show grew. She said yes, explaining, "I started the show when I was 13 and I'm 17 now ... it still surprises me when people come up to me when I'm out at the mall or out to dinner with my friends ... I love when kids tell me their favorite episodes."
"iCarly" ran for six seasons, and it also shot Cosgrove into musical success. During her time on the show, she recorded songs including "About You Now," "Stay My Baby," and "Kissin U," with "About You Now" reaching 47 on the Hot 100 (via Billboard).
She went on to study psychology at USC
Along with her Nickelodeon success, Cosgrove started to transition to other projects such as voice acting in the hit film series, "Despicable Me," and the short lived TV series, "Crowded." Eventually, though she took the occasional acting role, she decided to take a step back to focus on her education.
In an interview with MTV, she explained that she was caught between New York University and the University of Southern California for attending college. "I really love New York, so I had really wanted to go to NYU. But I love acting, so I want to stay in L.A., so I can act at the same time," she said. So in 2012, she enrolled in the University of Southern California for film studies. But, in an interview with Kelly and Ryan, she revealed that she switched her major to psychology, just like her dad. She continued saying that for voice roles like "Despicable Me," she could work on the weekends while focusing on her studies. "When I'm at school, I focus on school," she said.
College had its ups and downs for Cosgrove. The downs included people taking pictures of her around campus without her consent, as she told ABC. However, fame at college wasn't all bad. "People come up to me and introduce themselves and it kind of opens the door... I feel like I'm not the kind of person that would just go up to somebody and introduce myself, so it's helped me in a lot of ways," she said.
She will now be an executive producer in the iCarly reboot
Fans know the "iCarly" reboot would involve more adult themes than the original, per Rolling Stone. The show will have original cast members returning like Jerry Trainor, Nathan Kress, and of course, Cosgrove herself. But fans say hello to new actors like Laci Mosley and Jaidyn Triplett (via IMDb).
In an interview with Complex, Cosgrove went in-depth on her feelings behind the revival, saying, "I'm in a whole different position now working on the revival than I was when I was a kid, because I'm actually an executive producer on it." She continued, "I've never done anything like this before, and it feels really good, going from being a kid on a show and not really having a whole lot of control over what my character did in episodes or anything like that, to now getting to be such a big part of the process." She ended saying, "I'm happy, and I'm grateful to have that opportunity to do it this way."
And so are fans as they get to see one of their favorite childhood stars return to the screen.