Based on the original hit sitcom, the Paramount+ comedy series iCarly is now in its second season, as it continues to follow Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove, who is also an executive producer on the project), her older brother Spencer (Jerry Trainor), their friend Freddie (Nathan Kress), Carly’s best friend Harper (Laci Mosley) and Freddie’s adopted stepdaughter Millicent (Jaidyn Triplett). Now in her 20s, Carly is still navigating work, a complicated romantic life and family, while also trying to figure out what her revived web channel should be and how she’d like it to represent her.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Cosgrove talked about how iCarly feels similar and how it feels different, all these years later, how much creative control she has now, the key to balancing this incarnation’s more adult themes with the heart of the original, how surprisingly emotional it was to step back onto the set for the first time, her love of the physical comedy, bringing back former cast members, and getting to reunite on-screen with Josh Peck. She also talked about why she loves being involved with the Despicable Me franchise, and what it’s meant to her to be a role model.
Collider: In what ways does making iCarly and playing Carly Shay feel exactly the same as it did the first time around and how does it feel different?
MIRANDA COSGROVE: It definitely feels similar in a lot of ways, more than I thought it was going to. For one thing, Carly is a little naive, in a good way. She’s really positive and always hopes that things are gonna go well, even though a lot of the time they don’t. And I feel like, on the original series, she went on a lot of dates that didn’t go well, or they didn’t go the way she thought they were gonna go. Even now that almost 10 years have passed, she’s still doing the same thing. She still goes on a lot of dates that just go in very weird direction, but she stays really hopeful. That whole side of Carly stayed the same, and it’s easy for me to fall right back into.
I would say one of the biggest changes is probably that, in the original series, her best friend was Sam, and now in this series, they don’t see other a lot and she has a new best friend, Harper. She has her own apartment and lives in the same building, but doesn’t live with Spencer anymore. She’s grown up, she’s branched out, and she’s trying new things with her web show. She gets a manager this season, for the first time, because she really wants to try to expand her audience of her show and take it more seriously, like it’s a business. It’s been really fun, getting to play the character again. I never thought that I’d get to play Carly as an adult.
When they came to you about bringing the show back, what was your reaction to that? Was it something that you were immediately on board with? Were there a lot of conversations to get you onboard? How did all of that play out?
COSGROVE: There were so many conversations. When I was first approached to do it, I initially thought that maybe it wasn’t a good idea because it hadn’t really ever crossed my mind. I didn’t think I’d ever be approached to do iCarly again. So many times when you make a revival or a reboot, or you try to recreate something that was special at one point in time, it just doesn’t go very well or it’s not received well and people seem disappointed. I think I was really scared to let down all those kids that are now my age, that really liked the original show. So, there was a lot of worry and fear involved, at first. And then, I called Jerry [Trainor] and I remember getting off the phone with him and it was one of the first times I felt like really good about it. We talked about doing this show and making sure it was actually more adult and that it was for the people that watched the original. That’s when things started really falling into place. Originally, when we were trying to recreate what the show used to be and have it be for younger people, that was a struggle. It didn’t feel like it was gonna be right. It’s fun getting to play the character this way and just getting to tackle some more mature themes that we never would’ve been able to, in the original show.
What does it mean to be a producer on the series now? What does that actually allow you to do and what are you enjoying about that, that you may not have even really expected or thought about, before doing it?
COSGROVE: It gives me a lot of creative control that I never had when I did the original series. I didn’t really have a say, at all, in the original. I started it when I was 13, and I was just really trying to do my job as well as I could. People would give me line readings and tell me everything to do, and I was just trying to execute it the exact way they told me. Now, I just have so much more say in the scripts and all the storylines, and I get to help edit the episodes. That’s been a really fun learning experience because I’d never edited anything in my life. So, just to get to be a part of all that, I’ve already learned so many new things. I’m just always worrying about the characters, especially my character. I know my character the best probably, so if things come up in the scripts that don’t seem like something I think Carly would do, I always really try to speak up. It’s the same with Jerry and Nathan [Kress]. They’re really protective of those characters and they know their characters better than anyone, so they do the same thing. I think that that helps a lot
As you get more involved in all those behind-the-scenes aspects, in that way, does it help you understand why some actors direct episodes of their own shows? Have you thought about that, now that you’ve had a lot more experience with all aspects of it?
COSGROVE: I do totally understand why people would enjoy doing that now, in a way that I probably didn’t understand before. Nathan has directed a bunch of episodes of the series, since we started the revival, and he really puts his heart and soul into it. I also think that, because he’s an actor, in a lot of ways, he knows how to communicate with me and Jerry. We’ve also known each other for so long. He just knows exactly how to get a note across or how to say things in the right way or make things make sense, since he started from the acting side of things. It could be really fun, someday, to try to direct an episode like Nathan has. I have so much respect for him when I see him direct because he has all these notes. He has to play his part on the show, and then he also has to keep everything completely in order, and he’s amazing at that
This show explores some adult feelings and emotions now, but at its core and at its heart, it is just a fun and funny show. What is the key to finding the balance in that humor for iCarly?
COSGROVE: I think that was a big challenge for us, when we first started, because we wanted the show to be a lot more adult, since it’s following adults now, but we didn’t wanna lose that whimsical, fun, unique weirdness and randomness of the original series. Sometimes it’s hard, towing that line, because you’re trying to make it mature, but you don’t wanna take away that thing that made it special. I feel like we’re always trying our best to put enough of the random stuff in and surprise people without it being too childish.
What was it like to step onto the set, the first day back, when you stepped back into this character and this show? Did you have a moment that was just surreal and you needed to take a minute to absorb it? What was that like, after so many years?
COSGROVE: It was really emotional, being on the set again, for the first time, and just seeing the sets. I didn’t even think about it. I was there a couple days before we were gonna start rehearsing, to do a fitting, and somebody said to me, “Have you looked at the sets?” I don’t know why, but I hadn’t really even thought about it. I got all excited to go look at them, but I didn’t think I was gonna feel just sad or happy. I just didn’t think all these emotions were gonna flood over me. I got out there to look at it and I was just standing there, and I basically grew up, my entire childhood was on that set, so to be standing there and seeing it, 10 years later, and also just knowing we were filming on it, it was a crazy feeling.
This is a show where you not only get to be funny with dialogue and jokes, but there is physical comedy and there are stunts involved. What do you enjoy about that aspect of comedy?
COSGROVE: I have a lot of fun. I love physical comedy. In real life, I feel like I’m more of an introvert and I’m awkward, but when I’m on set and we have some crazy physical comedy bit, like in this season, I had to jump on Jerry’s back and he had to run all over the set with me on his back, that was one of the most fun things. It just ended up being crazy and silly, and we did it 10 times. I think I like it because I never do that stuff in real life, so it’s fun to get to do it for this show. You get to put yourself in these positions and situations that you never normally would be in. There was an episode this season where Spencer and Carly are invited to be on a game show, kind of like The Amazing Race, and they’re team. I got to take cantaloupes and put them in this gigantic slingshot type thing, and try to hit targets with cantaloupes. That was one of the most fun times I had, the whole season, because the whole point was possibly hitting Jerry with one of the cantaloupes. I had so much fun doing that with him. We got to be outside and pretend like we were on this game show together. Sometimes it’s doesn’t feel like a job at all, and it’s just a really good time.
You also get to have a bit of a reunion with Josh Peck this season, with him making a guest appearance. What was it like to have him come on the show? What do you enjoy about working with him, especially as fellow actors who grew up in this business?
COSGROVE: That’s another nostalgic thing for me because, when I first started acting, the first job I ever got was Drake & Josh. I watched The Amanda Show when I was little, so I knew exactly who Drake and Josh were, and I remember being so excited when I got to do the screen test for the show because I got to meet Josh. He’s just such a staple in my life. I’ve known him ever since I was little. So, to have him be on iCarly, and he’s playing Carly’s manager in multiple episodes this season, it was just so nice, getting to be back on set with him again. I’m really close with his wife, Paige, and to get to see his son and play with his son, it was awesome getting to work with him again.
I love that you even get to bring the doorman for the original series back for an episode, and that episode is particularly entertaining. What was it like to bring him back and how much fun was it to shoot that whole episode?
COSGROVE: It was so fun getting to Jeremy [Rowley] again. He is hilarious. I don’t wanna give too much away, but that episode was really fun. You get to see a different side of Lewbert that you’ve never seen before. And also, Mrs. Benson, in the old episodes of the show, had a little affair with Lewbert, and we touch on that in episode that he’s in. It was fun. It was really cool, getting to see him. We got to figure out what our characters are doing, almost 10 years later. That’s one of the most fun things about getting to do this, and it’s the same thing with all the guest stars coming back, getting to see where their lives have led them.
Another character that you’ve gotten to return to is Margo, from the Despicable Me franchise. You’ve gotten to do the movies and you’ve even gotten to be a part of a ride for Universal Studios. What has that project and character meant to you?
COSGROVE: It’s very similar to iCarly for me because when I started Despicable Me, I was 13, the same age as iCarly. It’s just been awesome that it’s something that has been loved by so many people. I know people love the Minions and it’s something that makes people happy, so I’m really proud to get to be a part of it. And to get to still play the character, even now that I’m older, has been an awesome experience. I’ve known all the crew members and the people that work on those movies since I was a little kid. It really is kind of the same situation. I just feel really lucky to get to be a part of things that people loved when they were young, and that still make people happy.
You’ve been a role model for young women, and young people in general, for a long time now. How has it been to grow into that? When did you realize the significance of what that really meant for your fans, and how has that changed for you, now that you’re older?
COSGROVE: I’ve thought about it, throughout my life, a decent amount. I’m not sure that it made me change a lot of my overall decisions in my life, but I do think when I was younger, especially anytime I was about to make a big decision, I’d always think, “What are the people that watch the show gonna think? Is this the right choice for me?” I’m happy that it’s never really been a thing for me to try to come up with something to make myself seem a lot more mature. I feel like a lot of young actors and singers, and just young people, once they get older, really wanna branch out of being seen as a kid. I don’t wanna be seen as a kid, at all. I’m 28. But I also never really felt a lot of pressure to try to pretend I was wilder than I am, or do something crazy to try to age myself up more. I’m just happy to be a part of the things that I’ve been able to do and I’m just trying to enjoy it, as much as possible.
iCarly is available to stream at Paramount+.