What's next for Carly Shay and the gang? Miranda Cosgrove talks about the plans she has for the iCarly revival. You're going to want to see what she has to say.
 |
| Lisa Rose/Paramount+ |
In five, four, three, two...
iCarly is back. This time Spencer's rich, there was a sex work storyline and apparently Freddie can swear?
The beloved Nickelodeon sitcom, which originally aired from 2007–2012, returned with an adult-version this past June. Now, while the cast, including Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress, film season two, Miranda says Carly Shay is "figuring out what she wants her web show to be."
Plus, there's some news that will have you yelling, "Hug me, brotha!" as Miranda revealed that there's "a really good chance" her former
Drake & Josh co-star, Josh Peck will be making an appearance this season.
Check out Miranda's interview with
E! News below!
E! News: You're back! What was the first day like?
Miranda Cosgrove: It was crazy being back because the sets all looked the same but a little bit different so it's kind of like The Twilight Zone. All the memories just came back once we were walking around and I didn't really think it was going to be super emotional for some reason, I thought I was just going to be more excited, like, "Oh, we get to see it again," but once I was standing on the set, I felt so many emotions.
E!: What can you tell us about season two? And perhaps a season three or four?
MC: I'd love to see the show go on at least for three or four seasons. I feel like we're really getting into the groove this season—because the first season was about introducing the new characters on the show and establishing where the old characters are now that it's been 10 years.
E!: Which cast members would you like to see return?
MC: Boogie who played T-Bo on the show who works at the Groovy Smoothie. I'd love that if he came back. We
had Jeremy [Rowley] who plays Lewbert on the show, he was like the crazy doorman, we just shot an episode with him. I'm really open to anybody from the original coming back. Anytime somebody comes and makes a cameo, I think it's really fun.
E!: What about Josh Peck?
MC: Yeah, it's funny that you said Josh, because I think there's a really good chance that he's gonna be in the second season that we're filming right now.
E! No way! Can you tell us a little more about that?
MC: I don't know exactly what the character is gonna be, but you know, Josh and I are friends, and he was nice enough to say he'd do an episode.
E!: What do you see for Carly Shay in the future?
MC: I feel like in the second season she's kind of really figuring out what she wants her web show to be. She doesn't want it to be exactly like it was before. So that's just been fun finding what kind of crazy sketches and things you would do as an adult, versus what we did when we were little.
 |
| Paramount Plus |
E!: What is one of the wildest things that you remember happening in between takes?
MC: We always had like, goo on our faces. There was an episode where we had to shove blueberries up our noses and then breathe really hard so that the blueberries shot out. I definitely remember practicing that a bunch times, which is super weird. And oh, we had to like dunk our heads into ice buckets. I got to do that when I was, like, 13 or 14 and Jeanette and I did it, like, 20 times, so I've never forgotten that.
E!: How about the reboot? Any crazy stories yet?
MC: Most of the bloopers, even on the old show and now, are just like Jerry Trainor making everybody laugh. Like this season, he'd rollerblade around for a whole episode and we never knew when he was going to fall because he's really tall and not coordinated on roller skates at all.
E!: What is the biggest thing that when you came back that you were like, "Ah, I really missed this?"
MC: Jerry's awesome personality and how fun he is to work with and also Nathan Kress. He's like one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He's just so responsible and he's always, like, 30 minutes early to work and has all of his notes for the script already written out way ahead of time. Also getting to work with Laci [Mosley] mostly and Jaden Triplet. I kind of feel like I've come full circle working with Jaden who's 10 and when I started iCarly I was, like, 12 so it's just kind of crazy being Jerry's age working with a kid now in this version.
E!: Who would you say on the show is most similar to the character they play?
MC: I would say Jerry Trainor. I mean, Nathan's character, Freddie, is very responsible and a really good person and that's like Nathan. I guess we're all kind of similar to our characters in some ways. But, yeah, I go with Jerry the most.
E! In which ways are you and Carly similar?
MC: I'd say we're different because I think Carly's a lot more outgoing than me. I would probably describe Carly as like an extrovert and me as an introvert. I kind of relate to her in that she kind of like stumbles through life hoping for the best but, like, crazy things are just always happening around her.
E!: It looks like Carly will have to pick between two of her love interests— so are you personally Team Wes or Team Beau?
MC: Personally on Team Wes because I feel like he has more substance. They kind of write the Beau character like he's sort of just head in the clouds, has a rich dad and is just like loving life. But I don't know if I'd want Carly to end up with either of them in the long run.
E!: Your showrunner has said that she wants to do an episode where you tackle what it's like to be a woman on the internet. What would that look like?
MC: Hopefully we're gonna do that this season. I sort of feel like a lot of the episodes at least touch on what it's like being a woman on the internet because we did an episode last season where it's all about Carly getting excited because a meme goes viral that she's a part of, but then she realizes all the ways it actually hurts the people around her.
E!: Meanwhile, you're using your notoriety for good. What made you want to team up with HP's Girls Save the World?
MC: I have six animals currently, four of them are fosters, so I've always loved animals ever since I was little and I think that kind of led me here. I'm super excited to be working with HP on this campaign because it's just all about getting young girls to find their voice and letting them know how much potential they have to come up with ways to change the world.
iCarly season 2 premieres 2022 on Paramount+. Season one is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+.
Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!
Miranda Cosgrove talks 'rewarding' reboot of 'iCarly', hits Forbes 30 under 30
Actress Miranda Cosgrove is a familiar face in Hollywood — first hitting the big screen at age 10 in "School of Rock."
Now, at age 28, Cosgrove is an executive producer, climate change advocate and just made the Forbes 30 under 30 list for the class of 2022, following a successful launch of the highly-anticipated "iCarly" reboot on Paramount+ (VIAC).
"It's been an awesome experience," Cosgrove told Yahoo Finance — noting her growth from a nervous 13-year-old actress to a confident executive producer on the relaunched series.
"I'm just getting to do a lot of things I never thought I'd get to do...it's been really rewarding," she continued.
According to Forbes, Cosgrove's career took off following the 2007 debut of "iCarly" on Nickelodeon. By 2012, she was earning $180,000 per episode, making her the world's highest-paid child actor (a Guinness World Record that still stands today.)
Since the show has transitioned from cable television to streaming, Cosgrove said she appreciates the greater access to fans, noting her own obsession with the streaming revolution.
"There are just so many shows and so many things to watch, and I'm the type of person that likes to consume everything. I love watching shows. So I pretty much have all the streaming services," she said.
The Hollywood starlet added that with iCarly "it's all about just trying to make people laugh and really trying to make the original fans of the original series happy. That's always kind of been our guiding light."
'So many new rules because of COVID'
As Hollywood works to get back on its feet, another COVID variant has once again disrupted the industry — but Cosgrove said Tinseltown has prepared for this, noting a plethora of precautions that the "iCarly" cast and crew must follow daily.
"We started the first season right in the middle of the pandemic. We were just all so excited to get to come out of our houses and all be together, but it didn't seem like too big of a deal given all the precautions that we had to take," Cosgrove said.
On-set safeguards included daily testing, mask/shield wearing when not filming, constant hand washing and more.
"There's just so many new rules because of COVID," she continued, proudly adding that nobody on set has come down with the virus so far.
Climate activism to 'make a huge difference'
As COVID-19 headwinds mount, climate change remains another major threat to the global economy.
At COP26 in Glasglow earlier this month, world leaders vowed to move the globe closer to averting a climate disaster, but business leaders and climate scientists say it still may not move the needle enough.
Cosgrove is doing her part to help bridge that gap — partnering with HP's 'Girls Save the World' program. The program, which operates in partnership with MIT's Solv[ED] Youth Challenge platform, gives young girls the opportunity to promote environmental advocacy and social entrepreneurship in their own lives.
"I'm really excited to be working with HP on something so cool...[this campaign] is all about getting girls from the ages of 13 to 18 to come up with ideas to help the environment in their local communities," she told Yahoo Finance.
"It's all about bringing girls together, letting them know that their voices can be heard that they can make a huge difference in the world," she continued.
A self-proclaimed animal advocate (she's currently fostering six pets!), Cosgrove said she became passionate about the environment at an early age after working with Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservation organization.
Today, the actress says she is careful about who and what she chooses to support — hence why 'Girls Save the World' is such a vital cause to her.
"Being in the entertainment business from a young age, as you get older, you're very careful what you attach your name to because you realize how important that is," she said.
###
More Nick: Paramount Plus Renews Hit Series 'iCarly' for a Second Season!
Originally published: December 09, 2021.
