Jennette McCurdy admits she’s “terrified” of being sucked back into celebrity culture

While appearing on Wednesday’s episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, the iCarly alumna – who has been promoting her memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died – spoke candidly about her concerns about being “caught.” to become in the whirlwind of showbiz” and explained why she’s confident she won’t let that happen.

Towards the end of the interview, Trevor Noah pointed out that McCurdy’s post-acting career consists of being “behind the camera,” including writing and directing, as well as hosting a podcast.

After noting that the entertainment world was “so toxic” for McCurdy but it’s now “come back in a different way,” Noah asked, “Do you ever worry it might suck you back in? And how do you keep yourself from leaving? back into that space of feeling like you’re defined by everything you once hated?”

“I was scared of that,” McCurdy, 30, replied after pointing out how much she “respects.”[s]” Noah. “There’s been a couple of times I’ve done a press not to be named where it’s so bizarre because I hear something like the pre-roll of, you know, they show something like that Clip from the past or whatever and it’s so dramatic.”

“It’s like, ‘McCurdy faded from the spotlight after her traumatic childhood with the devastation.’ It’s like, ‘Gosh, can we calm down?'” she continued, adding how she “walked out to this cold, dominant set” where the journalist had “three inches of makeup” on his face.

The former actress said that since it’s “easy to lose sight of reality in these environments,” she tries to “keep my feet on the ground and stay on top of therapy and stay in touch with things that.” are really good touchstones and grounding tools for me.”

“I don’t want to get lost in it,” she admitted, adding, “but I also have faith that I won’t.” I don’t think I had the tools before to not get lost in it and I don’t want to feel like I was caught up in the whirlwind of showbiz, but now I feel like, you know what? There are some elements that cool about it – like this one – and then there are some that aren’t, and that’s good. I can use my own judgment and just be thankful for the good experiences.”

McCurdy famously starred as Sam Puckett in iCarly, which ran from 2007 to 2012. She then reprized her role in the iCarly Victorious spinoff Sam & Cat opposite Ariana Grande.

In March 2021, the Nickelodeon graduate opened up about her decision to retire from acting, revealing that she quit years ago. Describing her career as “hell of hell,” McCurdy shared that she was “deeply miserable” and “rejecting” her life at the height of her “iCarly” fame.

A big factor in her decision to leave acting was the main reason she got into acting in the first place: her mother, Deborah, who wanted to be an actress herself, while McCurdy was against it from the start.

McCurdy has been open about her complicated relationship with her late mother — who died of breast cancer in 2013 — which allegedly consisted of emotional and physical abuse, including her mother “introducing” her with anorexia through calorie restriction.

McCurdy’s experiences and turbulent childhood became the subject of her dark one-woman comedy titled “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” and eventually her best-selling memoir of the same name, which she’s been promoting for the last month.

During the promotional tour, the former child star has revealed harrowing details about her allegedly abusive relationship with her mother and her difficult upbringing.

Last week, McCurdy appeared on the season premiere of “Red Table Talk,” in which she discussed the “psychological marriage” between her and her mother, as well as her dynamic after McCurdy moved out to live alone for the first time.

To see what she had to say and more revelations from the episode, click here.