Jennette McCurdy

McCurdy was raised in Garden Grove, California, with her three older brothers, Marcus, Scott, and Dustin. Her mother, Debra McCurdy, homeschooled the children and encouraged Jennette to pursue acting after recovering from breast cancer. Debra died from breast cancer in 2013, when Jennette was 21.

In her memoir and related interviews, McCurdy described her relationship with her mother as abusive and controlling. She wrote that her mother pushed her into acting as a child, introduced her to calorie restriction, and subjected her to invasive examinations. McCurdy also described struggles with anorexia and bulimia beginning at 11, later saying that she considered herself fully recovered from disordered eating.

McCurdy briefly dated professional basketball player Andre Drummond in 2013. She has no children.

McCurdy began acting at age eight with an appearance on Mad TV in 2000 and subsequently took guest roles in programs including Malcolm in the Middle, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Zoey 101, True Jackson, VP, and Lincoln Heights. Her breakthrough came with iCarly, in which she played Sam Puckett from 2007 to 2012. The role earned her four Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and several other award nominations.

She reprised Sam in the 2013-2014 spin-off Sam & Cat, starring opposite Ariana Grande, who played Cat Valentine. McCurdy also portrayed Sam's twin sister Melanie in episodes of both series. After Sam & Cat ended, she appeared in projects including Between, Pet, Little Bitches, Fred: The Movie, and Swindle.

McCurdy later said that she had been pushed into acting as a child and had become ashamed of many of her roles. She declined to reprise Sam Puckett when iCarly was revived for Paramount+ and confirmed that she had retired from professional acting.

McCurdy moved toward writing and directing during the late 2010s. She created, wrote, produced, edited, and starred in the web series What's Next for Sarah? in 2014, playing Sarah Bronson in a story loosely based on her life.

She wrote and directed the short films The McCurdys, Kenny, The Grave, and Strong Independent Women. The projects explored subjects including childhood, family dysfunction, grief, and eating disorders. Her character-driven work was recognized by film festivals, including the Oscar-qualifying Florida Film Festival.

Her memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died was published by Simon & Schuster in 2022. It discusses her childhood acting career, her relationship with her mother, and her experiences in the entertainment industry. The book spent eight weeks at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, won the Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography, and received the 2023 American Library Association Alex Award.

McCurdy is creating, writing, executive producing, and showrunning an Apple TV series loosely inspired by I'm Glad My Mom Died, with Jennifer Aniston attached to star. Her debut novel, Half His Age, was published in 2026.

McCurdy pursued country music while acting on Nickelodeon. She released her debut single, "So Close," in 2009 and signed with Capitol Records Nashville that year. Her first extended play, Not That Far Away, followed in 2010.

Her second single, "Generation Love," reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. She released a self-titled extended play and her debut studio album, Jennette McCurdy, in 2012 before leaving Capitol Nashville.

In 2020, McCurdy created and performed the one-woman tragicomedy I'm Glad My Mom Died in Los Angeles and New York. The stage production was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in Los Angeles in 2021.

She launched the podcast Empty Inside in 2020 and began hosting Hard Feelings in 2023. The podcasts extend her later creative focus on difficult emotions, personal experiences, and the transition away from acting.