Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy (born June 26, 1992)[1] is an American writer, filmmaker, former actress, and singer.

She also appeared in the television series Malcolm in the Middle (2003–2005), Zoey 101 (2005), Lincoln Heights (2007), True Jackson, VP (2009–2010), and Victorious (2012).

In 2022, she released a memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, which quickly topped bestseller lists and received critical acclaim for her description of the pressures she faced as a child star and the abusive behavior of her since-deceased mother.

McCurdy said that their house was "overwhelmed" with clutter and that she and her brothers slept on Costco trifold gymnastic mats in the living room because their "bedrooms [were] so filled with stuff that you [couldn't] even determine where the beds [were], let alone sleep in them".

[11] In 2000, at the age of eight, McCurdy started her acting career on the adult comedy sketch show Mad TV.

[12] She then appeared in several television series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Malcolm in the Middle, Lincoln Heights, Will & Grace, Zoey 101, True Jackson VP, Law and Order SVU, Medium, Judging Amy, The Inside, Karen Sisco, Over There, and Close to Home.

In 2008, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her work on the series and her performance as Dory Sorenson in the TV movie The Last Day of Summer.

[19][20] In McCurdy's 2022 memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, she describes incidents at Nickelodeon, such as when she was photographed in a bikini at a wardrobe fitting, and being encouraged to drink alcohol while underage by a person she identified as "the Creator".

[32] She eventually decided to quit acting and to pursue writing and directing in 2017:[33] "I never got the chance to be cast in a project I was proud to be part of.

[37] McCurdy revealed on the Empty Inside podcast, during an interview with actress Anna Faris, that she had retired from professional acting.

She became "ashamed" of the roles she had played in the past, and after seeking therapy in the late 2010s, McCurdy decided to quit acting.

[45] On April 16, 2010, samples of selected songs from McCurdy's upcoming debut country album were released online.

[51] Shortly after the release, McCurdy confirmed that she had left Capitol Nashville citing conflicts of a new series in which she was cast.

She has written eight pieces for the paper, on topics ranging from Shirley Temple[54] to body shaming and a corporate culture that she perceives as smoke and mirrors.

[58] McCurdy composed an article titled "Off-Camera, My Mom's Fight With Cancer", which was published in The Wall Street Journal in June 2011.

[63] Following the success of I'm Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House's Ballantine Books label.

[63] In 2020, McCurdy created and starred in a one-woman tragicomedy show, I'm Glad My Mom Died, in various theaters in Los Angeles and New York.

For the first time since she opened up publicly about her eating disorder in 2019, she posted a new video on YouTube where she sings about her personal implications of finding herself in quarantine due to the outbreak.

[65] In July 2020, McCurdy posted a video on her YouTube channel and social media where she sings about starting a podcast called Empty Inside that was released later that year.

[5] When she was two to three years old, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent several surgeries, chemotherapy, and a bone marrow transplant.

[73][62][74][75] McCurdy stated in an interview that she did not receive all of her payment from acting as a minor because her Coogan account was not properly filed.

[81] In the article, McCurdy describes the roles of her mother and the entertainment industry in causing and contributing to her eating disorders.

[84] In addition to her struggles with eating disorders, McCurdy is a recovering alcoholic, having begun drinking heavily shortly before her mother's death.