The Short Answer
Miranda Cosgrove did not step away from acting after iCarly, and she did not quit to focus only on music.
After the original iCarly ended in 2012, she went to college, kept acting in film and television, kept voicing Margo in Despicable Me, and later returned as Carly Shay — this time also as an executive producer — in the iCarly revival on Paramount+ from 2021 to 2023.
As of November 2026, she is 33, still acting, and most recently starred in Netflix films including Mother of the Bride (2024) and The Wrong Paris (2025).
Credit: variety.com
Miranda Cosgrove: Quick Facts
- Full name: Miranda Taylor Cosgrove
- Born: May 14, 1993, in Los Angeles, California
- Age in November 2026: 33
- Best known for: Carly Shay in iCarly, Megan Parker in Drake & Josh, Margo in Despicable Me
- Education: University of Southern California (BA)
Before iCarly: How She Started
Cosgrove began acting as a child in television commercials. Her film debut came in 2003 as Summer Hathaway in School of Rock.
Her breakout television role came next, and it came before iCarly, not after it:
- 2004–2007: Megan Parker in Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh, the mischievous younger sister of Drake and Josh.
- 2007–2012: Carly Shay in Nickelodeon’s iCarly, the teenager behind a hit web show.
The old article got this order backwards when it said she “landed her own show on Nickelodeon, called Drake & Josh” after iCarly. Drake & Josh came first.
Why Did iCarly End?
The original iCarly ran for six seasons and ended in 2012. Cosgrove has said she had simply outgrown the show by then, after playing Carly from her early teens into young adulthood.
She did not leave because of a falling out with a co-star. Claims about her current friendship with Jennette McCurdy are not included here, because no reliable recent confirmation was found for this update.
After the show ended, Cosgrove started at the University of Southern California in fall 2012. She later graduated from USC.
What She Did After iCarly: The Timeline
2010–2012: Music and Margo
- 2010: Voiced Margo, the eldest of Gru’s adopted daughters, in Despicable Me.
- April 27, 2010: Released her debut studio album, Sparks Fly. It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and its lead single “Kissin U” reached No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- 2011: Released the EP High Maintenance.
- 2012: The original iCarly ended.
Her music career was real, but it was not a full replacement for acting. She released one studio album, Sparks Fly, plus EPs — not the three studio albums the old article claimed.
2013–2019: Film, Television, and College
- 2013: Returned as Margo in Despicable Me 2.
- 2015: Played Rose Halshford in the thriller The Intruders.
- 2016: Starred as Shea Moore in the NBC sitcom Crowded. The show ran for one season before it was cancelled.
- 2017: Voiced Margo again in Despicable Me 3.
- From 2019: Hosted the CBS educational series Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove.
The old article’s claim that she was “currently starring” in Crowded is years out of date. Crowded ended in 2016.
2021–2023: The iCarly Revival
In June 2021, Cosgrove returned as Carly Shay in the iCarly revival on Paramount+.
- The revival followed Carly as an adult, back in Seattle and rebuilding her web career.
- Cosgrove was not only the star. She was also an executive producer on the revival.
- Jerry Trainor returned as Spencer Shay, and Nathan Kress returned as Freddie Benson.
- The revival ran for three seasons, ending in July 2023.
- Paramount+ cancelled the show after season 3, leaving the story on a cliffhanger involving Carly’s mother.
Cosgrove has since said publicly that she hopes to wrap up the story in a movie. As of November 2026, no iCarly wrap-up movie has been officially confirmed, so this article does not present one as fact.
2024–2026: Despicable Me 4 and Netflix Films
- 2024: Returned as Margo in Despicable Me 4.
- 2024: Starred as Emma in the Netflix romantic comedy Mother of the Bride.
- 2024: Starred in Drugstore June.
- 2025: Starred as Dawn in the Netflix romantic comedy The Wrong Paris, and served as an executive producer on the film.
She has not retired from acting, and she has not disappeared from the spotlight. She has simply moved into adult leading roles, mainly in film and streaming, rather than weekly Nickelodeon television.
Her Full Career at a Glance
| Year | Project | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | School of Rock | Summer Hathaway |
| 2004–2007 | Drake & Josh | Megan Parker |
| 2007–2012 | iCarly (Nickelodeon) | Carly Shay |
| 2010 | Despicable Me | Margo (voice) |
| 2010 | Sparks Fly (album) | Herself |
| 2013 | Despicable Me 2 | Margo (voice) |
| 2016 | Crowded | Shea Moore |
| 2017 | Despicable Me 3 | Margo (voice) |
| 2021–2023 | iCarly (Paramount+ revival) | Carly Shay, executive producer |
| 2024 | Despicable Me 4 | Margo (voice) |
| 2024 | Mother of the Bride | Emma |
| 2025 | The Wrong Paris | Dawn, executive producer |
What the Old Article Got Wrong
The old version contradicted itself in almost every section. Those contradictions have been removed:
- Age: It called her 26, in her early twenties, and a current USC student at the same time. She was born in 1993, so she is 33 in November 2026, and she has graduated from USC.
- Net worth: It gave $18 million in one section and $10 million in another. No reliable, current source was found for either figure, so no net worth total is stated in this update.
- Show order: It placed Drake & Josh after iCarly. Drake & Josh (2004–2007) came before iCarly (2007–2012).
- Music: It claimed two or three studio albums and a worldwide tour career. She released one studio album, Sparks Fly, plus EPs.
- Acting status: It said she had stepped back from acting to focus on music. She kept acting throughout, including Crowded, Mission Unstoppable, the iCarly revival, and her 2024–2025 films.
- Film credits: It listed The School of Rock as a post-iCarly film and Grown-Ups as one of her films. School of Rock was her 2003 debut, before iCarly, and no verified Grown-Ups role was found.
- The $180,000 figure: The old article said she earned $180,000 for voicing Margo in Despicable Me 3. That figure is actually the widely reported per-episode rate for iCarly around 2010, not a confirmed voice-role fee. It has been removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Miranda Cosgrove married?
No reliable source confirms that she is married, and this update makes no claim about her current relationship status.
Did Miranda Cosgrove quit acting?
No. She balanced college with acting after 2012, returned to iCarly in 2021, and starred in films in 2024 and 2025.
Will there be an iCarly movie?
Cosgrove has said she hopes the revival’s cliffhanger will be wrapped up in a movie. No movie has been officially confirmed as of November 2026.
What is Miranda Cosgrove doing now?
Her most recent released work is The Wrong Paris (2025) on Netflix, following Mother of the Bride and Despicable Me 4 in 2024.
