I recently read Jennette McCurdy’s memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” released in August. The book dives into the life of a child actor and her struggles of living with an abusive mother while also being famous. It discusses her journey of overcoming an eating disorder and addiction while constantly being in the public eye. The book received high praise and raving reviews with a 4.9 rating and is a New York Times Best Seller. I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions on the book so you can decide whether or not to read it as well.
The memoir begins when Jennette is six-years-old when her mother first approached her about acting. She immediately showed no interest in the hobby but feels her life mission is simply to please her mom. So, she does just that throughout most of her acting career. Even after her mother’s death from cancer, Jennette was not able to escape her mother’s toxic and overbearing behavior. Only after years of therapy and rehab was she able to feel in control of her own life.
Jennette recounts her eating disorder beginning at the age of 11 when it is forced upon her by her mother in order to look younger and book more roles. As things get harder in her life, the eating disorder worsened and became more difficult to deal with. This book goes into great detail about ED and addiction, so keep that in mind before reading.
This book was the first time I really thought about how difficult it must have been for child actors, especially in the environment created by Nickelodeon. The recent light shed on Dan Schneider, producer of iCarly, Sam and Cat, Victorious, and many other super popular shows, displayed the inappropriate and uncomfortable situations these stars were put in for the sake of fame. Jennette described a man she met many times whom she refers to as “The Creator” (speculated to be Schneider) in which he screamed at her and other actors, touched her inappropriately, and offered her alcohol underage. Recently, Zoey 101 star, Alexa Nikkolas, also spoke out about her negative experiences with Schneider while being a child actor. This has also been highlighted by iconic Disney stars like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato and how the pressures of fame pushed them to eating disorders and drug addiction.
Watching these shows growing up, it’s everyone’s dream to star in their favorite movie or TV show. You don’t realize at that time the conditions that these actors could be working under. Having to do this in their teens, such an important time in life in terms of growth, can lead to serious mental and physical struggles.
These actors speaking out about their experiences can be hard to hear as fans of their work but are necessary in order to cause change for present child actors. If you would like to learn more about this topic, I highly recommend reading Jennette McCurdy’s book and checking out her podcast “Empty Inside.”