Miranda Cosgrove Talks Life After ‘iCarly’

It may be just a kids show, but Nickelodeon's "iCarly" has become a big deal! First Lady Michelle Obama recently appeared on the half-hour comedy, and even Brad Pitt has revealed that he watches it regularly, recently telling People magazine, "'iCarly' is big in our house ... I know every episode." So, of course, Miranda Cosgrove, the 19-year-old actress who plays "iCarly's" title character has seen her star rise exponentially since the show, which is regularly the No. 1 program among kids in the ratings, first aired in 2007. (Her phone was "blowing up" with excited friends after the Pitt confession, she says.) Cosgrove is now the second-highest paid teen on TV (behind "Two and a Half Men's" Angus T. Jones), reportedly earning $180,000 per episode! But in a new interview with Teen Vogue, Cosgrove, now 19, admits that she can't help but feel torn about the role that made her famous and roles in more grown-up projects that might better reflect the young woman she's rapidly becoming. "It's weird when your biggest success is something that you're also trying to break out of," she explains to the magazine. But it's certainly possible that "iCarly," which is filming its fifth season, will end soon. 

"We don't know if we'll do more episodes," the teen queen says, adding that she hopes the show ends with the "awesome" Tina Fey playing her as yet-unseen mom. "I'm looking at this as the last season. Though we said that last year." Cosgrove's not sure what her next acting role will be, and she confesses that choosing one is difficult. "It's hard to find something that's a little bit edgy but that everyone can still watch," she says. "I'm waiting to find something right." Whatever happens in her career, Cosgrove has already revealed plans to attend college this fall at the University of Southern California at home in L.A. She initially thought about moving across the country from her family to attend new York University, but ultimately chose the nearby alma mater of her dad so she'll be closer to work. Not that her parents would have to worry about their little girl following in the footsteps of Lindsay Lohan and other child stars gone bad. "I'm not that rebellious," she notes. "There's a part of me that wishes I was that."