Jennette McCurdy's Answers to Your Questions!

As promised, we spoke to iCarly star Jennette McCurdy last week, and asked her many of the questions you posted as comments to this blog. Enjoy your interview!

Why did you get into acting?

I was inspired by Star Wars, actually. Harrison Ford was my biggest influence. He made me want to become an actor.

How did you get your part on iCarly? What did you have to do for your audition?

I had worked for the producer before, so I went in to audition and talk to them, and I was so excited. But then I found that the project was on hold, which was really disappointing. About a month later, I went before the network. That was nerve-wracking—it was just me and a bunch of people sitting around a big table. So that was on December 8, and on Dec 10th, I found out I got the part!

Do you get nervous at auditions?

I used to. I’d get so nervous, I would just pant…you know, like a dog! But now I just feel like what’s meant to happen will happen. I’m a lot calmer now.

How has your life changed since you’ve been on iCarly?

It’s changed way more than I expected. Every person under 15 comes over to me when I go out—it’s just so wild! I’ve been surprised at the age range, actually—adults recognize me too! I think it’s the nicest thing how many people come up to me. There’s been such a positive response from the show. At first it was, “Oh, Sam, oh, Sam…” But now I hear, “Jennette…” It’s kinda trippy. I expect it to be someone I know calling me, but instead it’s a kid who wants an autograph.

What are the pros and cons of being famous?

The pros…I get to meet so many cool people—and they’re so supportive of the show. I never would have gotten to meet so many people without it. And it’s the biggest compliment to be a role model for girls. The cons…there isn’t anything, really. The only thing I can think of is, if you’re running late and people come up to talk to you, then you’re going to be even later. Oh, also, you always have to watch how look, because you never know when someone is going to snap your picture and it will end up on the Internet. You can’t, like, go to the grocery store in your P.J.’s anymore because someone will catch you for sure.

Are you friends with the stars on iCarly?

We’re all really good friends we get along really well.

What is it like on the set?

It’s pretty hilarious. Jerry Trainor, who plays Spencer, just keeps us laughing all the time. We get tired and everything, because, well, it’s a lot of work—it’s harder than you’d expect. Jerry is awesome to have on set, he’s just so funny all the time.

Do the actors ever play funny pranks on each other on the set? And if you ever did, what was the best prank anyone pulled on you or you pulled on them?

We play pranks all the time! Jerry does the most. But one time I went up to Jerry’s dressing room and knocked on his door when he was sound asleep, and I said he was needed downstairs right away. He jumped up and went running out all panicked-like before he realized it was me—it was so funny. I just cracked up.

Have you ever had any friendship problems? How did you deal with them?

I’ve had my feelings hurt by a friend, but I realized at the time that she just didn’t understand how I felt. She didn’t really mean to hurt me. Sometimes you have to realize that maybe the friendship is worth more than one little argument.

How do you balance your acting life and your school life? Is it hard?

We have schooling on set so I can keep up with everything. We get taught for five hours Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on set. Thursday and Friday are shooting days. I do a lot of homework in the car because I spend about an hour and a half going up and two hours going home every day—my mom drives me. I do lots of writing on bumpy roads, so I’ve gotten really good at that! It is hard to balance everything, but doing well in school is super important to me.

What is your most prized possession?

My figure skates. I always find the time to skate because I love it so much. Lately I’ve been having trouble breaking in my new ones—they’re still kinda stiff—but if someone tried to get them away form me I’d fight for them for sure!

Have you had any really weird run-ins with any fans?

I was at the ice skating rink and this girl just started crying hysterically, which I thought was an interesting reaction. I was like…”Um…it’s just me, c’mon.” And one time I was walking past a school and all the kids were out for recess. One saw me and then they all ran over. They were screaming and they started poking papers and pencils through the fence, so I was signing all these autographs. I was so afraid the bell would ring before I got them all. I didn’t want to leave anyone out—I would have felt so bad if I’d missed anyone!

Do you have any advice for girls who want to get into acting?

First, you have to work so hard. You have to love it, and it has to be your first priority. You also have to have great support from your parents. Your parents have to be behind you a hundred—no, a thousand—percent. You can’t do it without them. Sometimes I think girls get the wrong idea about how easy it is.

How did you get your agent?

After I harassed my mom for a few years, she looked on the Internet, and then she sent out headshots and we interviewed with a bunch of agents until we found one that wanted to work with me and that we liked. It took a long time and it wasn’t easy at all. This is just the hardest business. On the other hand, I didn’t have any connections or anything, so it can be done.

What is the craziest video that has been sent in to iCarly?

There was a guy who had milk squirting out of his eyes. We’ve had some really talented kids send videos too, though, singing and playing guitar. And there was a girl doing rhythmic gymnastics that was really cool. We’ve been really impressed by a lot of them.

Thanks, Jennette! We love your show!

You can see Jennette on iCarly, Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon.

Behind the Scenes Winners

Earlier we asked you to vote for your favorite captions for this picture, and here are the winners. Congratulations to Cocoa who got 29% of the votes! Here’s who wrote what:

[Pink:] Oh! He’s so adorable! [Yellow:] That’s what you think! He’s got me in a headlock!
—Cocoa

[Pink:] Winning this monkey was a piece of cake! [Yellow:] It’s more the carrying part I’m having trouble with!
—Anonymous

[Pink:] Oh! Let’s pose for a picture! So romantic! [Yellow:] No way, Monica! He’s mine!
—Lucy

[Pink:] Hey, next time don’t get into a fight with a 6-foot-tall man over a banana milkshake! [Yellow:] Yeah! I mean, now we have to carry you to the vet because you broke your legs!
—Anonymous

[Pink:] Come on, smile! We just won this awesome prize! [Yellow:] Why must we be so good at games? This thing is killing me!
—Kelly

[Pink:] It’s my first time hugging a monkey! Please take a picture—and fast! [Yellow:] This monkey is going bananas!
— Hayley

Thanks to all who submitted captions for this picture. You can read all of the submissions here. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Behind the Scenes: Write and Vote!

Behind the Scenes! It’s in every issue of Discovery Girls, and it lets you see the Discovery Girls in action. And, of course, we try to make every photo funny!

The photo above is from the February/March issue. To find out what the captions are, check out page 15! But before you do, we also want to hear from you!

We want you to write the captions for this photo! In comments to this post, write what you think the girls should be saying. Please write your captions and your first name only (no last name, age, or state information. Comments including that information will be deleted immediately).

At the end of the week, we’ll post the funniest captions and you’ll vote for the winner!

So put on your caption-writing caps, girls! We want to hear from you!

Update: We are getting some great captions from you, girls! Here are a few tips for those of you who have yet to write your captions!

1. You may want to write: “Girl on the left says:” and “Girl on the right says:” Here’s a real DG behind-the-scenes secret: When we are writing the captions, that’s what we do before we decide on the final captions.

2. Think about sayings or words you and your friends use. Maybe Discovery Girls Monica and Zulfa are just chatting with a monkey (or, um, gorilla!) in the middle!

3. Have fun! Be creative with your comments. And you can submit multiple caption ideas so write again and again if you get inspired!

Remember: We won’t be posting the comments now but we WILL be posting the best and letting you vote at the end of the week. So keep the captions coming, girls!

Are You an Amazing Girl?

Are you a girl who takes charge and makes things happen? We’re looking for stories for Discovery Girls about girls who are out to change the world. Maybe you’ve started a business, raised money for a cause, or worked to change some injustice in your school or community. Tell us your story, and you might just see yourself on our pages!

Submit your story here.

A DG Exclusive: Jennette McCurdy Answers Your Questions!

iCarly star Jennette McCurdy revealed her most embarrassing moment in the February/March issue of DG! Check it out…

“I was running down the stairs in a scene—and I fell onto my back! It was clunk, clunk, clunk—and my arms were flailing! I knocked down everything in sight. It was just so insane! The cameras were still rolling so I had to pretend that everything was okay even though I thought I broke my pinky!”

Is there something you’d like to ask this talented star? DG is giving you the chance! Ask Jennette questions as comments to this post, and we’ll have her answer them!

Please use your first name only—comments featuring last names, ages, and states will be deleted immediately. Keep checking the DG Blog for Jennette’s answers to your questions. And we can’t wait to hear from you, girls!

Catch iCarly Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon.

Update - April 10:

Hey, girls! Sorry for the delay, but we had to re-schedule our interview with Jennette for a later date. We will be interviewing her soon with your questions and posting her answers as soon as we can!

Fab Girls Guides: Sticky Situations!

Hey, girls! It’s Laura!

As most of you know, I was an intern at Discovery Girls last summer, and I had the amazing opportunity of helping to create the Fab Girls Guides! The books are all ready for you to read now, and I’m so excited that you’ll finally get to see what we were working on all summer.

I loved working on all of the books, but the Fab Girls Guide to Sticky Situations was definitely my fav to brainstorm for. I can still remember Lyn and I sitting in Catherine’s office last June, wracking our brains to come up with every kind of sticky situation we’d ever been in. That’s right: So many of the situations in the book came straight from our middle school days! Most of the “stickies” happened to one of us—or to both of us!

What do you do when your crush doesn’t like you back? Or how about the time my best friend put my hair in crazy pigtails (they looked hideous!) for the eighth-grade dance? Or the time that Lyn sneezed in front of the entire class during her 5th grade state report? (Yeah—pretty bad!) And, of course, what do you when you spill something on your best friend’s (white!) carpet. And that’s just the beginning…

All of those situations were tough. I just wish the Fab Girls Guides to Sticky Situations had been around when I was your age! Life would have been so much easier!

Now I want to hear from you! What sticky situations have you been in? And what are some of your favorite sticky situations from the Fab Girls Guide to Sticky Situations? Let me know in comments to this post!

The DG Pet Issue: Justyce & May

What’s better than coming home from school and (yup!) playing with your pet?! Ohio Discovery Girl Justyce can count on her German Shephard, May, to…well…we’ll let her tell you herself!

“May can play hide and seek. After you count to 10, she’ll go into every room and sniff you out with her strong sense of smell. May is so special to me. She has attended some dog training and still whines a little when she wants attention, but she is a great dog, a great protector, and a great friend!”

What happens when you aren’t playing hide and seek with your pet, and it’s your pet that gets lost? Some of our readers told us about their “lost pet” experiences. Check it out:

“One day my friend and I were playing in the mud with my dog, Dakota. When it was time to clean up and go home, we started talking about school and forgot to grab her. Then, when we got home, we remembered her. We ran around freaking out because we could not find her anywhere! We both thought we had brought her home so we didn’t go back to the mud pile. We knocked on doors in the neighborhood asking about her and finally went back to the mud pile to retrace our steps. And there she was, sleeping under the shade of a tree, still covered in mud! We had told her to stay there before we had forgotten about her, and she had obeyed the command! Good dog, Dakota!”

“One day when I was really little, my cat Droste was missing. We couldn’t find her anywhere, and my mom put up signs all over the neighborhood. We were so worried about her! Then, the next day, my brother heard, ‘Meow!’ coming from upstairs. So he followed the noise. My cat had been in the closet with the door shut for over 24 hours! We figured she must have been resting in there when our housekeeper shut the door, not knowing she was inside!”

“When I was six years old I got my first cat, Missy. She was tiny, so we kept her in our computer room when we weren’t home. One day when I got home from school, I couldn’t find her anywhere, so I started searching everywhere I could think of and still couldn’t find her. I finally did find her sleeping under the covers on my bed! I’d already looked there but didn’t see her because she blended in with all of my stuffed animals!

Whew! We’re glad these pet stories all have happy endings…

Now we want your stories! Do you and your furry (or feathery) friend have a game you play together? Let us know the details in comments to this post!

Be a DG Star: Gloria's Tips!

Hi, girls!

It’s Gloria again! I hope you’ve had a chance to check out the February/March issue! I had such a blast working on it with the DG staff!

One of my jobs as a DG intern is to read all of your questionnaires, and I’ve read hundreds. I even helped choose the Nevada Discovery Girls! What do we look for in the DG questionnaires, and how can you make yours stand out? Read on, because I have tips!

Tip #1: Be Creative!
Why? Because it will set your questionnaire apart! Questionnaires that are presented in a cute, unique way stand out! One Discovery Girl made a scrapbook as her questionnaire, and pasted her answers on each page. Another drew illustrations to help explain her answers. One girl even used Photoshop to make her own Discovery Girls cover! If you put a lot of effort into your questionnaire and make it look different, we will definitely notice!

Tip #2: We Want Details, Details, Details!
Read the questions carefully, and then explain—with details—what you mean when you answer. Providing examples definitely help. For instance, if you write that your grandmother inspired you, let us know why. What did she do in her life, and what special times did you spend—or have you spent—together? Your dream is to become a pediatrician someday? Why did you choose that profession? You play five sports? What have you learned about yourself and your teammates by playing each sport, and are there ever days when you feel discouraged (or inspired)? Putting thought into your responses helps us to get to know the real you. So don’t be shy about writing down all of your thoughts and dreams! It will only help!

Tip #3: Include a Photo and a Parent’s Signature!
Remember to send a recent photo of yourself and have your questionnaire signed by a parent! We’ve had so many girls send in great questionnaires that didn’t come with a photo or a parent’s signature. Without both your picture and your parent’s signature, we can’t consider you to be a Discovery Girl, no matter how well you’ve answered the questions! So don’t forget to include the photo and the signature!

Some Bonus Tips…
Tell us about your embarrassing moments and Worst Day stories! Not only do these stories give you another chance to be in the magazine, they also give us more opportunities to get to know the amazing person that you are! The more you have to say, the better!

And Remember…
We read every questionnaire that we receive, so keep them coming girls! Start writing one by downloading it here. I know all of you girls will send in amazing questionnaires after reading my tips, so get started! Next stop is Tennessee!

Do you want to know anything else about becoming a Discovery Girl? Ask questions as comments to this post! I can’t wait to start reading all of your great questionnaires!

The DG Pet Issue: Clara & Gator

Ohio Discovery Girl Clara has learned a lot from her yellow lab, Gator. And they’ve been through some tough times together, too…

“When we bought Gator he was four years old and he lived near a river. His owner at the time named him Gator because he loved to play around in the water. Since he had this name for a while we decided to keep it. Gator is a huge dog, but he is very gentle. He can shake hands, play fetch, and, of course, he loves to swim. Gator has taught me to be nice to everyone because Gator is always nice to everyone he sees. Gator and I both went through Hurricanes Katrina and Ivan together. Gator hates thunderstorms, so it was very hard for him to stay calm during the big storms. We stayed by his side so he wouldn’t flip out and go crazy, which is what he usually does. Instead he stayed calm, with a few whines here and there. Now he knows that I’m here for him, so he doesn’t go as crazy when a thunderstorm comes!”

Don’t miss the February/March issue of Discovery Girls, on newsstands now!