iCarly’s Nathan Kress Says There Was ‘A Lot of Story Left to Tell’ Before Shocking Cancellation
Nathan Kress wrote a sweet note to iCarly viewers following the show's shocking — and controversial — cancellation.
"Thank you all for your kindness, love, and undying support for these past 3 seasons," Kress, 30, wrote via X on Wednesday, October 4, shortly after the news made headlines. "I'm so grateful that we were given an opportunity to bring you this story ... and I especially want to thank our amazing crew, writers, and my castmates for the greatest workplace and creative environment I could ask for. I'm so proud of what we accomplished together."
The actor, who played the role of Freddie Benson, noted he isn't giving up hope for the future of the show.
"Freddie is forever in my heart, and I'm honored that I was able to put that mantle back on, even for just a few more years," Kress continued. "Obviously this stings a bit. … We had a lot of story left to tell, and we were excited to give you guys the ending you deserved. No one wanted this to end on a cliffhanger. Maybe somehow, someday, we'll find out how [the] story ends."
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iCarly originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2007 to 2012 and helped skyrocket Kress, Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy and Jerry Trainor to fame. The series focused on a teenager named Carly (Cosgrove) who created and hosted her own web show with help from her best friends.
The show was such a success that two spinoffs were later created. The first aired from 2013 to 2014 and followed McCurdy's character, Sam, in a crossover project alongside Cat from Victorious, played by Ariana Grande. The second show featured Noah Munck's character, Gibby, in a self-titled sitcom that followed him as he worked at a recreation center as a mentor to middle school students. A pilot was filmed but never aired, and the series was never picked up.
iCarly was revived by Paramount+ in 2021. Set nearly a decade after the events of the OG series, the new show followed Carly as she restarted her web show alongside roommate Harper (Laci Mosley) and Freddie.
Fans of the original show were surprised by the way the new iCarly finally committed to Freddie and Carly's romance. After two seasons of buildup, Freddie and Carly started dating in the most recent episodes and almost got married in the now–series finale.
"Love is patient. It was always gonna be Carly and Freddie ??," Kress wrote via X in June after the fictional couple got together.
That same month, Kress praised writer Kate Stayman-London for her approach to the pivotal episode. "For those who don't know, Kate here has played an integral role in Carly and Freddie's dialogue over the last 3 seasons," he added. "@_ksl did an exceptionally beautiful job on this episode, balancing the valid perspectives of two characters who have nearly 2 decades of very complicated history."
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Paramount+ subsequently canceled iCarly three months after season 3 ended.
“iCarly will not be returning for a fourth season on Paramount+. The series had a great three-season run and delivered on what fans really wanted to see with Carly and Freddie finally getting together,” a spokesperson for the streaming service told Us Weekly in a statement on Wednesday, October 4. “We want to thank the entire cast, the writers, directors and producers along with the whole crew for their dedication, creativity and talent.”
The final episode ended on a shocking note after Carly’s previously never-seen mother made an off-camera appearance. Paramount+'s official X account even took a poll after the episode, asking which actress fans would like to see cast in the coveted role.
