Los Angeles is buzzing with the announcement that Jennette McCurdyโs best-selling memoir, โIโm Glad My Mom Died,โ is set to be transformed into a series on Apple TV+. The series will feature renowned actress Jennifer Aniston, who will take on a role inspired by McCurdyโs own mother.
The 10-episode dramedy is penned by McCurdy along with film producer Ari Katcher. Both of them are stepping into the limelight as co-showrunners and will also act as executive producers together with Aniston, as revealed by Apple on Tuesday.
Jennette McCurdy, who launched her acting career at the tender age of 8, catapulted to fame co-starring alongside Miranda Cosgrove on Nickelodeonโs โiCarly.โ She later revisited her role as Sam in the spin-off โSam & Cat,โ opposite Ariana Grande. In her memoir, McCurdy shares the harrowing experiences of โemotional, mental, and physicalโ abuse at the hands of her mother during her formative years.
The forthcoming show is said to delve into the โcodependent relationshipโ between a young female actor starring in a popular kidsโ show and her โnarcissistic mother.โ The search for the perfect child star to embody the 18-year-old lead character, as described by Apple, is still underway.
Released in August 2022, McCurdyโs memoir provides a candid look into her journey through therapy, which she describes as crucial to processing the profound impact of her motherโs passing from cancer complications in 2013. The striking title of her memoir truly reflects her feelings, as McCurdy has explained.
โWith my motherโs death, Iโd swing between intense anger to deep sympathy,โ McCurdy expressed in a 2022 interview. โIโd feel compassion and sympathy and then just anger and rage.โ The complexities of an abusive relationship, she said, are indeed โmixed and messy.โ
McCurdyโs book also highlights the challenging dynamics of handling celebrity status while simultaneously dealing with her motherโs deteriorating health.
โBeing in the ambulance with my mother during a seizure and then seeing my face on a billboard felt like a cruel joke,โ McCurdy admitted. This poignant sentiment underscores the duality of her experiences.
Jennifer Aniston is no stranger to collaborations with Apple TV+, with her prior engagement being โThe Morning Show,โ a series in which she stars and also serves as an executive producer. The eagerly awaited fourth season of that show is scheduled to premiere on September 17.