Ariana Grande, the multifaceted pop sensation known for her powerhouse vocals and charismatic presence, recently delved into her formative years as a Nickelodeon star on the latest episode of Podcrushed, hosted by Penn Badgley, her co-star in a recent music video.
During the candid conversation, Ariana opened up about her early days as a child star and her complex relationship with fame, reminiscing about her time portraying Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and Sam & Cat alongside Liz Gillies.
Reflecting on her audition for Victorious at the tender age of 14, Ariana recalled the excitement and thrill of landing the role alongside Liz Gillies, describing it as a dream come true for two young performers deeply passionate about their craft.
“We were young performers who just wanted to do this with our lives more than anything, and we got to, and that was so beautiful. I think we had some very special memories, and we feel so privileged to have been able to create those roles and be a part of something that was so special for a lot of young kids,” Ariana reminisced fondly.
However, amidst the nostalgia, Ariana addressed the current discourse surrounding former child actors and the challenging environments they often faced, alluding to allegations and the controversial documentary Quiet on Set. She spoke of how it’s been “devastating” to hear the stories from fellow former child actors, and referred to them as “survivors.”
She is advocating for safer working conditions and mental health support in the industry.
“I think the environment needs to be made safer if kids are going to be acting, and I think there should be therapists. I think parents should be allowed to be wherever they want to be, and not just on kids’ sets” she asserted, emphasizing the importance of mental health care for young performers. “If anyone wants to do this, or music, or anything at this level of exposure, there should be in the contract something about therapy is mandatory twice a week or thrice a week.”
Ariana highlighted the role of Max Martin, a respected figure in the music industry, in providing crucial support for those in the spotlight.
“I was actually talking to Max Martin about this the other day, because he was always such an amazing person to talk to about the stressful parts of what I was experiencing,” she revealed, underscoring the need for mentorship and guidance for young artists navigating fame. “And he was just amazing, but a lot of people don’t have the support that they need to get through being a performer at that level at such a young age…the environment just needs to be made a lot safer all around and like I said I’m still in real time reprocessing my relationship to it.”
Despite the challenges, Ariana acknowledged the positive aspects of her Nickelodeon experience, particularly the bond she formed with Liz Gillies and the joy of fully embodying her character. “Liz and I got to fall in love with these characters that we created, and learn what it feels like to be so in a character that you can’t separate yourself from it,” Ariana reflected warmly. “But yeah, the rest of it is still being worked on.”
She also expressed reservations about certain aspects of the show, particularly regarding the content and humor that pushed boundaries.“Specifically about our show, I think that was something that we were convinced was the cool thing about us — is that we pushed the envelope with our humor,” Ariana admitted, reflecting on the innuendos and content that sometimes crossed into controversial territory.
Looking back, Ariana shared candidly, “And the innuendos were… it was like the cool differentiation. And I don’t know, I think it just all happened so quickly and now looking back on some of the clips I’m like, ‘Damn, really? Oh s–t’…and the things that weren’t approved for the network were snuck on to like our website or whatever…I guess I’m upset, yeah.”
As Ariana continues to evolve as an artist and public figure, she remains introspective about her past experiences and advocates for greater transparency and support within the entertainment industry, particularly for young talent navigating the complexities of fame and visibility.
