The success of his daughter on the big screen and in other undertakings gives Mark McCurdy, the father of the well-known TV star, Jennette McCurdy of iCarly fame, a cause for pride and happiness. However, his life has not always been a bed of roses.
While grieving his deceased wife, the celebrity dad had to deal with a devastating discovery regarding the paternity of his kids. Having shared the news with his daughter, it was an emotionally wrenching discovery for the famous actress, which took her a couple of years to deal with and finally speak about publicly.
But who is Jennette McCurdy’s father? In this article, we explore details regarding the life, career, and family of Mark McCurdy.
Mark McCurdy’s biography
Mark McCurdy, born on December 26, 1957, is the father of the renowned American producer, director, former actress, writer, and singer, Jennette McCurdy. He resides in New Jersey and is of Caucasian ethnicity.
McCurdy’s life journey has been marked by both ups and downs. In 2013, tragedy struck as McCurdy’s wife, Debra, passed away after several years of battling breast cancer.
Following Debra’s death, a subsequent revelation would go on to have a huge impact on his daughter’s life. McCurdy shared with Jennette that he was not her biological father, but rather a man named Andrew. McCurdy revealed to Jennette that her late mother had been in a relationship with the said man while she was still married to him.
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Having dealt with years of emotional distress caused by this news, Jennette finally opened up about this sensitive topic in 2022, during her interview on Jada Pinkett and Willow Smith’s Red Table Talk.
As a result of McCurdy’s private way of living, not so much is known about his personal life or his current endeavours, aside from being the father of a renowned TV star.
Mark McCurdy’s career
There is limited information regarding McCurdy’s career. However, according to his daughter’s Wikipedia page, McCurdy previously worked two jobs to provide for his family back in the day.
Mark McCurdy’s net worth
Although McCurdy’s net worth is not known, his daughter, Jennette McCurdy, has an estimated net worth of $3.5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Mark McCurdy family
Mark McCurdy was married to the late Debra McCurdy, and the pair raised four children: Jennette McCurdy, Dustin McCurdy, Marcus McCurdy and Scott McCurdy. Of all four children, Jenette is the most famous,
McCurdy’s daughter, Jennette, and her siblings were brought up in Garden Grove, California, within a relatively modest family. The family attended The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although they eventually left the church. McCurdy’s wife, Debra McCurdy (1957–2013), took charge of homeschooling her four kids.
When Jennette was between the ages of two and three, her mother received a diagnosis of breast cancer and went through multiple surgical procedures, chemotherapy sessions and a bone marrow transplant. In 2010, her mother’s cancer resurfaced. After a battle spanning 17 years, Debra succumbed to the illness on September 20, 2013.
This entire period was a profoundly challenging time for their family. After her death, McCurdy got to know that Jennette was not his biological daughter.
During those trying circumstances, Jennette penned an article detailing her mother’s experiences and the family’s journey.
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Jennette McCurdy
At the age of eight in 2000, McCurdy’s daughter, Jennette, embarked on her acting journey. She then made appearances in several TV series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Malcolm in the Middle, Lincoln Heights, Will & Grace, Zoey 101, True Jackson, VP, Law and Order SVU, Medium, Over There and Close to Home.
She also appeared in the 2003 film, Hollywood Homicide. Her performance in Strong Medicine earned her a nomination for a Young Artist Award for “Best Performance in a Television Series—Guest Starring a Young Actress” in 2005. She also took part in a Sprint commercial.
From 2007 to 2012, Jennette portrayed “Sam Puckett” in the Nickelodeon series, iCarly. In 2008, she was nominated for a “Young Artist Award” for her work on iCarly and her role as “Dory Sorenson” in the TV movie The Last Day of Summer. She got a Teen Choice Award nomination in the “Favourite TV Sidekick category” for her role on iCarly in 2009. Jennette was featured as “Bertha” in Fred: The Movie, a film based on a YouTube series about Fred Figglehorn.
In June 2008, Jennette announced plans to release her first album. On March 10, 2009, she released “So Close”, her debut song. Additionally, she released a rendition of Amanda Stott’s song “Homeless Heart” in honour of her late friend, Cody Waters, and donated 20 per cent of the sales to the Cody Waters Foundation. Jennette received record deal offers from Big Machine Records and Capitol Records Nashville in the middle of 2009.
She joined Capitol Nashville, and in April 2010, she released song samples from her debut country album. With the highest votes, the song “Not That Far Away” was chosen as her debut radio single.
In the Nickelodeon series Sam & Cat, Jennette reprised her role as “Sam Puckett”, while Ariana Grande played “Cat Valentine”. On June 8, 2013, Sam & Cat made their debut. The show was subsequently cancelled in 2014. In 2015, Jennette joined the cast of the Netflix drama series, Between.
According to Jennette, the close relationship she had with her mother, which the actress described as “the core of my existence”, has been seen as damaging. The actress detailed occurrences from her time at Nickelodeon in her 2022 autobiography, I’m Glad My Mom Died, including being photographed in a bikini and being urged to use alcohol while underage by someone she referred to as “the Creator”. She turned down Nickelodeon’s $300,000 offer to remain silent about her experiences when Sam & Cat was cancelled.
She made it known that she was emotionally and sexually abused by her mother. When Jennette was six years old, her mother urged her to pursue acting, motivated by both the need to earn money for the family and her unmet desire to be an actress. Jennette claimed that her mother had a strong obsession with making her a celebrity. She also explained how her mother, who introduced her to the idea of calorie restriction when she was only 11 years old, contributed to the development of her eating issue.
Mark Mccurdy age
McCurdy was born on December 26, 1957. He is currently 65 years old and will be 66 in 2023.
Mark McCurdy’s Instagram
McCurdy does not have a social media presence. He has no active Instagram handle and stays off the media’s radar. However, his daughter, Jennette, has 8.5 million followers on Instagram currently.
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