Deleted Scenes From Nickelodeon Shows The Network Couldn’t Show Us – Looper

While Miranda Cosgrove began “iCarly” already a Nickelodeon star thanks to her role as Megan in “Drake & Josh,” the series also introduced audiences to two new faces: Nathan Kress and Jennette McCurdy. Kress played Freddie, Carly’s next-door neighbor who pines for her affection, resulting in him agreeing to help her and Sam (McCurdy) produce a web series together. Although Freddie eventually has an unlikely romantic storyline with Sam, he spends most of the show crushing over Carly.

In fact, this character detail led to Kress being nixed from a “Drake & Josh” episode in its fourth season. The episode, “Battle of Panthatar,” takes place at a classmate’s sweet 16 party, which Drake and Josh attempt to infiltrate. Another attendee of the party is played by Kress, who, similarly to Freddie, unsuccessfully tries to flirt with Megan. However, by the time the episode was set to air, Kress had been cast in “iCarly,” resulting in his scenes being cut, albeit Kress can be spotted in the background of some scenes. 

Kress would later cite his appearance, or rather lack of, in “Drake & Josh” as a turning point in his career, telling Scholastic that thanks to his performance, the “iCarly” creator “realized [he] fit the part to play Freddie.” It’s quite fortuitous for Kress, who continues to play Freddie in the Paramount+ “iCarly” reboot which carries on his will-they-won’t-they with Carly.