Who Are Miranda Cosgrove's Parents? All About Chris And Tom Cosgrove

Miranda Cosgrove, best known for her role in iCarly and the Despicable Me franchise, has always credited her parents, Chris and Tom Cosgrove, for keeping her grounded throughout her rise to fame.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Nov 07, 2024 | 02:47 PM IST | 75.9K

Miranda Cosgrove (via Instagram/Miranda Cosgrove)

Miranda Cosgrove, the beloved star of iCarly and Despicable Me 4, has built a successful career in Hollywood, but she remains deeply connected to her roots.

A big part of her steady rise in the entertainment industry is her close relationship with her parents, Chris and Tom Cosgrove. Miranda has always credited her parents for keeping her grounded throughout her career. Here's all about Miranda Cosgrove's parents.

Miranda’s early life and career beginnings

Miranda Cosgrove was born on May 14, 1993, in Los Angeles to parents Chris and Tom Cosgrove. Her journey into acting started at a young age. At just 3 years old, Miranda was discovered by an agent, marking the beginning of her Hollywood career.

However, Chris and Tom weren’t initially convinced about her entering the entertainment industry. They had concerns about the pressures and challenges of such a life but eventually agreed to allow her to pursue acting, seeing it as an opportunity to save money for her college education.

“We had a big plan when we decided to do this,” Chris stated in an interview with The New York Times. “Our goal was to get money for college.”

This decision would prove to be the right one as Miranda soon landed her breakout role in School of Rock, where she played the role of a smart, precocious student. Her career quickly took off, with subsequent roles in Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh and iCarly, where she became a household name.

By 2010, Miranda was named the highest-paid child actress on television by Guinness World Records, a remarkable achievement in such a competitive industry.

Chris and Tom’s role in keeping Miranda grounded

Despite Miranda’s rapid rise to fame, Chris and Tom have always worked hard to maintain a sense of normalcy in her life. They have kept a relatively low profile, ensuring that their daughter’s stardom didn’t overshadow her family life.

As of 2011, they still lived in the home Miranda grew up in, in Downey, California, while Tom ran his dry-cleaning business. Chris and Tom stayed firmly outside the Hollywood spotlight, focusing on their own lives and businesses.

“We don’t feel like we’re a part of her world,” Chris said. “Like, what are we going to do later? And, you know, it’s not our money. So we’re doing our own thing.”

Chris and Tom were also adamant about maintaining a sense of balance for Miranda when it came to her education. While most child stars are homeschooled, Miranda’s parents fought to keep her in public school as long as possible.

However, as Miranda's career grew, managing both school and acting became increasingly difficult. By sixth grade, Chris and Tom had to make the decision to switch Miranda to homeschooling.

“It took a lot for my mom to give in,” Miranda said in a 2016 interview. “I remember her asking: ‘Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you want to stay in acting?’”

At first, Miranda was excited about the prospect of homeschooling, but she soon realized the challenges that came with it. “At first, I was kind of happy to be home-schooled because all my friends were afraid of that first day of middle school. But actually, it’s harder. You’re all alone,” she said. Even so, Chris made sure that Miranda still had time for her childhood friends, helping her maintain a sense of normality.

Chris’s support at public events

Chris has always been an active presence in Miranda’s life, accompanying her to public events, premieres, and talk shows. Whether it was a red carpet event or a television appearance, Chris was often seen by Miranda’s side.

In 2016, when Miranda appeared on the Today show, she took a moment to acknowledge her parents’ grounding influence. “My parents, they’ve been a big help for sure,” Miranda said. “I really do like spending a lot of time with them, and I always know I have somebody to go to.”

Family support in Miranda’s dating life

Dating in the spotlight can be difficult, especially for a child star like Miranda. She has been open about how her parents have supported her through her dating experiences.

In 2011, Miranda shared an amusing story about her mom accompanying her on a date. “It’s not the way it sounds,” Chris said with a laugh. “I was going to have to pick her up at the restaurant anyway, so I figured I might as well go then and wait.”

Miranda’s parents have always made sure that she is well-supported when it comes to relationships. Her dad, Tom, has a particular idea of who would be the perfect match for her. “I always go for like really thin and nerdy,” Miranda said, adding, “In my dad’s mind, the perfect guy for me would be somebody kind of like in The Notebook.”

She stated that her dad would love Ryan Gosling’s character, Noah, from the film for her, joking about how her dad would be pleased if her partner could build a house like Noah did in the movie.

Miranda’s college journey

Miranda’s parents played a significant role in encouraging her to pursue her education alongside her acting career. Miranda attended the University of Southern California (USC), where her father, Tom, also studied. Initially, Miranda majored in film studies but later switched to psychology in her third year.

During an appearance on Live! With Kelly and Ryan, Miranda shared the reasoning behind her decision. “My dad did psychology at USC too, but now he owns a dry-cleaning business,” she said, stating that her dad still claims he uses his psychology degree every day.

Chris had mixed feelings about Miranda’s shift in focus. “Yes, it could make her lose momentum,” she said. “But if the talent is there, it will always be there. And in a way, maybe when you come back, you won’t be stuck in the stigma of being the child star.”

Miranda’s close relationship with her parents

Miranda’s bond with her parents remains as strong as ever. Though she purchased her own home in Los Angeles in 2012, she continues to spend a significant amount of time at her parents’ house.

In 2016, she joked about the similarities between her real life and her role on the sitcom Crowded, where she played a college student who returns home to live with her family.

“Everybody wants to find a way to get out and be independent, but for me, it was like all of a sudden I had this place that I could go live at and I was like, ‘Oh no.’ My mom is not doing my laundry, and I have no one to watch TV with at night,” she shared with PEOPLE.

Miranda regularly posts tributes to her parents on social media. For example, in 2023, she celebrated her 30th birthday by thanking her mom for being “insane, hilarious, and amazing.”

She added, “I’m feeling extremely grateful for all the memories I’ve been able to create over the last 30 years.” In a 2017 post, she shared a photo of her parents and reflected on all the love and support they have given her.

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