Jennette McCurdy says she 'resented' her 'hellish' life while on Nickelodeon and quit acting for her mental health

• Former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy said "pointless" acting roles made her resent her life.
• She was on Nickelodeon's "iCarly" and "Sam and Cat" throughout most of 2007 to 2014.
• She said she struggled with her self-image and identity during her career.

Former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy recently talked about how "hellish" her time as a young actress was.

On Wednesday, McCurdy, who played Sam Puckett on Nickelodeon's "iCarly" and "Sam and Cat" for most of 2007 to 2014, opened up about her experience on her podcast "Empty Inside."

McCurdy also spoke about the toll acting took on her mental health and how it impacted her self-image.

McCurdy said the 'pointless' roles caused her to resent her life

On the podcast episode, which featured filmmakers and authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus as guests, McCurdy said she struggled to consistently play a character so different from who she was. Becoming well-known for her role as Sam left her feeling "ashamed."

"I was a famous 19-year-old … but I was deeply unhappy," she said.

The former actress went on to say that she "really resented my life" because she didn't like the projects she was working on.

" ... It's a difficult thing to say because the shows that I was on were so loved by so many people and so many kids," she continued. "I hear constantly that, 'You made my childhood,' and I think it's great that they had that experience but that just was not my experience."

McCurdy called the experience of acting on the shows "pointless and shallow," and said she struggled to identify the shame she felt at the time.

"It just was hellish, I think, is not too intense of a word," she added.

She explained her struggle to explore her own identity, which contributed to her choice to quit acting

She said being seen as the character she portrayed made it difficult for her to explore her own identity.

"Nobody really knew me. I was very different from the character I was playing … ," she said. "I'm known as a thing that I'm not."

McCurdy said these negative experiences and the death of her mother contributed to her decision to quit acting. The former actress has previously spoken about how she had no interest in acting from the start - her mom pushed her into the field when she was 6 years old.

McCurdy said when she decided to quit acting those around her advised against it.

"Walking away was really difficult but it was something I needed to do for my mental health and for my overall peace," she added.

McCurdy has previously spoken about her negative experience in the industry

On the podcast in February, speaking with her guest Anna Faris, McCurdy opened up about how acting caused her anxiety and she was "ashamed" of her work in "embarrassing" roles.

"I feel so unfulfilled by the roles that I played," McCurdy explained. "I didn't like the projects that I was a part of."

"I resent my career in a lot of ways," she added.

McCurdy now focuses on writing and directing. She is one of few main "iCarly" actors who will not be returning for the show's reboot on Paramount Plus.