Many of the youth who frequent NRT have seen and watched Nathan Kress as Freddie on Nickelodeon's iCarly. For those who don't know, iCarly was an über popular TV show that ran from Sept. 8, 2007 until Nov. 23, 2012, starring Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy, Jerry Trainor, Noah Munick and of course Nathan Kress.
Some may not know that Nathan is a strong believer in Christ. He also has a great love for Christian music. Nathan was kind enough to tell NRT Staff Writer Dwayne Lacy about his love for Christian music, life after iCarly and more.
You had an important and prominent role in the colossal iCarly. You have a huge Twitter following. How important is it to you to be a positive role model?
Ever since iCarly started--and especially after it became so successful--I knew that I was going to be somewhat of a public figure. I knew that my actions would be constantly scrutinized, and that I had much more pressure than the average teenager to be on the straight and narrow road through adolescence. But I consider it a much greater honor than it is a burden.
Being a positive role model is a big part of the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing in the industry. Hollywood in general doesn't exactly emulate the most positive messages, especially to young people. If I can be an example of a person who is trying to live their life for God, even if I don't always get it right, then that is something that I want to strive for! Obviously, I'm not going to do it perfectly... I'm fully aware of the fact that I am very much human. But I do think that it's critical to try my best.
Although you have not been ashamed of your faith, some people may not know that you are a Christian. Why is your faith important to you?
Well, quite simply, it defines me. With everything I do, the choices I make, the words I say, and the thoughts I think, I do everything I can to put it through the filter of my faith. By that same token, my identity comes from my relationship with God. I am not "Nathan Kress, the actor who happens to be a Christian." I am "Nathan Kress, the Christian who happens to be an actor."
I know that the only reason I'm in the business at all is because God led me to it, and He opened all the doors necessary to bring me to where I am in my career right now. He blessed me with the skills required to make it in Hollywood.
I owe it all to Him, and I never want to forget that. He has guided my path thus far, and He is the only one I trust to continue guiding me for the rest of my life.
I've seen you tweet about a Christian artist or two. Who are some of your favorite Christian artists and what makes them stand out to you?
As far as Christian music, I feel like there are two basic categories: Christian artists that are more mainstream and accessible to a broader audience--not exclusively religious in their lyrics--and, on the other side, the straight-up powerful worship singers. When it comes to the latter, I have to say a few of my favorites are
Chris Tomlin,
David Crowder Band, and Campaign.
But I think overall, my favorite band is
Relient K. That band has been a part of my life ever since music became "a thing" to me and my brothers. Each of their albums has such a distinct feel. I feel like there is a Relient K album for literally every emotion I could have. There's never a time where one of their songs wouldn't fit what I'm going through in one way or another. In my humble opinion, Matt Thiessen is one of the greatest lyricists of all time!
Another huge favorite of mine is
The Classic Crime. They're not quite as well known as the major Christian bands out there, but they certainly deserve to be. One of the reasons I love them so much is because they have such incredible range. They can go from a tear-jerking, mournful ballad to a head-banging rock anthem with effortless finesse. They are incredibly talented, and I really hope that they continue to gain traction.
What do you like to do for fun?
The usual! Video games, reading, going to movies, hanging with friends. I love vacationing outdoors when I can, but being able to carve out time to get away can be pretty difficult. So when I get the chance, I love camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, etc. One of my hobbies that I've probably spent way too much money on is airsoft. It's basically like paintball, except you're shooting each other with little plastic BB's, not paint. I've been doing that since 5th grade!
I'm not afraid to admit this, but I watched the last episode of iCarly and I was a little "misty eyed." It seemed as if that was a hard show to get through. Tell us what Dan Schneider, the director and the cast of iCarly mean to you.
Well I'm glad you're not ashamed, because you and I were in the same boat! I didn't necessarily get misty watching it on TV, but let me tell you, the floodgates opened up after we finished filming our final goodbye scene together. Leaving iCarly was incredibly hard; I spent the majority of my teenage life on the show, so I became very close to the cast and crew. I have such amazing memories working on that show that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I am so grateful to Dan Schneider for giving me a shot, and helping me to make a name for myself in this business. Who knows where I'd be if he decided to cast one of the other Freddies who wanted the role just as badly as I did!
What is next for Nathan Kress?
Right after iCarly wrapped up, I spent a couple months in Detroit working a movie called Black Sky. It's a really intense documentary-style natural disaster flick, with tons of action and visual effects. It was very cool for me to do something so different from what I've worked on in the past, and I can't wait for my fans to see me in a different role! There's no official release date yet, but it should definitely come out sometime this year.
