It seems to be a summer full of sequels to our favorite animated flicks! In honor of the release of Despicable Me 2 on July 3rd, we caught up with star Miranda Cosgrove, who voices big sister Margo. Here, she fills us in on the top five things she thinks parents (and kids!) should think about when it comes to growing up.
1. Teach kids not to worry so much about their appearance. “This is something that I really learned from working on animated films like Despicable Me 2. It’s so liberating to just go in and not care how you look and put a lot of energy into the character,” says Cosgrove.
2. Unique experiences make for extra strong parent and child bonds. “Being in acting, I’m around my mom a lot,” says Cosgrove, who is an only child. “It’s pretty cool that I’ve been able to travel so many places with her, and I get to hang out with her so much. She’s my best friend.”
3. Encourage them to do something out of their comfort zone. “When I was younger, I was really shy,” says Cosgrove. “Doing school plays really helped me because they allowed me to come out of my shell. Pushing myself to do those got me where I am today!”
4. Give kids a chance to do the right thing. “My mom never really sat me down and said anything about being a role model,” says Cosgrove, “so it was a little bit of a surprise when people started telling me I was one. I began to think about it more and always tried to make good decisions for myself and my fans.”
5. Make friends a priority. “It was sometimes difficult for me to keep up with my friends, since I worked a lot and didn’t go to a regular high school,” says Cosgrove. “I learned that it was really important I hang out with my friends after work, even if it was just for an hour.”
