Miranda Cosgrove said she and co-star Madison Pettis are "bonded for life" after filming a rain-soaked mud-wrestling scene for the Netflix romantic comedy The Wrong Paris, which began streaming Thursday.
Cosgrove, 32, who stars as Dawn and is credited as an executive producer on the film, recounted the sequence in a Zoom interview with Decider, saying, "There’s not anything quite like wrestling with someone in mud in the rain." She said the scene was filmed while she had a bad cold and that heavy rain on set was not visible in the finished movie.
Directed by Janeen Damian from a screenplay by Nicole Henrich, The Wrong Paris follows Dawn, an aspiring art student who cannot afford travel or tuition after being accepted to a Parisian program. Her sister encourages her to audition for a reality dating show called The Honey Pot, which promises a generous appearance fee and films in what the contestants expect to be Paris, France. The twist: the production is actually in Paris, Texas. Pierson Fodé plays Trey McAllen, the show's leading man and Dawn’s on-screen romantic interest.
Cosgrove said one of her responsibilities as an executive producer was to advocate for larger parts for several of the female contestants. She pushed for additional characters and helped shape casting choices, including the addition of social media personality and actress Hannah Stocking in the role of Eve, whom Cosgrove said brought "so much" to the part.
Both Cosgrove and Pettis began their careers as child actors — Cosgrove in School of Rock and on Nickelodeon series such as Drake & Josh and iCarly, and Pettis on Disney Channel projects including Corey in the House. Cosgrove said that shared background helped them bond quickly on set despite their characters' antagonism in the film.
Cosgrove described the mud scene as one of the most fun sequences to shoot, noting that the production rehearsed choreography and allowed room for improvisation. She said filming took place in Vancouver in the fall, with ranch locations standing in for Texas; the production contended with rain and cooler weather while portraying a Texas summer.
Beyond the mud pit, Cosgrove demonstrated several physical skills for the role, including welding, lassoing and mechanical bull riding. She said she took a six-hour welding class and learned lassoing and riding techniques during production. "It’s way harder than I ever realized," she said of mechanical bull riding, adding that the training helped build the necessary leg and core strength.
Cosgrove also reflected on working with Fodé, whose first acting job she said was a brief iCarly appearance when he was a teenager. She described his on-set presence as helpful, particularly given his real-life ranch background, which aided her preparation for horseback riding and lassoing scenes.
The actress said she enjoys the rom-com genre and would like to do more work in it, or possibly try horror or thrillers. She praised Netflix for its collaborative environment on romantic comedies and said she hopes to continue working with the streamer.
Cosgrove confirmed that an iCarly feature she and former co-stars Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress hope to film could begin production early next year, saying she had read the first part of the script and that the trio were eager to "wrap the story up." The Wrong Paris marks one of several recent Netflix projects for Cosgrove, who appeared earlier this year in the streamer’s film Mother of the Bride.
The Wrong Paris is now available for streaming on Netflix and lists Pierson Fodé and Madison Pettis among its supporting cast. Cosgrove said the experience of performing stunts and helping expand female roles in the cast remains a highlight of her work on the film.