Mean Girls is now on Netflix and there are hopes of a possible sequel – but what happened to the famous cast since the film was released in 2004?
Where would many of us be without the cultural influence of Mean Girls.
It’s been nearly 17 years since we were introduced to the ‘Plastics’, ‘fetch’, the ‘Burn Book’ and wearing pink on Wednesdays.
With the film arriving on Netflix this week, a new generation of fans will get to watch Cady Heron finding her way into the school’s hottest clique.
One of the most quotable movies of all time, Tina Fey’s scathing critique of American high schools developed a cult following and led to references being scattered across pop culture.
Mariah Carey wrote a song in tribute to the film using lines as lyrics and even US President Barack Obama once shared a hilarious Mean Girls meme
There was a made-for-TV sequel made in 2011 that many people don’t want to talk about – but fans are desperate to find out what happened next to Cady and her nemesis Regina George.
Lindsay Lohan – Cady Heron
Mean Girls has become a pop culture phenomenon
Despite everything that’s been written about the film over the last 15 years – there’s a lot you might not know about.
Some of the stars have gone on to become Hollywood A-listers and millionaires, while others peaked with the hit movie.
There was also famously a downward spiral for one of the leading ladies – Lindsay Lohan.
Despite it being released in 2004, the cast have remained good friends ever since and even had a virtual reunion in lockdown last year.
“It still feels like we know each other so well because we spent so much time with each other and we discussed how it’s been working with each other that it’s been, you know, so continuous over the years that it feels like we’re all still good friends, which was really nice, to catch up with everyone,” said Lindsay.
With hopes of a sequel coming soon – here is what the cast have been up to since Mean Girls
Lindsay Lohan played new girl Cady Heron
A child star, Lindsay Lohan had just come off the back of Freaky Friday when she joined the cast of Mean Girls.
She played new girl Cady Heron, who was trying to find her feet at high school after moving from Africa to America.
Cady fell in with the Plastics and was initially trying to bring them down, but she soon enjoyed being the new popular girl.
However, Cady realised popularity comes at a price and discovered what was really important in life by the end of the movie.
This was Lohan’s first non-Disney film and saw herself become a household name due to the success of the movie.
Despite landing odd movie roles after Mean Girls, she went into a downward spiral and her career never really recovered.
Lindsay says she’s still friends with her Mean Girls co-stars
Her first arrest for drink-driving came in 2007 and Lindsay spent years battling addiction issues and legal problems – spending time in prison and rehab.
In a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2013, the actress admitted she was an addict and had battled both booze and illegal drugs.
Lindsay’s life has since got back on track and she has appeared in a number of smaller acting roles.
She claims to have written an outline for the plot of a potential Mean Girls sequel herself and has been trying to get original movie writer Tina Fey on board.
“Mean Girls 2 would be great, it’s something I’ve always interested in doing… it has such a great cult following it, would be wonderful to do something else,” she said in 2017.
“All of us should have kids, like a Housewives of…” she continued, suggesting a Real Housewives inspired outline.
Rachel McAdams – Regina George
Regina George was the original high school bully
The original high school bully made everyone else’s lives a misery until she was eventually hit by a bus.
Regina ‘s perfect long blonde hair made her the envy of the whole school and even many movie fans, but it was all fake.
The secret finally got out that actress Rachel McAdams was actually wearing a wig designed in Canada made out of real human hair – costing filmmakers around $10,000.
Apparently the reason they had to resort to fake hair is that Rachel didn’t want to bleach her natural locks to play the uber-blonde bully.
Rachel has gone on to be a staple of rom-coms, starring in The Notebook, The Vow, About Time and The Time Traveller’s Wife.
Rachel McAdams is a mega Hollywood player now
Becoming a Hollywood mega-star, the actress has also appeared in Wedding Crashers, Sherlock Holmes and Marvel superhero film Dr Strange.
Rachel remembers her time in Mean Girls fondly and would love to reprise her role as Regina.
“It would be fun to play Regina George later in her life and see where life took her,” she said.
“Let’s hope Mean Girls has helped girls to be nicer to each other, not the other way around
“It’s really bizarre. I feel really lucky to have been a part of something that’s stuck around, even a little bit. That was never anything I imagined happening in life. So yeah, it’s strange and surreal still.”
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Karen was the lovable yet dim-witted member of the group – once reminding everyone she was a mouse.
The funny airhead is a stark contrast to actress Amanda Seyfried, who made her feature film debut in Mean Girls.
Her career has soared ever since, appearing as the young girl trying to find out who her dad is in the Mamma Mia! movies.
Amanda has starred in romantic films Dear John and Letters to Juliet and also played Cosette in the Oscar-nominated film Les Miserables in 2012.
Amanda Seyfried has had some incredible success
Speaking in January this year, Amanda teased a possible sequel by saying she wants to “get back to Karen”.
Speaking about her iconic role to Variety, Amanda explained she had only done soap operas before so was daunted and excited.
“But I never had any expectations of anything,” Seyfried said of the experience.
“I was just glad to be working as an actor, getting paid to speak actual dialogue — as opposed to being in the background.”
Lacey Chabert – Gretchen Wieners
‘You can’t sit with us’
The role was played by actress Lacey Chabert, who was the voice of Meg Griffin in Family Guy for the first season before it was taken over by Mila Kunis.
Lacey went on to have roles in minor films and has become a talented voice artists for animated movies.
Hacving appeared in a whopping 18 Hallmark Channel films, including some cheesy festive flicks, she has been hailed as as the ‘Queen of Hallmark Christmas Movies’
Lacey Chabert has appeared in many more movies
Lacey is very keen for a Mean Girls sequel and predicted what her character would be doing now.
In a recent interview, Chabert spoke about Mean Girls reunion which took place earlier in the year.
“We didn’t talk about [a sequel] in the reunion, but I think I know most of us would definitely entertain that thought,” she explained.
“I mean, playing Gretchen was one of the most fun characters I’ve ever played. I would love to see what she’s doing now.
“I feel like Gretchen is running the toaster strudel empire and she probably ended marrying Jason and they probably have like six babies.”
Jonathan Bennett – Aaron Samuels
Jonathan shot to fame when he appeared in Mean Girls in 2004
Regina’s on-and-off ex-boyfriend, Aaron Samuels caused added drama when he became Cady’s love interest.
Actor Jonathan Bennett went on to star in Cheaper by the Dozen 2 before a number of direct-to-video movies.
He has also turned to cooking, hosting Cake Wars on the Food Network and releasing a cookbook with celeb chef Nikki Martin.
Jonathan competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2014 and the 2019 season of Celebrity Big Brother in America.
In December, Jonathan confirmed that he is engaged to his boyfriend Jaymes Vaughan.
Jonathan Bennett is a big star now
The actor confessed he “ugly cried” as he shared a collection of romantic snaps from the touching moment.
Jonathan, who has been dating Jaymes since 2017, also spoke to People magazine about the details of their stunning proposal.
The former Amazing Race contestant wrote a song for his boyfriend and performed it at their family home.
“I looked over and saw Jaymes holding a sign that said “We never did find our song, so I wrote it for you.”‘ Jonathan told People.
“That’s when I knew was getting proposed to because it was the same type of sign he made when he told me he loved me for the first time. And then I began to ugly-cry the ugliest cry anyone has ever cried.”
Lizzy Caplan – Janis Ian
Lizzy Caplan: Michael Sheen Vomited After Our First Intimate Scene on ‘Masters of Sex’
The brains behind the whole operation, Regina’s former friends Janie was the mastermind that wanted to bring her down.
Janis teamed up with Cady because she wanted revenge for been bullied by Regina in middle school.
Actress Lizzy Caplan has appeared in Cloverfield, The Interview, Now You See Me 2 and Hot Tub Time Machine.
She won acclaim for her role in TV series Masters of Sex and played the main role in Castle Rock.
Away from her career, Lizzy dated Matthew Perry aka Chandler from Friends for six years but is now married to English actor Tom Riley.
Daniel Franzese – Damian Leigh
Daniel Franzese played Cady’s pal Damian
Damian was Janis and Cady’s best friend and responsible for the incredible line “she doesn’t even go here”.
What many fans didn’t realise was that actor Daniel Franzese was a real life victim of bullying.
It took many years for him to open up about the experience, only going public in 2007 when he accused actress Bijou Phillips of bullying him onset.
The pair worked together on his first film, ironically named Bully, in 2001 and he accused her of body-shaming him and and making him feel uncomfortable by asking about his sexuality.
Phillips later issued a pubic apology, but denied being homphobic.
Daniel getting down on one knee to propose
Daniel went on to appear in War of the Worlds, Bristol Boys and CSI while also enjoying a career doing stand-up comedy.
In 2016 he went viral after proposing to then fiance Joseph Bradley Philips in the Starbucks branch where they first met in North Hollywood.
The ring was also delivered inside a coffee cup – and empty one thankfully – under the guise of Joseph trying a new drink.
However, it wasn’t to last and they called off their engagement in July 2018.
Tina Fey – Ms. Sharon Norbury
Tina Fey with Lindsay Lohan in 2004 when Mean Girls was released
Tina Fey not only starred in Mean Girls but also wrote the screen play using elements of her own high school experience.
The award-winning writer, actress and comedian based many of the characters’ names and personalities on her real life friends.
While on-screen she played the school calculus teacher, Ms. Sharon Norbury, whom the Burn Book defames as a drug dealer.
Tina rose to fame working on Saturday Night Live and is definitely the most successful of all the cast.
She created comedy series 30 Rock and Netflix show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and has also starred in Date Night, Wine Country, Sisters, Baby Mama and most recently Soul.
Tina even created a Mean Girls musical which went to Broadway and won her a Tony Award nomination.
Amy Poehler – June George
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation
Tina got her best pal Amy Poehler to play Regina’s irresponsible mother June.
Another Saturday Night Live legend, Amy went on to become known for her role as Leslie Knope in the hilarious comedy series Park and Recreation.
Her voice can be heard in Shrek the Third, Inside Out and the first Alvin and the Chipmunks film.
Amy and Tina have appeared in Sisters and Baby Mama together and co-hosted the Golden Globes together from 2013 to 2015.
