If you’re a true blue Mean Girls fan, you will know that on Wednesdays we wear pink, October 3rd is, like, really special and a Burn Book is the best place to get your frustrations out. We’re sure you also know a lot of other things about the film, such us what character you’re most like and we bet you not-so-secretly wish that your squad was called “The Plastics.”
We have no doubt that you know a lot and can probably quote the majority of the lines from the film, but there might be some interesting behind-the-scenes facts that you do not know. It’s time to change that. Here are 20 grool secrets from Mean Girls.
20. The cast hung out with their moms when not filming.
If you imagined that the drama off-camera was big as the stuff in the movie, you’re mistaken. It turns out the cast was pretty chill when they weren’t filming. They actually hung out with their moms instead of writing in Burn Books and plotting to take down the queen bee. It makes sense as the cast was pretty young when they were filming so there were parental chaperons there.
19. Rachel McAdams wore a wig.
If you’re a Rachel McAdams fan, you will know the actress has undergone many hair changes for roles and just because. That being said, it still might surprise you to know that the long blonde hair she had in Mean Girls was actually a wig. It’s reportedly because Rachel couldn’t fully bleach her head. Before you ask, Regina George’s hair was not made from your mom’s chest hair.
18. Tim Meadows’s hand was actually broken during filming.’
Tim Meadows played Mr. Duvall, the school’s principal. He might have been a smaller character, but he is still remembered for some of his hilarious lines and his broken arm. It turns out that his cast was no prop created by the costume department. He actually broke his arm just before filming. The writers responded by giving the character a mean case of carpal tunnel.
17. Rachel McAdams auditioned to be Cady.
This is completely going to throw you, but it’s true. In an interview with Elle, Rachel revealed how she tried out to play Cady Heron. “I originally auditioned for the part that Lindsay Lohan played … I wouldn’t have seen myself playing Regina at all. But when I read the script, I thought, ‘Oh, this part is way more fun; I wonder who will play that.'” Clearly the director saw her potential!
16…and Lindsay Lohan auditioned to be Regina.
Yup, just when you digested that news, you see this. Can you imagine what things would have been like if the roles were reversed? Apparently Lindsay wanted a challenge after playing misfits and good girls in Freaky Friday and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen so she was attracted to the part of Regina. The director thought she was more suited to play Cady, though, so that’s what happened.
15. There were hidden messages about the Plastics in the movie.
If you’re an eagle-eyed viewer, you will know that there were some subtle nods to the Plastics throughout the film. One of the most obvious ones was that the girls’ “Jingle Bell Rock” performance outfits were made out of vinyl, aka plastic. Another hard to spot one was in school when Cady asks for the bathroom pass. In the classroom, there’s a periodic table, which lists “silicone.” Chemistry buffs will know the actual element is “silicon” so many have assumed the extra “e” is a nod to the plastics.
14. Amy Poehler was seven years older than Rachel McAdams, aka her daughter in the film.
Amy Poehler’s character, Mrs. George was another one of the smaller roles that still had a major impact. Everyone would agree that Amy was perfect for the part thanks to her spot-on impression of a “cool mom.” If the casting directors looked at her age, they probably would never have cast her. Amy was only seven years older than her on-screen daughter Rachel IRL. Amy was only 33 years old while Rachel was 26.
13. Jonathan Bennett was cast because he looked like Jimmy Fallon.
Most of us probably assumed that Jonathan Bennett was cast as Aaron Samuels because he was gorgeous and had a flawless set of eyebrows. Turns out Mean Girls’ screenplay writer Tina Fey had a different idea for casting him. It really had to do with the fact he looked like her Saturday Night Live co-star Jimmy Fallon. At the time of filming, Jonathan hadn’t personally met Jimmy.
12. Amanda Seyfried can actually put her fist in her mouth.
Amanda Seyfried’s character, the adorably dim Karen Smith, had a number of hilarious lines. One of them was her bragging to Cady that she could put her first in her mouth. You will know that she doesn’t actually go as far as doing it in the film, but the actress has demonstrated this talent in real life. Karen would be impressed.
11. James Franco was considered to play Aaron.
Many would say that Jonathan Bennett IS Aaron Samuels so it might raise an eyebrow to hear that James Franco was considered for the part of Regina’s bae and Cady’s main love interest. We suppose James didn’t look enough like Jimmy Fallon which is why he didn’t end up getting cast. It wasn’t so bad for James because around the time of Mean Girls‘ release he was working on Spider-Man.
10. Amanda could also have been Regina.
We know that it’s starting to seem like all of the actresses who were cast as Plastics ended up auditioning for other roles. Amanda was another one who auditioned to be Regina before securing the part of Karen. Fun fact: It seems that Amanda is still interested in the role. She told Allure that she “desperately wants to be Regina” in the Mean Girls musical.
9. The movie was filmed entirely in Canada.
Mean Girls fans will know that the movie was supposed to be set Evanston, Illinois, but the film was actually shot in Canada. Because we know you’re wondering, you can pay a visit to some of the filming locations. Etobicoke Collegiate Institute in Ontario, Canada was used to film the high school’s exterior scenes. Sherway Gardens Mall was used to film the girl’s shopping scenes and was where Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) had a face wash and foot cream switch up.
8. Kevin was originally supposed to be a Korean mathlete.
Who could forget Kevin “G” Gnapoor in Mean Girls? He might have had just a few lines, but he still made a lasting impression. What’s interesting to note is that he was actually written as a Korean mathlete. The role ended up going to Rajiv Surendra, a Canadian actor who made the character his own thanks to his mad rapping and math skills.
7. Glen Coco is named after a real life friend of Tina Fey’s.
Glen Coco is one of the unlikely heroes of Mean Girls. There’s pretty much one line dedicated to him, yet it has spawned countless memes and Mean Girls merchandise. Tina Fey didn’t have to look very hard to come up with the character’s name because she actually has a friend named Glen Coco. Tina explained to Entertainment Weekly, “I tried to use real names in writing because it’s just easier. My older brother’s good friend is Glen Coco. He’s a film editor in Los Angeles, and I imagine it’s a pain in the butt for him.”
6. Lindsay Lohan had over 50 costume changes.
One of the many reasons Mean Girls was and is amazing is the costumes changes. Who didn’t add a few more pastel colors and flippy skirts to their wardrobes after watching the film? There was plenty of outfit inspiration in it. If you were to count, you will see that Lindsay Lohan’s character Cady had over 50 costume changes alone.
5. They went to four cities before casting Damian.
Damian Leigh is delightful in Mean Girls. Part of the reason is that he’s brilliantly portrayed by Daniel Franzese. Casting directors clearly knew that they had to find the perfect actor for the part as they went to four different cities as part of their search before finding the one and only.
4. Ashley Tisdale auditioned to play Karen.
When we look back now, there were a lot of interesting people who auditioned to be in Mean Girls. Most of the ones on the list ended up getting different parts. Poor Ashley Tisdale did audition to be Karen Craig, but obviously didn’t get the part. She did get High School Musical so we suppose it isn’t all bad, right?
3. Glen Coco is actually uncredited in the movie.
If you love the three-ish seconds of Glen Coco in the movie, you will probably be very upset to hear that the guy who played him didn’t get any credit. Well here we are to right that wrong: David Reale was cast in the part. The Canadian actor had a few credits to his name since he’d been acting since he was young. He later played Benjamin on USA’s Suits.
2. Mean Girls‘ director also directed Freaky Friday.
Mean Girls was directed by Mark Waters. He previously worked with Lindsay Lohan on Freaky Friday. He was the one who thought the actress was more suited to play Cady as opposed to Regina. His other directing credits include Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Vampire Academy and Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
1. The movie was originally going to be called Homeschooled.
Anyone who has watched Mean Girls will know that Cady was homeschooled before she was thrust into the world of high school cliques. That’s why the movie was originally going to be named Homeschooled. Presumably, execs thought that the title didn’t capture the essence of the movie — or the Plastics — so we ended up with Mean Girls. We wouldn’t want it any other way.