The Mean Girls Cast And Their Iconic Characters
Dec 15, 2023
MEAN GIRLS opens January 12th
MEAN GIRLS, the new movie based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which itself was based on the 2004 film of the same name, will hit the big screen just after the new year, bringing with it another iteration of the coming-of-age comedy written by Tina Fey. The movie, which is also a musical this time around, will once again tell the story of Cady Heron, a new arrival at North Shore High School, where she falls into the drama and chaos created by the Plastics, the meanest girls on the block.
Before the highly-anticipated musical opens at AMC Theatres locations nationwide in January, we thought it would be fun to take a look at the MEAN GIRLS cast and their iconic characters so that we know the who’s who of North Shore High. Let’s look at these iconic characters and the actors who’ll be playing them!
Leading the MEAN GIRLS cast as Cady Heron, who was played by Lindsay Lohan in the original film released 20 years ago, is Angourie Rice. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will recognize Rice from her portrayal of Midtown School of Science and Technology student journalist Betty Brant from the Tom Holland SPIDER-MAN movies. Since then she has appeared in movies like SENIOR YEAR, where she played the younger version of Rebel Wilson’s character, and HONOR SOCIETY, co-starring “Stranger Things” standout Gaten Matarazzo. Rice has also had starring roles on TV shows like “Black Mirror,” “Mare of Easttown” and “The Last Thing He Told Me” in recent years.
Reneé Rapp steps into the picture as Regina George, the vengeful leader of the Plastics played by Rachel McAdams in 2004’s MEAN GIRLS. The wealthy, popular and manipulative high schooler isn’t necessarily a new role for Rapp, who previously played Regina during the Broadway musical adaptation after taking over the part when Taylor Louderman stepped away from the production. Since 2021, Rapp has portrayed Leighton Murray on the Max original streaming series, “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” but MEAN GIRLS will be her feature film acting debut.
You can’t have the Plastics without Regina George’s two stooges – Gretchen Wieners and Karen Shetty. More on Shetty next, but for now we have to talk about Gretchen, who is played by Bebe Wood. Before playing the wealthy high schooler previously portrayed by Lacey Chabert way back when, Wood landed roles in movies like A MERRY FRIGGIN’ CHRISTMAS and TROLLHUNTERS: RISE OF THE TITANS. However, much of her fame comes from her TV work, which includes shows like “The New Normal,” “The Real O’Neals” and “Love, Victor.”
Karen Shetty, the other member of the Plastics mentioned above, was famously played by Amanda Seyfried in the 2004 classic and is portrayed by Avantika Vandanapu in the latest version of the high school comedy. Vandanapu has worked with two of her MEAN GIRLS co-stars in the past – Angourie Rice in SENIOR YEAR and Reneé Rapp in “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” Over the years, the young actress has also appeared in movies like SPIN, BOOMIKA and OXYGEN, to name a few.
Remember Aaron Samuels, Regina’s ex-boyfriend, and Cady’s love interest from MEAN GIRLS, a.k.a., the guy who essentially led to the dissolution of the Plastics? The character, which was played by Jonathan Bennett in the original theatrical release, is portrayed by Christopher Briney this time around. Briney, who made his feature film debut in 2022’s DALILAND, is probably most recognized for his portrayal of Conrad Fisher on the Amazon original series, “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
Janis, Cady’s best friend previously portrayed by Lizzy Caplan in 2004’s MEAN GIRLS, is played this time around by Auliʻi Cravalho. If you were a big fan of the hit Disney animated movie, MOANA, back in 2016, then you’ll surely recognize Cravalho’s voice from her take on the iconic character. In the years since singing “How Far I’ll Go” on the princess’ heroine’s journey, Cravalho has appeared in movies like ALL TOGETHER NOW and CRUSH, as well as shows like “The Power” and “Hailey’s On It!” to name a few.
Damian, Cady’s friend who was played by Daniel Franzese in the original movie, once again shows up in the latest MEAN GIRLS, this time being portrayed by Jaquel Spivey. Though this is Spivey’s feature film debut, the young actor has had quite a busy past few years thanks to his decorated performance in the Broadway production of “A Strange Loop.”
Though the high school-aged characters in MEAN GIRLS are new this time around, Tina Fey, who also wrote the screenplay, is back again as Ms. Norbury, Cady’s math teacher and adult confidant. From her work on “Saturday Night Live” to “30 Rock,” Fey has been a fixture of the small screen for the past few decades, which has since transitioned to big-screen success. Movies like BABY MAMA, ADMISSION, SISTERS and SOUL have all featured the comedian in one way or another. She most recently appeared in the 2023 Agatha Christie adaptation, A HAUNTING IN VENICE.
You’ll be able to see these iconic characters and the actors who play them in the MEAN GIRLS cast when the new musical film comes to AMC Theatres in January. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out AMC Scene for news and features on other upcoming film releases.
MEAN GIRLS opens January 12th
