Mean Girls may be one of the most quoted teen comedies, but it seems getting a part in the 2004 cult classic wasn’t easy for some actors. Lizzy Caplan, who fans adore as the bold, sharp-witted outsider Janis Ian, recently shared that she had to fight hard just to land the role.
Lizzy Caplan talks about her casting in Mean Girls
Talking on Penn Badgley’s podcast Podcrushed, Lizzy Caplan opened up about how fiercely she chased the Mean Girls role that ended up launching her career.
She said the audition process for the movie felt like an uphill battle from day one. “It was just the funniest script I had ever read,” she said. “I wanted to be in it so bad. I fought so hard, and then it worked out.”
Back then, though, the producers weren’t convinced she was the right fit for Janis. Caplan explained that everyone auditioning first had to read for either Cady Heron or Regina George, and only later were they separated into other groups for callbacks.
Even then, she still hit some roadblocks.
Caplan shared that they were not keen on casting her, noting that another well-known name was in the running. “Somebody reminded me of this recently: the studio wanted Kelly Osbourne to play that role,” Caplan revealed.
To convince the studio she could transform into Janis, Caplan got a little help from a hairstylist from Canada. She remembered heading down to Hollywood Boulevard, trying on dark wigs and heavy makeup to create Janis’ bold, goth-inspired look.
“We went to Hollywood Boulevard and put on dark wigs and just anything to send them screen grabs of me looking like a goth kid,” she stated.
When the call finally came through confirming she had got the role, it was a moment she’ll never forget. Caplan said she can still picture exactly where she was the second she heard the news.
“How many times has that really happened to you in your career: that you just want to celebrate and it’s nothing but exciting, Caplan said.
Mean Girls became a huge career break for Caplan, who became popular among fans for her Janis character.
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on ComingSoon.
