Celebrate ‘Mean Girls’ Day: See Lindsay Lohan & the Whole Cast Then & Now

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October 3, 2024 4:01PM EDT
mean girls
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Check your calendars, losers. October 3rd means it’s ‘Mean Girls’ Day, so bring out your best pink sweatshirts and see the cast then and now.

Mean Girls premiered in 2004, and while it was a modest hit at first, it has since become a full-fledged cult classic. Now that it’s October 3rd, it’s time for a flashback.

The film followed Cady, a shy, formerly homeschooled girl, who fell in with the outcasts when she entered public high school. Her friends challenged her to infiltrate the popular clique, The Plastics — played by Lindsay Lohan,Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried — and she ended up becoming just like them. Audiences loved the movie for Tina Fey’s sharp portrayal of life as a teenage girl.

The iconic movie became a pop culture phenomenon, and 20 years later, it was reinterpreted in 2024 with new cast members including Reneé Rapp, Avantika Vandanapu, Angourie Rice, Christopher Briney, and more, along with cameos from some of the original cast.

Ready to see more Mean Girls stars now and then? Scroll through the gallery for more.

 

1 of 9

Cady Heron & Lindsay Lohan

Cady Heron & Lindsay Lohan
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Here, you can see Lindsay Lohan side-by-side with her playing the main character, Cady. Take a look at her hair, makeup, and clothes… she’s already a Plastic! Following Mean Girls, Lindsay was on top of the world, starring in Herbie Fully Loaded, Just My Luck, and more teen-geared films. She also launched her music career with songs like ‘Rumors.’ Following years of legal problems and struggles with addiction, Lindsay took a step back from acting. She married Bader Shammas in July 2022. 

In 2022, she made her comeback in the Christmas film Falling for Christmas. In recent years, she returned to acting and even made a cameo in the 2024 Mean Girls. Some of her upcoming projects include a sequel to another one of her iconic films, Disney’s Freaky Friday, where she’ll reunite with co-star Jamie Lee Curtis in Freakier Friday.

October 3, 2019, 11:06AM
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Regina George & Rachel McAdams

Regina George & Rachel McAdams
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Rachel McAdams played the queen of The Plastics, Regina George. The same year Mean Girls premiered, Rachel also starred in The Notebook, the iconic romance that made her a household name. She’s starred in projects like Doctor Strange and True Detective. She is now the mother to a son, with partner Jamie Linden.

October 3, 2019, 11:06AM
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Gretchen Wieners & Lacey Chabert

Gretchen Wieners & Lacey Chabert
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Lacey Chabert played Gretchen Wieners, one of The Plastics who desperately needed Regina’s approval at all times. She’s a talented voice actress who lends her voice to cartoons like Transformers and Voltron. She married David Nehdar in 2013 and has one daughter, Julia. 

October 3, 2019, 11:06AM
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Karen Smith & Amanda Seyfried

Karen Smith & Amanda Seyfried
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Amanda Seyfried played Karen Smith, the loveably dumb third member of The Plastics. Since Mean Girls, her star power has only grown! After starring in the hit show Big Love, she went on to star in Les Miserables as Cosette, and eventually, Sophie in the Mamma Mia! films. She also earned critical acclaim for playing biotech grifter Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout. Amanda married actor Thomas Sadoski in 2017. They have two children.

October 3, 2019, 11:06AM
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Aaron Samuels & Jonathan Bennett

Aaron Samuels & Jonathan Bennett
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Jonathan Bennett played Aaron Samuels, the ‘grool’ object of Regina and Cady’s affection. The actor is now the host of the Food Network’s competition show Cake Wars, and has his own Mean Girls-themed cookbook. His partner is entertainment reporter Jaymes Vaughan.

October 3, 2019, 11:07AM
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Janis Ian & Lizzy Caplan

Janis Ian & Lizzy Caplan
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Lizzy Caplan played Cady’s friend, and the mortal enemy of The Plastics, Janis Ian. Lizzy was a cool cat before Mean Girls, and even better now. She’s starred in Masters of Sex, True Blood, Cloverfield, and more. She has been married to actor Tom Riley since 2017.

October 3, 2022, 1:34PM
7 of 9

Damien & Daniel Franzese

Damien & Daniel Franzese
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Daniel Franzese played Damien, the best friend of Janis and Cady who was ‘too gay to function.’ Since Mean Girls he’s had a number of small roles on TV. He also had a prominent role in Tom Goss’s project, Territories. 

October 3, 2019, 11:06AM
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Ms. Norbury & Tina Fey

Ms. Norbury & Tina Fey
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Tina Fey both wrote Mean Girls and starred in the film as Ms. Norbury, the high schoolers’ long-suffering math teacher. Tina, obviously, continued acting on Saturday Night Live, created and starred in 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and starred in movies like Sisters and Baby Mama. She has been married to Jeff Richmond since 2001.

She returned to the Mean Girls world to reprise her role as Ms. Norbury in the 2024 film.

October 3, 2019, 11:06AM
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Regina George’s Mom & Amy Poehler

Regina George’s Mom & Amy Poehler
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Amy Poehler played Regina’s crazy mother, who loved to make the girls mocktails, and knew all the moves to their dance routines. Fun fact: Amy is only 7 years older than Rachel! She went on to star as Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation, run UCB, and continues to be one of the funniest people in the world.

October 3, 2019, 11:07AM