Lindsay Lohan Originally Wanted To Be Regina George In Mean Girls, But The Casting Team Had Other Plans
Lindsay Lohan wanted to play Regina George in Mean Girls, but the casting team chose her as Cady instead. Here’s why she missed out on the Queen Bee role!
Lindsay Lohan Mean Girls ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Lindsay Lohan was this close to being Regina George. That’s right, before Cady Heron became her breakout role in Mean Girls, Lohan had her eyes set on being the Queen Bee of North Shore High. But why didn’t she get her wish? As she herself told Vogue, “I really wanted to play a pretty, normal girl… And I wanted to have a different kind of role than just the damaged teenager again.”
Instead, the role of the infamous Regina went to Rachel McAdams (who, by the way, was almost too old for it). But here’s where things get interesting: the casting team believed fans just wouldn’t buy Lohan as the villain. So, they stuck her with the role of Cady, and the rest is Mean Girls history.
The movie, which was adapted from a high school survival guide, became an instant classic. Written by Tina Fey, it gave us everything – iconic lines, a perfect portrayal of high school girl drama, and characters that felt real. Lohan as Cady was a match made in teen movie heaven. But, being the cool new girl from Africa, Cady’s relaxed style – sneakers, anyone? – was what made her stand out. Everyone else was battling for Regina’s spotlight, but Cady was too busy being the chill girl in sneakers to care.
But even though Cady became a role that defined Lohan’s career, let’s not forget: she wanted to be Regina. She wanted to have a different kind of role, wishing to avoid the stereotypical “damaged teen” roles. Yet, as the story goes, the casting team wasn’t having it. They wanted Lohan as Cady, and that’s how it happened. Interestingly, McAdams, initially rejected for being “too old,” was later brought back for the role of Regina.
After the Mean Girls hype, Lohan’s career took a bit of a nosedive, and Hollywood faded into the background. She left for Dubai, where she found the peace she’d been craving. “I really found that I had a private life, and I could really just take time for myself. I decided to stay there because I really learned to appreciate what it is to go, do my work and then leave and just live a normal life,” Lohan told Vogue about her time overseas. Dubai became her escape, a place to work and then just live. Pretty sweet gig if you ask me.
Whether or not she ever reprises her role, Lohan’s legacy as Cady will always be a defining moment in Mean Girls history. Sure, she didn’t get Regina, but in the end, it was Cady who got the last laugh, and an iconic spot in pop culture that’s still going strong.
