Mean Girls 2024 Cast on Diversity and Identity in New Film

The very first shot of the 2024 musical reimagining of “Imply Women” is a vertical body. Two characters, Janis (performed by Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), movie themselves singing a track that units the stage for the story to comply with. They’re troubadours for the TikTok set — and this can be a “Imply Women” for a brand new technology.

The Cady Heron, Regina George, and Aaron Samuels of the unique movie, launched in 2004, had by no means seen an iPhone — these would not debut for one more three years. “Instagram,” “Twitter,” and “Snapchat” would have gave the impression of gibberish. Karen was only a identify, and Donald Trump was only a enterprise mogul.

Twenty years later . . . nicely, issues are totally different. We have seen not only a technological revolution, however a cultural one. Extra People have turn out to be extra conscious of how rampant racism and discrimination — from microaggressions to hate crimes — are on this nation. And whereas we nonetheless have a protracted approach to go, individuals have a higher understanding of the hurt brought on by failing to adequately symbolize a variety of identities on display screen.

In 2004, the unique movie did make jokes about racial stereotypes (“If you happen to’re from Africa, why are you white?”), but it surely did not go as far as to forged an individual of shade in any of the primary roles. (Really, that was a joke within the unique film, too: Kevin G asks Janis if she’s Puerto Rican. “Lebanese,” solutions Janis, performed by Lizzy Caplan, who’s white.)

The brand new “Imply Women” forged is notably extra numerous than the unique, and the forged tells POPSUGAR that they are grateful for the power to convey their characters into 2024 by integrating extra of their particular person identities.

“I acquired to convey slightly little bit of myself to the character,” says Bebe Wooden, who performs Gretchen Wieners. “I used to be speaking with [director Arturo Perez Jr.] and he was like, ‘Wait, I heard someplace that you just’re Latina . . . We must always simply add one thing in there.'”

The addition to the script was small — a single point out of her abuelito — however for Wooden, the affect was big. “I’ve by no means been in a position to play Cuban American earlier than,” she says. “So it was thrilling so as to add just a bit nod to my heritage inside the function.”

Avantika, who performs Karen Shetty within the new movie, was equally grateful to have the ability to embrace her background on display screen. “It actually meant lots when . . . on the preliminary desk learn, [screenwriter Tina Fey] was like, ‘Is there something in regards to the identify like Karen Smith that you just need to change?'” Avantika says. “And I used to be like, ‘I am South Indian, I’ve by no means gotten to play somebody who’s brazenly South Indian, and I converse Telugu at residence; wouldn’t it be doable to herald the final identify from my tradition?’ . . . And so we selected Karen Shetty. That is actually particular to me that [Fey] gave me the area and freedom to convey that.”

Karen is not the one character to get a brand new identify: Janis Ian is now Janis ‘Imi’ike, reflective of Cravalho’s Hawaiian heritage. Cravalho needs to get to a spot the place variety in movie is the rule, somewhat than the exception. “Each movie that I am in, I get requested about: ‘Why is illustration essential in movies?'” she says. “Thanks for asking me that query — however can we transfer on slightly bit? An area that I am attempting to maneuver out of is being requested all the time about, ‘How essential is it to you to be the primary pioneer?’ I am excited to open the doorways and simply break via. [But] I do not need to be the primary.”

This name-claiming is very significant in a movie the place name-calling and misnaming trigger a lot hurt. The Plastics, “fugly slut,” “dyke” (within the new model, up to date to “pyro lez”): they’re all names and labels doled out like candy-cane grams, and the scholars of North Shore Excessive really feel the burn.

Spivey says that he tries to disregard labels that different individuals stick on him; they are not the reality, he says. “Even within the movie, Regina calls Karen silly, so subsequently Karen appears like she’s silly. However I’ve a powerful feeling if Karen did not hear, she would not really feel silly. what I imply?” Spivey tells POPSUGAR. “So for me, I feel lots of people could be like, ‘Oh yeah, you are a plus-size queer actor.’ I’m, however I am additionally simply an actor. So perhaps you do not label me and I will not label myself and I can simply be no matter I need.”

This sentiment is echoed by this technology’s Regina George, Reneé Rapp. Rapp is brazenly bisexual (and has hinted in prior interviews and on social media that her Regina may not be as straight because the character’s relationships with Aaron Samuels and Shane Oman would possibly point out). However she additionally makes clear that solely she has the correct to touch upon her sexuality.

“I’ve come out a variety of totally different occasions in my life and with a few various things, and it just lately has modified lots for me,” says Rapp, maybe referring to her portrayal of Leighton Murray, a school freshman who comes out as a lesbian on “The Intercourse Lives of Faculty Women.” “However I can’t let you know what number of occasions I’ve obtained feedback within the final month or two which might be similar to, ‘Oh, congrats on [coming out] once more,'” she says, her tone altering to the vocal equal of a watch roll. “And I used to be like, bro, truly fuck you. You suck.”

There’s energy in claiming and coming into your id. And the individuals who attempt to put you in a field or use your individuality to harm you? Rapp is correct: they suck.

Angourie Rice says she’s studying to let go of the opinions and expectations others have of her — not not like her character, Cady Heron. “Once I was 17, I had a extremely nice yr when it comes to work and publicity, and it was my last yr of highschool and I graduated. And that felt like a extremely profitable yr for me. I feel if you’re a teen working within the business and also you get success at a selected level in your life, there’s perhaps a stress to kind of keep at that time in your life,” she says. “[You think], ‘Oh, that is once I acquired probably the most validation, subsequently I ought to be like that all the time.'”

However Rice is seeking to develop and sees how counting on exterior affirmation for her sense of self-worth could possibly be holding her again. “For me, [I’m working on] releasing that fixed want for validation as a result of I acquired it a lot at this explicit level in my life,” she says. “I am not 17 anymore.”

Entering into the function of final teen heartthrob Aaron Samuels got here with comparable pressures for Christopher Briney. However in enjoying Aaron, “I simply tried to be Chris,” he says. “I actually needed to interrupt freed from expectations of what I assumed individuals needed to see once they see Aaron Samuels.”

It takes a particular type of setting to have the ability to foster a lot freedom and vulnerability within the actors’ performances — and the forged says they felt supported by each other instantly.

“The friendships got here simple. It was really easy, so enjoyable to work with these individuals. I cherished it a lot,” Rice reminisces. “I feel additionally we had been all so dedicated to creating the film the very best it might presumably be, and I discovered lots from each Jaquel and Auli’i. Auli’i stands up for herself a lot. Jaquel is likely one of the funniest performers I do know. And so simply being in a room with these two individuals and studying a lot from how they work and who they’re was a deal with.”

Spivey agrees. In spite of everything, he says, Fey set the tone from day one which the entire movie is about highschool — that it’s a must to have enjoyable for it to actually translate. As he places it, “It is an actor’s dream to have the ability to step into an area and really feel snug sufficient to play — and to play as a lot as you’ll be able to and uncover.”