Lindsay Lohan Had the Opposite School Experience From Her ‘Mean Girls’ Character
One of the most popular films of the ’00s, Lindsay Lohan made a splash in Mean Girls. When the 2004 film hit theaters, fans rushed to see Cady Heron go from “homeschooled jungle freak” to Spring Fling queen. Amassing a cult following, the film showcased Lohan at her best. And while the actor could draw from her real life for some moments, her school experience was a bit different.
Lindsay Lohan has been in the spotlight since she was a kid
According to Biography, Lohan was born in 1986 in New York City. Her parents — an investment banker and a Wall Street analyst — lived in an affluent Long Island suburb. Lohan began acting and modeling at just three years old, starring in numerous television commercials and print ads. Her rapidly growing resume helped her snag the leading roles in the 1998 film, The Parent Trap.
The Disney remake was very successful, paving the way for Lohan to star in another Disney remake — Freaky Friday. She starred in several more films, including Herbie: Fully Loaded, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and, of course, Mean Girls. Lohan’s popularity grew, along with her notoriety.
Growing up in the spotlight is never easy, and the actor had her fair share of challenges. She began to make headlines for her drug use and partying more than her career. Lohan was arrested several times and took a few trips to rehab. After her third time in 2007, the star recognized that she needed to focus on her health, stay clean, and get out of Los Angeles.
Lindsay Lohan went from regular school to homeschooling — the opposite of her ‘Mean Girls’ character
Although she starred in several popular films, Cady from Mean Girls remains Lohan’s most memorable role. The 2004 comedy was written by SNL alum Tina Fey, and led to Teen Choice and MTV Movie Awards for Lohan. The film gained a huge cult following and is now seen as an iconic dark comedy.
Mean Girls centered around a popular group of high school girls known as “The Plastics.” Lohan’s character, Cady, moves to Chicago to attend a real high school after years of being homeschooled. She has trouble fitting in at first, but with the help of her outcast friends, works her way into the popular clique. Cady’s quest to take down queen bee Regina George becomes the focus of the film.
Lohan’s character changes from a friendless loner to the most popular girl in school. But the actor’s own teenage years were different. In a Cosmopolitan interview on YouTube, Lohan recalls what happened when she tried to return to a normal high school after filming Mean Girls.
“I wanted to be on cheerleading and be normal,” she said. “There [were] girls on kickline, and one of them tripped me when I was walking in the hallway.” Lohan noted because “girls were pretty mean to me” she decided to start homeschooling. “It wasn’t working out anymore.”
Lohan wanted a different role in the film
Although Lohan delivered an outstanding performance in Mean Girls, Cady wasn’t the role that she really wanted. When she first joined the project, she was hoping to play Regina. According to Insider, Lohan said she “really wanted to play a pretty normal girl now,” and she “wanted to have a different kind of role than just the ‘damaged teenager’ again.”
Tina Fey and director Mark Waters insisted that she was the ideal choice for Cady, the more down-to-character that others could connect with. She trusted the pair and the result was incredible. She managed to make the audience love her, as well as portray Cady’s complete personality change with perfection.
