In 2004, the unique movie did make jokes about racial stereotypes (“Should you’re from Africa, why are you white?”), however it did not go as far as to forged an individual of coloration in any of the principle roles. (Truly, that was a joke in 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 “Mean Girls” forged is notably extra numerous than the unique, and the forged tells POPSUGAR that they are grateful for the power to deliver their characters into 2024 by integrating extra of their particular person identities.

“I bought to deliver just a little 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 should 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 large. “I’ve by no means been capable of play Cuban American earlier than,” she says. “So it was thrilling so as to add just a bit nod to my heritage throughout the function.”

Avantika, who performs Karen Shetty in the brand new movie, was equally grateful to have the ability to embrace her background on display. “It actually meant so much 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 potential to deliver in the final identify from my tradition?’ . . . And so we determined on Karen Shetty. That is actually particular to me that [Fey] gave me the area and freedom to deliver 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, slightly than the exception. “Each movie that I am in, I get requested about: ‘Why is illustration vital in movies?'” she says. “Thanks for asking me that query — however can we transfer on just a little bit? An area that I am attempting to maneuver out of is being requested all the time about, ‘How vital is it to you to be the primary pioneer?’ I am excited to open the doorways and simply break by way of. [But] I do not need to be the primary.”

This name-claiming is particularly significant in a movie the place name-calling and misnaming trigger a lot hurt. The Plastics, “fugly slut,” “dyke” (in the brand 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 in 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. You realize what I imply?” Spivey tells POPSUGAR. “So for me, I believe 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 would like.”

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

“I’ve come out quite a lot of totally different instances in my life and with a few various things, and it just lately has modified so much 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 Girls.” “However I can not inform you what number of instances I’ve acquired feedback in the final month or two which are similar to, ‘Oh, congrats on [coming out] once more,'” she says, her tone altering to the vocal equal of an eye fixed roll. “And I used to be like, bro, truly fuck you. You suck.”

There’s energy in claiming and coming into your identification. 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. “After I was 17, I had a extremely nice 12 months in phrases of labor and publicity, and it was my ultimate 12 months of highschool and I graduated. And that felt like a extremely profitable 12 months for me. I believe once you’re a teenager working in the trade and you get success at a selected level in your life, there’s perhaps a strain to kind of keep at that time in your life,” she says. “[You think], ‘Oh, that is once I bought essentially the most validation, subsequently I must be like that all the time.'”

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

Entering into the function of final teen heartthrob Aaron Samuels got here with related pressures for Christopher Briney. However in taking part in 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 form of surroundings to have the ability to foster a lot freedom and vulnerability in 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 believe additionally we have been all so dedicated to creating the film the perfect it might presumably be, and I discovered so much from each Jaquel and Auli’i. Auli’i stands up for herself a lot. Jaquel is without doubt 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 important to have enjoyable for it to essentially translate. As he places it, “It is an actor’s dream to have the ability to step into an area and really feel comfy sufficient to play — and to play as a lot as you possibly can and uncover.”