Rachel McAdams nearly played another iconic mean girl in the hit 2004 flick.
In a new interview with People magazine published January 31, the 47-year-old actress revealed that she originally auditioned for Lindsay Lohan’s character, Cady Heron, before landing her star-making turn as Regina George in Mean Girls.
At the time, McAdams was 25 and still early in her career, while Lohan was even younger at 17. “I remember thinking, ‘This is a futile exercise. I will never be hired for Cady,’” she told the outlet, recalling that she “kind of went in and had fun.”
What she really wanted was simply to be part of Tina Fey’s sharp script. “I loved the script so much. I remember closing that script and calling up my manager and saying, ‘Please, even just playing a character that has one line I would take,’” she revealed.
However, Director Mark Waters had another vision, telling her, “You’re too old to play Cady, but you’re just right for Regina.”
When Mean Girls hit theaters in April 2004, McAdams’ Regina George instantly became iconic. “Playing the villain is the best,” she said. Just two months later, The Notebook was released, launching her into a rare back-to-back breakout moment.
More than 20 years and countless iconic roles later, McAdams says she’s still grateful. “I feel really lucky to still be here. I’m still pinching myself.”
