Lizzy Caplan ‘fought so hard’ against big star to be in Mean Girls

Mean Girls bosses were “resistant to casting” Lizzy Caplan as Janis Ian because they wanted Kelly Osbourne for the role.

Caplan, 43, fought a hard battle in the 2004 teen comedy film, and after a “very, very long” audition process, she landed the job of portraying the loveable, brainy goth.

Appearing on a recent episode of the Podcrushed podcast, the star recalled: “It was the funniest script I had ever read. I wanted to be in it so bad, I fought so hard, and then it worked out.”

Caplan then explained that each potential cast member had to audition for two of the movie’s main characters.

She continued: “It was one of those where everybody had to audition, I think, for one of the two main [roles] – Cady, the Lindsay Lohan part, or the Rachel McAdams part [Regina George]. Probably everyone had to audition for the Lindsay Lohan part.

“And then [the casting team] sorted us [into different groups] and then we’d get called back.”

The actress then revealed that another star was wanted to play the role of Janis.

Caplan shared: “I went in, and they were resistant to casting me. Somebody reminded me of this recently – the studio wanted Kelly Osbourne to play that role.

“And so at one point, I don’t remember who’s on my side, and who I was fighting against to get that part, I was probably never privy to that.”

Bosses wanted to see what Caplan looked like as a goth, so they flew a hairstylist from Canada – Mean Girls was filmed in Toronto – to Los Angeles.

Caplan explained: “But they sent the hair person from Canada down to Los Angeles, and we went to Hollywood Boulevard and put on dark wigs, just anything to send them screengrabs of me looking like a goth kid.”

Caplan was thrilled when she found out she landed the part of Janis and celebrated after the lengthy audition process.

The star recalled: “I don’t remember how long the process was, but I remember getting the phone call, and where I was when I got the phone call that I got the part.

“And I do think like, how many times has that really happened to you in your career that you just want to celebrate, and it’s nothing but exciting? There are no caveats. Like two or three times, maybe?”

Mean Girls sees 16 year old Cady Heron be transferred from being homeschooled in Africa to a public high school called North Shore High, before she comes face-to-face with The Plastics – a group that people want to be a part of but are not accepted into – formed of Regina, Gretchen and Karen.

They think they are in charge of the school, but Cady comes up with a plan to stop Regina’s reign.

And Caplan – who said the movie “scratched that college experience itch” that she missed out on when the cast lived in a dorm-like hotel for “probably three months” – will cherish Mean Girls forever.

The star – who was particularly friendly with film co-stars Daniel Franzese (Damian Leigh) and Jonathan Bennett (Aaron Samuels) – said: “I think there’s a few jobs that if you’re lucky, you get to really go out and celebrate them. And that was one of them.

“And it was a blast. I loved making that movie.”