Jonathan Bennett, forever etched in our minds as Aaron Samuels from the iconic 2004 film “Mean Girls,” recently chatted with PauseRewind entertainment reporter Courtney Tezeno to reflect on the film, his career, and hosting the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. The awards ceremony was a “huge night” for Bennett, combining queer joy with memorable celebrity moments.
“There’s so many memorable moments,” Bennett said. “Getting to give Liza Minnelli her 80th birthday cake on stage in my hands while we all sing Happy Birthday that is a core memory I will never forget.” As host, Bennett leaned into being “campy” and over-the-top theatrics, teasing the show as, “Everything’s going to be over the top, it’s going to be the most and it’s going to be the campiest thing you’ve ever seen. But that’s what the queer community loves.”
Reflecting on his own journey, Bennett opened up about being a closeted gay man during his “Mean Girls” era as shows like “Heated Rivarly” and “Stranger Things” take center stage for LGBTQ+ visibility in Hollywood.
“I wasn’t allowed to be out when I was Aaron Samuels. It was a different time, and it wasn’t a possibility or reality that I ever thought would happen,” he said. “Now, seeing young actors and athletes live openly, it’s inspiring. There’s a story there about someone who couldn’t be their authentic self back then, and now they can.”
Of course, no conversation with Bennett would be complete without talking about who “could sit with him” at North Shore High.
“Alan Cumming any time of the day. He’s my idol. I love that man so much. Monet [X Change]? I love my Monet. You put any of the ‘Drag Race’ girls at North Shore High, they are going to read the Plastics to filth,” Bennett declared. “And any of the people from ‘Traitors’ there’s a little similarity to the lunchroom at North Shore High. They’d be good.”
Bennett also shared his excitement for future projects, including his pitch to join “The Traitors” reality competition and his Hallmark milestones for Outstanding Reality Competition for “Finding Mr. Christmas” and Best Film for “A Keller Christmas Vacation.”
“Getting nominated for ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’ that was the biggest blessing. Winning for the first gay wedding in Hallmark Channel history? I opened the door for that storyline and got recognized for it. That’s a big deal.”
On the topic of his iconic role, Bennett joked about reimagining “Mean Girls” with an all-guy cast leading the film.
“Isn’t ‘Mean Girls,’ kind of gay ‘Mean Girls?’?” he said with a laugh. “Two of the actors in that [original] movie are gay, so it’s like, Rajiv [Surendra], Danny [Franzese], me, there [were] like two straights, and then the rest of us. But we’ll do it all.”
Bennett’s impact extends far beyond his high school heartthrob days. He’s currently developing a new Christmas movie and basking in his double GLAAD Award nominations. Fans can tune into Hulu this Saturday, March 21 to catch Bennett hosting the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source thenationaldesk.com ’
