The 2024 Mean Girls gives new actors to characters first played in the 2004 film, and many readers want to know exactly who plays whom. This guide sets out the main cast of the new film, the original 2004 cast, and the roles that have changed hands.
The 2024 film is a musical adaptation based on the Broadway musical, which was itself based on the 2004 film. Press coverage describes it as a hybrid of the two, with fewer songs and a shorter runtime than the stage version.
Many principal roles now have new actors. A small number of 2004 cast members return, including Tina Fey and Tim Meadows, and Lindsay Lohan appears in a cameo. Some details, including whether one former cast member returns, remain disputed.
Who is in the Mean Girls 2024 cast?
Film
Mean Girls (2024), based on the 2004 film and the 2018 Broadway musical.
Lead cast
Angourie Rice as Cady Heron and Reneé Rapp as Regina George.
Supporting cast
Auliʻi Cravalho as Janis, Jaquel Spivey as Damian, Bebe Wood as Gretchen and Avantika as Karen.
Original 2004 film cast
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lizzy Caplan, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried.
- Angourie Rice takes the role of Cady Heron, which Lindsay Lohan played in 2004.
- Reneé Rapp played Regina George on Broadway before reprising the role in the film.
- Karen is renamed Karen Shetty in the 2024 film, and Janis becomes Janis ‘Imi’ike.
- Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their roles from the 2004 film.
- Lindsay Lohan appears in a cameo as the Mathletes tournament moderator.
- Ashley Park originated Gretchen on stage and plays Madame Park in the film.
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Film title | Mean Girls (2024) | Wikipedia; Business Insider |
| Original film | Mean Girls (2004) | Wikipedia |
| Lead 2024 cast | Angourie Rice (Cady Heron); Reneé Rapp (Regina George) | People; Business Insider |
| Supporting 2024 cast | Auliʻi Cravalho (Janis); Jaquel Spivey (Damian); Bebe Wood (Gretchen); Avantika (Karen) | Business Insider; People |
| 2004 lead cast | Lindsay Lohan (Cady); Rachel McAdams (Regina); Lizzy Caplan (Janis); Lacey Chabert (Gretchen); Amanda Seyfried (Karen) | Wikipedia; Business Insider |
| Screenplay | Tina Fey wrote the screenplays for both films | Wikipedia |
| Director (2024) | Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. | Wikipedia |
| US release (2024) | Reported release date | |
| UK cinema listing (2024) | UK cinema listing |
Who played the main roles in the 2004 Mean Girls film?
The original 2004 film built its central relationships around a small group of lead roles. Several of those characters return in the new film under different actors.
Who played Cady Heron and Regina George in 2004?
Lindsay Lohan played Cady Heron, a newcomer to the school who was homeschooled after years in Kenya. In the 2004 film, Lohan’s Cady narrates the story.
Rachel McAdams played Regina George, the queen bee of the group known as the Plastics. The Today comparison of the two films notes the difference in narration in the later version.
Which actors played the Plastics and Janis’s circle in 2004?
Lacey Chabert played Gretchen Wieners, a member of the Plastics. Amanda Seyfried played Karen Smith, and Lizzy Caplan played Janis Ian.
Daniel Franzese played Damian, Janis’s best friend. Ana Gasteyer played Mrs Heron, Cady’s mother, and Amy Poehler played Mrs George, Regina’s mother.
Trang Pak, played by an Asian actress in the 2004 film, is reported to be absent from the 2024 film. The 2004 performer is not named, and the claim rests on a single report.
How does the 2024 cast compare with the 2004 cast?
The comparison shows that most lead roles now belong to new actors. The changes go beyond casting, with several characters given different names, backgrounds or emphasis.
Which characters were recast?
Several principal characters have new actors in the 2024 film. The main changes include:
- Cady Heron, now played by Angourie Rice
- Regina George, now played by Reneé Rapp
- Gretchen Wieners, now played by Bebe Wood
- Karen, now played by Avantika
- Janis, now played by Auliʻi Cravalho
- Damian, now played by Jaquel Spivey
Jon Hamm plays Coach Carr, a role played by Dwayne Hill in 2004. Reports describe the 2024 role as limited, with the inappropriate student subplot removed.
Reneé Rapp played Regina George on Broadway, and Ashley Park originated Gretchen on stage. Both actors carry that stage experience into the film.
Which 2004 actors returned for the new film?
Tina Fey reprises her role as Ms Norbury, which she played in 2004, and she also wrote the screenplays for both films. Tim Meadows returns as Principal Duvall.
Lindsay Lohan appears in a cameo as the Mathletes tournament moderator, a return that reports describe as a full-circle moment. Business Insider reports that Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert did not reprise their roles.
Reports differ on whether Daniel Franzese returns as Damian. Business Insider states that he reprised the role, while Wikipedia credits Jaquel Spivey in that part.
What changed for Janis, Karen and Gretchen?
In the 2024 film, Janis becomes Janis ‘Imi’ike, and the film makes her queer identity explicit. One report links the name change to Auliʻi Cravalho’s Hawaiian heritage.
Karen is renamed Karen Shetty, with reports describing an Indian heritage and a more defined identity. Bebe Wood’s Gretchen is described as having more vulnerability and dimension than the earlier version.
When was the 2024 Mean Girls film released?
The 2024 film was reported as released in the US on . It opened in UK cinemas a few days later, on .
When did the film open in UK cinemas?
A UK cinema listing gives 17 January 2024 as the opening date. Readers can check the film’s title page on IMDb for further credits.
The US release is reported for 12 January 2024, and the UK cinema listing gives 17 January 2024. The dates differ by territory.
Who directed and wrote the 2024 film?
The 2024 film is directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., with a screenplay by Tina Fey. It is the third film in the franchise.
How did Mean Girls move from the 2004 film to the 2024 adaptation?
The franchise developed in stages, with each version adding a new cast and approach.
- : The original Mean Girls film is released in the US.
- : The Mean Girls Broadway musical opens, based on the 2004 film.
- The stage musical gives Reneé Rapp and Ashley Park their roles as Regina George and Gretchen Wieners.
- : The 2024 film is reported as released in the US.
- : A UK cinema listing gives the opening date for the 2024 film.
Which parts of the Mean Girls cast are settled and which remain unclear?
| Established information | Information that remains unclear |
|---|---|
| Angourie Rice plays Cady Heron, and Reneé Rapp plays Regina George. | Whether Daniel Franzese returns as Damian, with reports conflicting. |
| Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their 2004 roles. | Whether Rajiv Surendra has a cameo as Kevin, as no report confirms it. |
| Lindsay Lohan appears in a cameo as the Mathletes moderator. | The role of Megan Thee Stallion, who is named in one cameo report without a specified part. |
| The 2024 film was released in January 2024. | The identity of the 2004 actress who played Trang Pak. |
| Karen is renamed Karen Shetty in 2024. | The spelling of Avantika’s name, which appears in several forms, and the spelling of Reneé and Renée. |
Why does the Mean Girls cast differ between the 2004 and 2024 versions?
The cast differs because the 2024 film is a new adaptation of a stage musical that was itself based on the 2004 film. Reviewers describe it as closely following the original, with many identical gags and lines of dialogue. Deep Focus Review notes that the film is not a sequel or a requel.
Reports do not explain why individual actors were chosen for each role. The changes are documented, but the reasons behind them are not confirmed in the reporting.
Readers who want to compare another stage-to-screen musical cast can read the Grease Cast 1978 – Full Cast List and Where They Are Now guide.
How consistent are the cast details across reviews and reports?
Most reports agree on the main cast list, with differences mainly in spelling and formatting. Reviewers disagree more on performances than on casting.
“pretty much same as the 2004 film except some updated details and a bunch of musical numbers”
Reviews are mixed on Angourie Rice. One reviewer finds her “rather colorless” compared with Lohan, while another describes her as a sweet presence.
“powerhouse vocals”
Several reports vary in spelling, so this guide uses the forms that appear most consistently across sources.
What does the Mean Girls cast look like overall?
The 2024 Mean Girls features a new lead pair in Angourie Rice and Reneé Rapp, supported by Auliʻi Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Bebe Wood and Avantika. Lindsay Lohan, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows connect the film to the original, and the Broadway stage links several cast members. For another teen comedy ensemble, see the Cast of the Inbetweeners – Complete Guide to Actors and Characters.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2024 film a sequel to the 2004 original?
No. Reviewers note that the film is not a sequel or a requel. It closely follows the original, often with identical gags and dialogue, and it is based on the stage musical.
Which 2024 cast members played their roles on Broadway?
Reneé Rapp played Regina George on Broadway and reprises the role in the film. Ashley Park originated Gretchen on stage and plays Madame Park in the film.
Who narrates the 2024 film?
Janis and Damian act as pseudo-narrators in the 2024 film. In 2004, Lindsay Lohan’s Cady narrated the story.
Who plays Kevin in the 2024 film?
Mahi Alam is listed as Kevin Ganatra in the 2024 cast. Reports do not confirm whether Rajiv Surendra, who played Kevin in 2004, has a cameo.
Why is Karen called Karen Shetty in 2024?
Karen is renamed Karen Shetty in the 2024 film. Reports describe an Indian heritage and a more defined identity for the character.
Who played Mrs George in the 2004 film?
Amy Poehler played Mrs George, Regina’s mother, in the 2004 film. In the 2024 film, Busy Philipps plays the role, which reviewers describe as a “cool mom” part.
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Toby Marsh is Senior Reporter at Castradar.uk, covering film and TV stories across the UK.