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Lizzy Caplan Says She Fought for 'Mean Girls' Role as Studio Favored Kelly Osbourne

On a new podcast, Caplan recounts overcoming skepticism by crafting Janis’s goth look to persuade casting.

Overview

  • In a Podcrushed interview with Penn Badgley, Caplan says the audition was very long and she was determined to join the film after finding the script exceptionally funny.
  • She says studio decisionmakers initially resisted casting her and considered Kelly Osbourne for Janis Ian.
  • To bolster her case, a Canadian hairstylist helped her try dark wigs on Hollywood Boulevard and send screen grabs that matched Janis’s goth aesthetic.
  • Caplan recalls that auditioners first read for the two lead roles before casting sorted them into callback groups.
  • She remembers a three‑month shoot in Toronto that felt like a dorm and says she bonded closely with Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett.