
For many, the 2004 film Mean Girls is just about as iconic as it comes, so when it was revealed a new Mean Girls was coming there were some apprehensions, but the 2024 film has perfectly blended the original film and the Broadway musical it’s based on. In the 2024 Mean Girls, Auli’I Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey have taken on the roles of Janis and Damian, originated by Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Franzese.
When speaking with Popternative host Petey Beats, Jaquel Spivey spoke about the legacy of the film. “It’s so much anxiety because you know how special it is,” he said, adding, “I’m a fan of this project first. I’m a fan of the ’04 movie. I’m a fan of the musical, but also to get a call from Tina Fey and for her to say I think you’re my Damian…I don’t think you can walk into this project and not want to give your best self. Also, I am very different from Daniel [Franzese]. I’m very different from Grey [Henson]. This is Damian through the eyes of a Black Man in 2024. Things have changed. Times have changed. High school isn’t the same. In high school for people like this Damian isn’t the same as it would have been in 2004, so a lot goes into it, yes, but also it was such an honor to be able to step into a rich legacy like this one.”

Later in the chat, Auli’I shared what she hopes viewers take away from the new Mean Girls. “I think that you can take away that high school is tough. That you will meet people that you don’t always agree with. That you will go through the trials and tribulations of figuring out who you are but who you are is enough. Don’t cut off parts of yourself in order to fit in with whatever the Plastics…however they’re represented in your school, but also outside of that in every area of your life. Ground yourself in who you are and find those friends that can surround you and uplift you and choose you.”
Watch the full interview with Auli’I Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey below.
Mean Girls is available for digital rental and purchase and is streaming on MGM+ and Paramount+.
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Amber Dover is a multimedia journalist with over a decade writing about pop culture. Cat mom with a deep love of horror, you can follow Amber at @Glambergirlblog on Instagram and X.