Spoilers ahead for the new Mean Girls.
2004's Mean Girls is widely considered one of the best teen movies of all time, and has remained part of pop culture in the decades since its release. After going to Broadway with a stage musical, that show was adapted for the new Mean Girls movie, which performed well at the box office after being released. Directors Arturo Perez Jr. and Samantha Jayne revealed to CinemaBlend that Harry Styles was considered for a role. But if you're thinking he was going to be Aaron Samuels, none for you!
The cast of Mean Girls is pretty stacked, especially with that top-secret Lindsay Lohan cameo. But it turns out the filmmakers considered having none other than pop star/actor Harry Styles join in on the fun. I had the chance to speak with the directors before the movie's release, where Jayne explained why they wanted Styles to pop in for a role as everyone's favorite candy cane gram recipient Glen Coco. When speaking about her favorite Mean Girls quotes, she told me:
I love ‘You Go Glen Coco’ And I have to say when that line came about within the song “Revenge Party” we were like ‘Whose Glen Coco? Do we show Glen Coco?’
Fair point. The new Mean Girls included plenty of surprises for the fans, even those who can quote the 2004 movie from start to finish. So when Glen Coco got his shout out in the song "Revenge Party" the directors wanted to make that moment special. And for a while that included the concept of Harry Styles possibly having a role.
It's unclear if Styles' reps were ever actually contacted about this cameo, but it's definitely a fun idea. Despite the character itself being basically an extra in the original, "You go, Glen Coco" is a line that's been adopted by the public in the years since its release. And the way the musical put a spin on that is jut one reason why my Mean Girls review was so positive.
Later in our same conversation, co-director Arturo Perez Jr. explained how the concept of Harry Styles having a cameo eventually led to the way this moment was addressed in their new movie. Because when the cast sing about Glen Coco, they sing directly to the camera, transforming the audience into that character. As Perez told me:
I remember we were like ‘I think the only person that can be Glen Coco is Harry Styles.’ And if it’s not Harry Styles then it has to be everyone. We all have to be Glen Coco.
Well, suddenly I've got FOMO through the roof. In the end it was fun to be Glen Coco in the new Mean Girls movie, but I can't imagine how crazy theaters would have gotten if Styles suddenly appeared in this role.
As previously mentioned, the new movie got a big cameo in the form of original Cady actress Lindsay Lohan. She had a small but memorable role as the judge of the Mathletes competition, with plenty of moviegoers cheering when she suddenly appeared. Perhaps that surprise would have been less efficient if the audience had already screamed about Harry Styles. Food for thought.
Mean Girls is in theaters now, and the original is streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
