Mean Girls featured one actor who was fired and replaced shortly before filming began, leading many to believe that it was James Franco. Despite the rumors circulating for years, there is no evidence that Franco was ever cast in the film. Rather, he was considered for the role of Aaron Samuels. However, things did not pan out, according to star Lindsay Lohan. However, someone else was cast before Jonathan Bennett and was later fired. The identity of that actor remains unknown.
Rumors of James Franco being ‘fired’ from Mean Girls explained
Many believe that James Franco was once a part of the Mean Girls cast but was later fired. This rumor stems from two separate revelations.
During a cast reunion presented by U.S. journalist Katie Couric in 2020, Tina Fey confirmed that Aaron Samuels was originally played by a different actor who was later fired (via The Independent). “I was actually cast last minute,” Jonathan Bennett, who played Aaron in the film, added. “I was flown up the night before because they did a switch or something…”
Meanwhile, in a 2014 interview with Cosmopolitan, Daniel Franzese revealed that James Franco was considered for the role of Aaron Samuels. “Lindsay recently told me that, even before [the actor who got fired], James Franco was considered for the role of Aaron Samuels. I thought that was so cool — Bennett was great, but that would’ve been cool.”
However, Franzese clearly distinguished Franco from the actor who was fired during the interview. Therefore, while Franco was considered for the role of Aaron Samuels, there is no indication that he was ever cast in the film. There is also no indication that he was ever fired from the role.
Mean Girls went on to become one of the most successful films of its time. It remains a cult classic today. It also spawned various adaptations, including a stage musical that premiered on Broadway in March 2018. A film adaptation of the musical was later released in 2024.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
