Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey spill the tea on iconic lines, queer representation, and dance sequences in the new rendition of Mean Girls!
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00:00 On a scale of 1 to 10, how fetch are we feeling today?
00:03 20 million.
00:05 I'm on a solid 9.5. I could use another coffee.
00:10 You know?
00:12 I agree. I could use an espresso shot too. It's early.
00:16 Just jumping right in, both Damien and Janice mean so much to the queer community.
00:23 They've been characters that have brought such representation to screens before that was a thing we got to see a lot.
00:29 So just talking to both of you, what does that mean to you and what did you want to really bring to these characters in this rendition?
00:36 I have had the joy of playing queer characters before this as well.
00:42 Maybe some of them were coded, but I've also played a couple that were out.
00:46 And every time, I've had also the privilege of working with a crew behind the scenes.
00:54 For instance, for this film, Tina Fey and Samantha Jane and Arturo Perez, our directors, were really warm in opening up the interpretation.
01:06 Because this film is so iconic, we are paying homage to our '04 original. We're not touching that. It's perfect.
01:14 But this is also a film that's an amalgamation of that '04 plus the musical.
01:20 So when the musicals come along, it means that we get to sing our feelings and it's beautiful.
01:26 And we've added glitter and we've added these outwardly queer characters.
01:32 Janice, for this interpretation, is also like, she's out there. She's not afraid to be a pyro-les.
01:38 It just means that she's a fire lesbian. Thanks for it.
01:42 And I think reclaiming that phrase is really important, not just for me, but also for viewers out there.
01:48 I think that my interpretation of Damien specifically speaks to the icon that Daniel is for being the blueprint of Damien.
01:58 I think especially in 2004, to play a plus-size queer character on screen, surrounded by all these beautiful girls,
02:05 but who's also in the drama but not a part of the drama, and to give that representation when it didn't exist.
02:12 And for it to still be here 20 years later, and for a Broadway show and new actors to jump in,
02:19 I think it speaks to just truly how beautiful it was for them to jump in and give the beautiful work.
02:24 So I hope that my Damien is a tribute to him and to Grey and to anybody else who's played the queen that is Damien Hubbard.
02:32 I think you both did an amazing job. You sing beautifully. I love the chemistry between the two characters.
02:39 And I have to ask, the first rendition had so many iconic lines that really stood out and have stayed with us for so long.
02:45 Do you think that there's anything in this one that's going to stand out the same way?
02:50 Ooh, that's a great question. We haven't gotten that question yet.
02:53 Yeah, it's a new one!
02:57 I think a lot of the...
03:02 To me, I think there are just a lot of new references that are like little here and theres, like, "Oh, can't even see it." It's like a face breast.
03:11 I'm already seeing people tweet that and use that. Just like those little quirks that each character has that you might miss because it's not necessarily like, "Oh, Mean Girls quote!"
03:20 It's just like a line that's in there. I think those are starting to get picked up on the more people see the movie.
03:26 So I don't think I'll know until after the 12th when you all go to the theater and watch it.
03:31 But, you know, for our TikTok Instagram girlies, also for anyone who enjoys choreography, Kyle Hanagami, our choreographer, has created some incredible dance sequences.
03:40 So I think that's also become its own iconic thing of like learning the new Spring Fling dance, like, or learning the talent show dance, right?
03:50 Like our slapping, like, it's fresh. It's new. I don't dance in this film.
03:57 I love that. I agree, though. I think that like even just like the little dance break could be big and that's just like such a little small part.
04:04 So there's definitely things around. Thank you both so much and congratulations. That's all the time I have.
04:11 Thank you.