Jonathan Bennett Shares Advice For Christopher Briney As The Summer I Turned Pretty Star Takes Over Iconic Mean Girls Role
When it comes to Mean Girls, October 3 is generally the date most fans have circled on their calendars, but not in 2024. January 12 marks the theatrical release of Mean Girls, the musical adaptation starring Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Christopher Briney (aka Conrad from The Summer I Turned Pretty) and more. If this musical becomes a phenomenon anywhere close to what the 2004 film did, the Mean Girls musical cast is in for a wild ride, and OG star Jonathan Bennett had some words of advice for the actor taking over his iconic role.
Jonathan Bennett portrayed Aaron Samuels in 2004’s Mean Girls — one of the best movies of the 2000s — and he and his co-stars couldn’t have imagined at the time how much of an impact that film would have on pop culture. That means expectations are sky-high for Christopher Briney and the rest of the 2024 cast, and Bennett understands the pressure they must be under, telling E! News:
It’s tricky, right? I would say that just to make the characters their own. You know, for the person playing Aaron Samuels — I’ve never talked to any of these people yet, I don’t know them, but you know — it’s your role now, and it’s time for you to do your thing, because we did our thing and it turned out pretty well. And so hopefully you’ll do your thing, and I hope it turns out even better.
That’s a pretty great message of encouragement to the Mean Girls musical cast in general, but for Christopher Briney specifically, as Jonathan Bennett seems to have no qualms about passing the Aaron Samuels torch.
Jonathan Bennett, who recently starred in the Hallmark Christmas movie Christmas on Cherry Lane, opened up about the “special bond” he shares with Lacey Chabert and their other co-stars from the teen comedy. He said it’s hard for many people to understand what that cast has experienced, joking that Starbucks employees still write “Aaron Samuels” on his coffee cup every time. I love that he’s hoping for even better things to come for Christopher Briney.
Rachel McAdams similarly had high praise for Reneé Rapp, who is playing Plastics queen Regina George in the movie after also performing the role on Broadway. McAdams said she hopes Rapp has a great time with the character, noting that “she’s already got me beat with that voice.” Jaquel Spivey, who plays Damian in the musical, said he also heard from his character’s OG actor, Daniel Franzese, who Spivey called “nothing but just the sweetest person” as he also passed the torch.
Not all members of the musical’s cast are new, however, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows will reprise their roles as math teacher Ms. Norbury and school principal Mr. Duvall, respectively. If you want to relive the 2004 magic, Mean Girls can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription while we wait for Christopher Briney, Reneé Rapp and the rest to put their own spin on the high school comedy January 12. Check out our 2024 movie schedule to see what else is coming to theaters soon.
