Casting Call Chaos: How Jonathan Bennett Almost Lost Out on "Mean Girls"

Finding the Perfect Aaron Samuels

When Mark Waters embarked on casting "Mean Girls," he faced the challenge of finding young actors who could complement star Lindsay Lohan. They struck gold with Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and others, but the search for Aaron Samuels, Cady Heron's love interest, led to an unusual twist.

Jonathan Bennett auditioned and, according to legend, made Lindsay Lohan blush. Director Mark Waters was impressed and proclaimed, "You just made my lead actor blush. You're gonna get the part."

A Curveball from Paramount

However, Bennett's triumph was short-lived. After auditioning, he received a call informing him that the studio was going with someone else, someone who fit the popular "blonde and blue-eyed" look of the time.

Bennett was devastated but little did he know that the actor cast as Aaron Samuels would bomb the first table read.

Table Read Disaster

The mysterious actor, going against the director's vision, arrived at the table read in athleisure attire, mumbling his lines and creeping out Tim Meadows. Lorne Michaels, used to the precision of "Saturday Night Live," was unimpressed.

A Shirtless Twist of Fate

The flaky actor was promptly fired, leaving the door open for Bennett. However, he was unaware of this twist while working a shift at Abercrombie & Fitch. His agent's call brought the good news, butBennett was so focused on his current task that he told his agent he would call back after his shift.

His agent was not amused. "You don't have a shift," he replied. "Quit."

A "Fetch" Ending

And so, Bennett boarded a plane to Canada, joining the cast of one of the most beloved comedies of the 2000s. The tale of his casting journey serves as a reminder that sometimes, the right actor for a role doesn't always fit the conventional mold.