If you thought you knew everything about Mean Girls, prepare to have your mind blown — because the movie very nearly looked different in one crucial way.
In a revelation that somehow stayed secret for over two decades, Ross Mathews disclosed on the April 1 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show that Tina Fey originally had him in mind when she wrote the role of Damian.
Yes, that Damian. The, “She doesn’t even go here” Damian. The Damian who helped guide Cady Heron through the social minefield of North Shore High School.
And Mathews actually auditioned for it.
How the Secret Finally Came Out
The bombshell dropped during a game of Moss or Ross with guest Elizabeth Moss, where Drew Barrymore had to guess whether a given fact applied to Ross or Moss.
The clue she was given said, “I auditioned to be in Mean Girls,” and Barrymore guessed Moss.
The answer was, of course, Ross.
Ross Mathews visits SiriusXM Studios on December 09, 2024 in New York City.
“Back in 2002-ish, 2003? I was just on The Tonight Show and I got a call saying, ‘Will you audition for this movie for a kid in high school?’ And I was like, ‘I’m too old,’” Mathews, who would’ve been around 23 or 24 at the time, told Barrymore.
But he didn’t just audition — the part was quite literally written for him.
“And they said, ‘Tina Fey kind of had you in mind when she wrote the part of Damian,’” he continued — adding that he has “never told anyone this” before.
So why didn’t he get the part? Despite doing the audition, Mathews said it wasn’t exactly a triumphant moment for him.
“I was terrible and didn’t get it,” he said on the show. “It’s a great movie. It’s iconic, and I can’t believe I was there at the beginning a little bit.”
There’s something so endearingly honest about the now-beloved RuPaul’s Drag Race judge casually admitting he tanked his shot at one of the most quotable comedies ever made. But honestly? That level of self-awareness is very on-brand.
Who Was Ultimately Cast as Damian In ‘Mean Girls’
The role ultimately went to Daniel Franzese, who delivered one of the film’s most iconic lines: “She doesn’t even go here!” Franzese’s Damian became the heart of the movie’s outsider crew — Janis Ian’s (played by Lizzy Caplan) loyal best friend and one of the first people to befriend Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) at North Shore High School.
He and Janis were the ones who initially guided Cady through the school’s social landscape and recruited her into their scheme to take down Regina George and the Plastics.
It’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in the role now, which is what makes this alternate-casting revelation so fascinating.
The Real Person Behind Damian From ‘Mean Girls’
Here’s another layer of Mean Girls lore worth savoring: Fey based a lot of the characters on real people.
Damian was inspired by Damian Holbrook — a senior writer at TV Guide — and his brother, Jim. Holbrook and Fey were friends growing up, having met at Summer Stage when he was 13, according to Billy Penn at WHYY.
“The movie version is far more me and the musical version is far more my brother,” Holbrook told the outlet in 2023. “He’s a show tunes fan, very flamboyant, very funny, and literally can drop a show tune lyric into any conversation.”
“It’s almost like my superpower,” he said of the character. “I may not have had a huge impact on the world, but this character has definitely made an impression. He’s been embraced by people.”
And that might be the most Mean Girls takeaway of all — the character Fey built from real friendship became a touchstone for an entire generation.
