Let’s be real: Mean Girls is an iconic part of LGBTQ+ pop culture. The movie gave us the “You go, Glen Coco” line, a global obsession with pink on Wednesdays, and, of course, the hot and heartthrob-y Aaron Samuels, played by Jonathan Bennett. In fact, Aaron was so unforgettable that he was practically every gay teen’s first straight crush. And even though Bennett himself came out in 2017, you won’t catch him advocating for a queer twist on his Mean Girls character anytime soon.
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Staying True to Aaron’s Narrative in Mean Girls
In an interview promoting his appearance on the “I’ve Never Said This Before” podcast, Bennett explained why, if there ever was a Mean Girls sequel (fingers crossed), Aaron Samuels should remain straight. “I think Aaron would be straight because I wouldn’t want to change the narrative of Aaron Samuels because Jonathan Bennett is gay,” the actor, 44, explained. “You would keep the narrative of Aaron Samuels because that’s the story.”
It’s a thoughtful stance, sure, but also one that reflects an interesting nuance of Hollywood and fandom culture: the idea that just because an actor is gay, their characters have to be too. For Bennett, Aaron Samuels isn’t about him. It’s about the character’s arc, which was rooted in the quintessential high school love triangle and not in his own sexuality. And, honestly, who can blame him? A straight-laced Aaron is what made his eventual romance with Cady Heron so satisfying (even if he did make that mistake of dating Regina George first).
The Iconic Cast and Their Own Journeys
That said, it’s not as if the cast didn’t have some interesting journeys after the film’s 2004 release. Bennett wasn’t the only one to come out post-Mean Girls. Daniel Franzese, who played the fabulous Damian Leigh, publicly came out as gay in 2014. Rajiv Surendra, who played the very mysterious Kevin G, revealed his own sexuality four years later. And Bennett couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony. “The three main guys all came out at some point which I thought was really funny,” he reflected. “It’s just ironic in a way.”
It’s a bit of a queer Mean Girls reunion, even if none of them had planned it. But while those coming out moments were a revelation for fans, it doesn’t mean every Mean Girls character should now reflect those real-life changes. Bennett’s dedication to keeping Aaron Samuels the way Tina Fey wrote him is a rare moment of clarity in an industry where reboots and sequels are often too eager to capitalize on the buzz of social movements, rather than respecting the integrity of the original material.
The Great Sequel Debate
Now, let’s talk about that hypothetical Mean Girls sequel. While there’s no official word on one (and let’s be honest, Lindsay Lohan’s a little busy), Bennett confirmed that the idea has been tossed around in the cast’s group chat. “I don’t think there’s been an actual conversation between us that I can remember. But, like, in the group chat, do we want to do it? Yes,” Bennett shared. “It’s just, we did that movie 22 years ago, so it’s like … everyone grows up. We were kids shooting this movie. And then you grow up and get [on with] your lives…”
So, basically: they’re all down, but it’s going to take more than some well-placed hashtags to get this thing moving. But Bennett has a vision, one that includes a much older, wiser Aaron Samuels. “Why don’t we just do the movie everyone wants,” he proposed. “We all come back, I’m a teacher at the school, the girls are grown up [and] have their own kids, and now their daughters are coming to school and it’s managing the parents with the kids in high school.” Honestly, sign me up. It would be peak millennial nostalgia meets new-gen chaos—and let’s not forget, it’s also a perfect excuse to relive some classic high school drama with a sprinkle of grown-up wisdom.
Generational Nostalgia Meets New Faces
Bennett also pointed out the beauty of a sequel that spans generations: “You could have a storyline for all the parents who are the millennials that are fans of the movie [and] grew up with it,” he said. “So they’re going to be attached to, like Lacey [Chabert], Amanda [Seyfried], me. And then you have the kids who are the new [stars] for their kids to be watching, so they can identify with those kids.” Basically, we get to pass the torch. Mean Girls 2.0 would introduce a new crop of chaos-causing teens while still making room for the beloved original cast—and giving parents the satisfaction of introducing their own children to the Mean Girls universe.
Bennett’s Call for a Sequel… Before He’s Too Old!
And, as much as we’d love to get a peek at how Aaron Samuels might evolve, Bennett reminded us that it’s not all up to him. “I’m not getting any younger,” he joked, adding that Tina Fey might want to start writing this thing sooner rather than later. Fair enough! We’d hate to see Aaron Samuels as a senior citizen handing out detention slips.
For now, fans can continue to dream of a Mean Girls sequel that brings together new and old faces in perfect harmony, with no forced changes to the storylines. Whether Aaron Samuels stays straight, or the cast rehashes their childhood antics with their kids, it’s clear that whatever happens, it’s bound to be so fetch.
Source: Entertainment Weekly