WhenTina Fey’s film Mean Girls arrived in cinemas 20 years ago, it became a cult hit overnight. The comedy about teenage high-school cliques governed by the cruel rules of popularity made a star of its lead, Lindsay Lohan, and catapulted its creator into the spotlight.
Now, the comedienne and actress, who played maths teacher Ms Norbury, has resumed her role and written a reboot of the movie, which was partly based on her own experience. “I was a total nerd. A theatre nerd. I was all big hair and turtleneck sweaters,” says Tina, who also wrote and starred in American comedy series 30 Rock. “I had no luck with boys whatsoever, but I was a pretty good student.”
As a result, the gossiping and backstabbing of adolescent girls became a familiar battleground for the younger Tina.