‘Mean Girls’ Star Daniel Franzese’s Favorite Line in the Movie Wasn’t in the Script
As far as coming-of-age teen movies go, Mean Girls is at the top of the hierarchy. The movie still holds its cult following nearly two decades after its premiere. The film featured a star-studded cast, including Rachel McAdams, Lindsey Lohan, and Amanda Seyfried. Although the Mean Girls cast followed the script written by Tina Fey, some lines were improvised. Star Daniel Franzese contributed one line that ended up being his favorite.
Daniel Franzese’s pink shirt line is his favorite
Mean Girls centered around Lohan’s Cady Heron, who begins attending Chicago’s North Shore High School after growing up homeschooled in Africa. She struggles to adapt to the new change but soon makes friends with two outcasts, Damian (Franzese) and Janis (Lizzy Caplan). But things change when she goes “undercover” as a member of the popular group.
Without realizing it, Cady becomes just like the people she’s trying to take down, ditching Janis and Damian regularly to hang out with Regina and her crew. Janis and Damian discover Cady having a house party and confront her, accusing her of modeling herself into Regina.
The duo makes their feelings in a drive-by moment. While most of the arguing occurs between Cady and Janis, Damian sticks his head out the window and demands Cady return his favorite garment he’d once lent her. Before driving away, he says, “And I want my pink shirt back.” As it turns out, the line wasn’t in the script.
According to Insider, the actor made up the line during rehearsals. Franzese said that he originally wanted the line to end with an expletive. But director Mark Waters instead asked him to yell it twice.
The pink polo was Tina Fey’s idea
From the film’s onset, Lohan’s character looks like a fish out of the water. She is unaccustomed to the tribulations high school brings and is clueless when making friends or navigating the setting. Her cluelessness is reflected in her fashion choices, especially at the movie’s beginning.
In one scene, she wears the oversized polo shirt Damian lent her. (The same one he later demands she returns.) Cady borrowed the shirt from Damian for their weekly pink day. Insider reports that the large size of the polo shirt wasn’t an oversight or accident on the production’s part.
Costume designer Mary Jane Fort revealed that Fey fought to include the oversized polo. The writer reportedly wanted Cady to look like she fit in with The Plastics by wearing their signature color but not conforming to their standards.
Damian Franzese often hears another iconic line from the movie
Mean Girls had a lot of iconic lines that remain relevant to this day. Regina George’s infamous line, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping,” is one of the most heavily used ones from the film. However, Franzese can’t escape the moment Damian, wearing a Santa Claus costume, shouts appreciation for another student.
The actor told Cosmopolitan that he gets recognized a lot but admitted it can be “nerve-racking” sometimes. He said, “I can be talking to someone in a bar, and it’s chill, and then they’re like, “You go, Glen Coco.” Clearly, Franzese’s notable dialogue resonated with the film’s fans.
