We're suckers for a good "all grown up" story, and this one is certainly no exception. Jessie Wright, who played young Cady in all those Africa flashbacks during Mean Girls, is 17 years old and still just as gorgeous—and redheaded—as ever.
We caught up with the high school junior to see what life is like now, plus hear a few great stories from her time on set.
"Of course at the time I had no idea it would be such a huge movie, so I didn't really understand how much it would impact my life," Jessie said. "I remember being very nervous, but excited at the same time."
Although she never got to meet LiLo or Tina Fey, Jessie did have a moment with Math-lete Kevin Gnapoor. (Here's hoping he didn't bust out his Winter Talent Show rap.) And she dropped a funny truth bomb about that elephant picture Aaron Samuels loves so much.
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"The scene where I'm sitting on an elephant in a picture, well, wasn't actually an elephant. I actually had to sit on a wooden box covered with a blue blanket and pretend I was having the time of my life riding an elephant," Jessie said. "I just thought it was hilarious, because I was so young."
The wonders of movie magic!
"When we were filming the flashback scene, I think Tyson and I were both pretty shy because we had never met, and all of a sudden had to hug! After a few takes we were pretty comfortable, though so the awkward-ness wore off!"
These days Jessie isn't acting (although after Mean Girls she did appear in the ABC Family movie I Do They Don't), but she'd like to get back to it. Until then, she's like every normal teenager with a boyfriend and a job who likes to play sports and hang out with her friends.