Bebe Wood was a few months away from turning 11 years old when she landed one of her first jobs - starring alongside Mean Girls screenwriter Tina Fey in hit comedy 30 Rock.
Twelve years on, that pre-teen role has seen Bebe, now 22, experience what she calls ‘such a cool full circle moment’, as she and Fey reunited for the latest iteration of the cult phenomenon that is Mean Girls.
The actress – who plays Gretchen Wieners in the new reboot - says Tina’s support has been key in her own success.
‘I attribute my career to Tina,’ Bebe says. ‘She was one of my first scene partners. If acting hadn't lived up to everything I thought it would have been for me, I can safely say I think I would have just been like, “I'm good. I don't need to keep acting, I can go back to regular school and be a kid.”
‘But I had so much fun on that day with Tina. She was just such a pro - so gracious and so kind. I really think because of that, I was like, “I want to keep doing this.”’
The original Mean Girls is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. Yet the teen comedy, which propelled Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert (the original Gretchen) and Amanda Seyfried to prominence has remained firmly ingrained in contemporary culture, and its depiction of the all-consuming high-school hierarchy continues to strike a chord.
Submitting an audition tape for Plastic clique member Gretchen was an immediate yes for Bebe, having held the original ’04 movie in high regard. But she did not go back and scrutinise her predecessor Lacey, nor any scenes from the original for that matter.
‘I thought that if I did, I would just be second-guessing everything. That was the main thing for me, trying not to overthink. That's the biggest challenge when you're approaching a role that's already been established in a very iconic way,’ she explains.
Bebe continues, ‘Sometimes when you are consciously like, “Oh, my God, I have to make this different”, you can really stray from the core of the character that you're playing. I had to trust that by virtue of me being a different performer, the performance will be different.’
This film very much stands on its own.
When Bebe wasn’t spending her downtime hanging out with her fellow cast mates – including Reneé Rapp, Angourie Rice, Avantika Vandanapu and Christopher Briney – she was turning up to work, unrequired, just to get a glimpse of Lindsay Lohan who has a cameo in the new film.
‘I was kind of freaking out,’ Bebe confesses. ‘She's just such an icon. I wasn't even supposed to be at work that day. But I came because I was just like, “I have to see her in her element.” She's just so incredible, it gave me chills.’
The 2024 remake, inspired by the Broadway musical of the OG film, comes with high expectations. But fortunately for Bebe, she didn’t feel overcome with pressure to exceed the bar already set.
‘My full energy and focus were on getting the job done and making sure that we were all happy with the product. I think there's been more of an anticipatory pressure, but at the same time, I just love my cast members, and I love the movie so much that it's like... I'm just happy that it happened and I'm happy to be here.’
She she adds, ‘It really feels like a hybrid of the original ’04 - which is obviously so beloved – and the Broadway musical, which has its own cult following. It feels like the perfect mix between the two. It’s really unique, honest to 2024, and very much stands on its own.’
Bebe has both professional and personal goals as 2024 continues to gather pace. Whilst all signs are leading to a Mean Girls takeover for at least the next month, she also hopes to become an established globetrotter, further train her six-month-old pup and get in the recording studio pronto.
‘I was always writing throughout Mean Girls. I think I wrote one of my favourite songs that I've ever written while we were filming. I can’t wait for people to hear it.'
Mean Girls is released in UK cinemas on Wednesday 17 January 2024
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.