Janis Ian (Mean Girls 2004 film) VA: Lizzy Caplan

Description

Janis Ian, also referred to as Janis Sarkisian or Janis ʻImiʻike in the musical versions, is a character from the Mean Girls franchise. She is portrayed by Lizzy Caplan in the original 2004 film, Barrett Wilbert Weed in its Broadway musical version and by Auliʻi Cravalho in the musical film.[1] Janis is the best friend of Damian Leigh (or Damian Hubbard in the musical), and ex-best friend of Regina George. Her main goal throughout the story is to get revenge on Regina for spreading rumours about her, and she does this through the use of new girl Cady Heron, who is enlisted to help Janis take down Regina. Janis' character was written by Tina Fey. The character originally shared a name with a folk singer who appeared on the series premiere of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975 and had a Top Ten single "At Seventeen", which reached no. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in September 1975 when Fey was five years old. The song is a stirring critique on high school angst, popularity delusions and teen barbarity. The singer was outed in 1976 and came out as a lesbian in 1993 with the release of Breaking Silence, her album which confronts teenage suicide and related issues. "At Seventeen" is played faintly during a scene in the 2004 version of Mean Girls.[2]