As fans are preparing to watch the new Freaky Friday sequel, some were shocked to learn that Jamie Lee Curtis barely made the cut to star in the now iconic movie with Lindsey Lohan
It’s been more than two decades since the body-swap comedy that captured the sometimes complicated bond between mothers and daughters became an instant hit. But Freaky Friday fans are just learning that the movie could have ended up very different as Jamie Lee Curtis wasn’t actually the first pick to play the mother.
The movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis, as mum Tess Coleman, who suddenly switches bodies with her teenage daughter Anna, who is played by Lindsey Lohan. It was released in 2003, and was a big commercial success, grossing over $160 million (£119 million) worldwide against a production budget of $26 million. (£19 million) Now, over 20 years later, fans are excited to return to the cinema to watch the highly anticipated sequel, Freakier Friday, which sees both Curtis and Lohan return to their roles.
While the two actresses impresse with their chemistry in the movie, fans were shocked to learn that Curtis almost didn’t make the cut for the movie, as she jumped in just four days before filming started when the original actress for the role suddenly dropped out.
In a movie subreddit group on Reddit, one user asked about what movies still ended up being a success despite having a ‘troubled development’.
In a comment to the post, one fan shared: “Annette Bening was cast to play the lead but dropped out the week before filming began, Tom Selleck also dropped out when he learned she was no longer a part of it.”
“Jamie Lee Curtis was told about the role’s existence and script only four days before she started shooting,” they added.
To this, another person commented: “Props to Jamie Lee Curtis though. Woman read the script, had her hair dyed red, was ready in just 4 days. She’s said in interviews that was one of if not her favorite productions ever.”
Speaking with 9honey Celebrity about the matter, Curtis revealed that it was only a few days before filming began that she was contacted to be a part of the film.
“Another actress was doing the movie and she pulled out, I think, for personal reasons. I really never found out [why], and I had, like, four days before we started to work,” she revealed.
However, despite the quick turnaround, she said she wasn’t fazed at all about taking on the roll.
“I had no hesitation to do that. The only hesitation was I had a 15-year-old and a five-year-old at home,” she said.
“So just the idea of jumping into a movie where all of a sudden I was going to go to work for three months on something, and just the management of my family life, was the only issue for me,” the actress added.
