Mean Girls’ Lizzy Caplan admits difficulties moving on from Janis Ian: ‘It’s a problem’

Lizzy Caplan has had one hell of a career over the past 20 years – from cult favourite Freaks and Geeks all the way through to her latest role of iconic Annie Wilkes in Castle Rock… but to some, she’ll still be defined as Mean Girls rebel, Janis Ian.

Janis was the anti-Regina George in the 2004 teen comedy, which holds up to this day as one of the most definitive films of that era… but that can become a bit of a pain when it comes to moving on.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk about still being known as the character, Lizzy admitted: ‘Yeah it’s a problem.’

However, it’s not what she would consider something she struggles with personally, and added: ‘It feels like a different lifetime, but it’s… no, it’s nice.

‘It’s very nice when you were in something that people care about many years later. That’s crazy. I don’t know how that ever happens.’

It’s safe to say that 16 years later, Lizzy has made a bid to leave that character behind – and she couldn’t be further from her than in Castle Rock, an anthology series based on the works of Stephen King.

Starring alongside Tim Robbins, Lizzy plays a young Annie Wilkes, a character who took centre stage in his novel Misery.

The character was played in 1990 by Kathy Bates, who would earn an Oscar for the leading role in the horror thriller – a character that, arguably, is one of her most defining moments.

So defining, in fact, that Lizzy was initially scared about taking it on.