Back in 2004, Tina Fey wrote a little movie called Mean Girls. The film went on to not only become a hit, but become popular culture. Oh, and it launched some careers. This was Fey’s first big writing job, as her critically acclaimed show 30 Rock started two years later. It’s been, what, eight years since this film came out – so let’s take a look at the cast and where they are now.

Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Rachel McAdams

This was the Golden Age of Lindsay Lohan. She became a bankable star and had Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Herbie Fully Loaded, Prairie Home Companion and Bobby hit in a three-year timespan.

Lindsay Lohan, with Amanda Seyfried (center right) and Lacey Chabert (right)

Of course, we all know what happened next. Her life kind of spiraled out of control and she was in and out of rehab and untouchable for quite a few directors from 2010 – 2012. She did make a comeback on SNL and has some projects lined up, including TV movie Liz and Dick, a movie about youth in LA called The Canyons and Scary Movie 5.

I’m sure that if trouble hadn’t derailed her career she wouldn’t be doing TV movies and Scary Movie 5. Tis a shame.

Before Mean Girls, McAdams was The Hot Chick. After Mean Girls she had The Notebook and Wedding Crashers release in consecutive years. In fact, Mean Girls was released the same year as The Notebook.

Although McAdams isn’t truly a movie star, where she could sell a movie all by herself, she has emerged as an incredibly solid actress that can augment some movies. Recently, she’s had Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, where she plays an excellent snooty girl, the Sherlock Holmes franchise as the detective’s love interest and the very Notebook-like The Vow opposite of Channing Tatum.

Lacey Chabert, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried

In the next two years, she’s lined up projects from legendary directors Terrence Malick and Brian De Palma.

What can I say about Tina Fey? Since Mean Girls she became head writer on Saturday Night Live, crafted an Emmy winning comedy 30 Rock, is a best-selling author and has infiltrated America’s subconscious (and the 2008 electrons) with her excellent parody of Sarah Palin.

In 2013, Fey will appear with Paul Rudd and Michael Sheen in About a Boy director Paul Weitz’s new film Admission.

Fey’s BFF Poehler now stars on the absolutely hilarious Parks and Recreation and will be hitting the big screen three times in the next two years. Post Mean Girls? Poehler has gone on to do a wide range of stuff, from Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arriety to Arrested Development to those blasted Chipmunks films. Yeah, she was in the Chipmunks movies.

Tina Fey

The former Party of Five cast member already had plenty of work as a child voice star. Seriously, she was a child voice actor – appearing in Nick’s Ah! Real Monsters, Gargoyles, Hey Arnold and was the original Meg in Family Guy.

After Mean Girls she pretty much continued to do what she had been doing. She did a lot of voice stuff, including Transformers, Young Justice League, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Avengers and even video games like Star Wars: The Old Republic.

In the future, Chabert has plenty of smaller indie films coming out.

Pre-Mean Girls, Caplan was on the Judd Apatow TV show Freaks and Geeks and made two appearances on Superman TV show Smallville. After Mean Girls it’s been a steady climb for Caplan, who’s turning into one of the best comedic actresses around.

Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried

She was in Cloverfield, yeah – but she also has done stuff like True Blood, American Dad, Party Down, Children’s Hospital, Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, and has recently appeared on Fox’s hit TV show New Girl and done some short films for Marvel.

Her next endeavor is John Madden’s TV movie Masters of Sex with co-star Michael Sheen.

Of all the cast of Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfriend probably has the highest ceiling. She’s certainly gotten some of the most high profile work outside of Tina Fey and Rachel McAdams.

She started out as a soap opera regular on As the World Turns and All My Children, but then slowly grew into something bigger after Mean Girls. She went on to Law and Order: SVU, CSI, Veronica Mars and House before exploding into Mamma Mia!, Dear John and Big Love.

Her next couple projects are the most interesting, as she’s getting some Oscar buzz for her turn in Lovelace as well as a part in Oscar winning director Tom Hooper’s huge musical Les Miserables.

amanda seyfried, amy poehler, lacey chabert, lindsay lohan, mean girls, rachel mcadams, tina fey