Mean Girls is back and better than ever.
The beloved 2004 film rings in its 20th anniversary this year, and to celebrate, a fresh take on that iconic classic is headed our way. The new Mean Girls, this one based around the Broadway musical Tina Fey’s brilliant film inspired, releases on Jan. 12, 2024, and stars a slew of brilliantly talented newcomers.
Among them is Reneé Rapp, the same gifted star to portray the character in the Broadway musical’s final run. She’s set to bring the iconic Regina George to life once more, this time on screen rather than stage. Rapp’s been an up-and-comer in Broadway for awhile now, but most viewers likely know her best as Leighton Murray in Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls. She also shares a name with another prominent Broadway star: Anthony Rapp, who starred in both the stage and screen productions of Rent. The pair share a name and a vocation, but do they also share family ties?
Are Anthony Rapp and Reneé Rapp related?
Anthony Rapp has been one of Broadway’s most recognizable stars for decades, serving as the primary face behind Rent‘s Mark Cohen across the vast majority of the show’s run. He was also the one and only Charlie Brown in the Broadway production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Lucas in If/Then, and, between 2022 and 2023, he starred as himself in the one-man show based on his memoir, Without You.
That’s on top of his frequent television and film appearances, which have seen him star in nearly 30 films — including the film version of Rent — and a full 20 television shows, including Star Trek: Discovery and 13 Reasons Why.
Reneé Rapp is nearly 30 years Anthony’s junior, so its not surprising that her resume sports far fewer entries. She’s still got some solid experience under her belt — and at only 23 years old, no less — however, between her studio album, nearly a dozen released singles, and her appearances in the stage productions of Mean Girls, Spring Awakening, and 2021’s Sisgendered.
Despite the many similarities between these two talented Rapps, they are not actually related. They’d likely be friends — if they ever met — however, and with so much in common I imagine they’d find plenty to talk about.