Summary
Busy Philipps was not too fond of her role inWhite Chicksat the time, and would’ve much rather been inMean Girls.White Chickspremiered in 2004, the same year asMean Girls, and follows two Black male FBI agents (Shawn and Marlon Wayans) who go undercover as white women to protect two hotel heiresses from a kidnapper. The plotline forWhite Chicksmakes it sound like it has aged worsethan it did. While there are plenty of moments that wouldn’t happen in a modern comedy,White Chicksis still a memorable entry in the 2000s comedy canon.
Busy Philipps appears in the main cast as Karen Googlestein, one of the hotel heiresses' friends who realizes she much prefers the Wayans' more down-to-earth and friendly characters. This was one of Philipps first movie roles. She’s one of those actors whose name viewers may not remember right away, butBusy Philipps has been in several memorable movies and TV shows. Philipps is a prolific comic actress, and she’s had an unheralded and impressive career inFreaks and GeeksandCougar Town, but that doesn’t mean she’s happy with every acting decision she’s made.
25 Best Quotes From White Chicks
White Chicks is an outrageous 2004 comedy from the Wayans brothers. Here are some of the most hilarious, outlandish quotes from the film.
Busy Philipps Was Embarrassed To Star In The Critically Panned White Chicks
Philipps Could Not Audition For Mean Girls Because She Was Filming White Chicks
Despite the commercial success ofWhite Chicks, earning $113 million at the box office (viaBox Office Mojo), Busy Philipps was embarrassed to participate in the critically panned movie. In an interview withNPR, Philipps said,
“No shade to White Chicks—although all shade to White Chicks, because at the time, when it came out, it was, like, universally panned. People hated it. It was, like, honestly embarrassing that I was in it in the industry and the world at large.”
The actress is right aboutWhite Chicks' critical reputation, as it only has a 15% onRotten Tomatoes. The film was derided for its obvious and silly comedy and its depictions of race and gender stereotypes. Philipps points out that there were other issues, including fat-shaming aspects of the script. Many of the parts Philipps read for required her to lose weight, save forWhite Chicks, though it still made weight an aspect of her character,
“I’ve been asked to lose weight like a billion times… It [auditions] was just a constant stream of losing weight — minus ‘White Chicks,’ but in the script, it legitimately says ‘their fat friend.’ That’s how my character is described. I was a size eight at the time, OK? Their fat friend.”
The idea of a “fat friend” in a movie is an outdated and beyond problematic, and Phillips had to experience that indignity firsthand when appearing inWhite Chicks. What’s worse for Philipps, is thatshe could have auditioned for Tina Fey’s smash-hit comedyMean Girlshad she not been filming the Wayans movie,
“I was jealous that I wasn’t in it! You know, to be honest, just another job I didn’t get. No. I loved the original, but I was salty that I wasn’t — that I couldn’t even audition for it because I was filming White Chicks, or I’d already gotten the part for White Chicks. The filming was overlapping.
Mean Girlsis an objectively superior and more successful comedy thanWhite Chicks— earning $130 million at the global box office (viaBox Office Mojo) — and a career boon for almost everyone in the cast. Not even having the chance to audition for that film would likely have been a letdown for any young actor, as it was for Phillips.
White Chicks
Cast
White Chicks is a comedy film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. Released in 2004, the story follows FBI agents Kevin and Marcus Copeland, played by Shawn and Marlon Wayans, who go undercover as white women to protect socialite heirs from a kidnapping plot. The film notably combines elements of crime investigation and humorous identity swaps, focusing on the agents' comedic challenges while disguised in their new roles.
Philipps Now Appreciates White Chicks As A Cult Classic
The Actress Also Achieved Her Dream, Appearing As Mrs. George In The 2024 Mean Girls Movie
Despite her frustrations withWhite Chicks,Busy Philipps has been able to see past them and come to appreciate the cult comedyin the years since. She toldNPR,
“Now, perspective is everything, and I am very happy to say that over the years, I realized what an actual cult classic White Chicks has become. I’m so proud that I was in that ridiculous movie in 2004.”
Her feelings onWhite Chicksmatch the general population’s who have slowly come around to the film. It’s absurd and goofy, but it’s a very accurate representation of early 2000s comedies.Anchorman,Dodgeball, andZoolanderare similarly ridiculous movies, and upon retrospective rewatches,White Chicksactually outshines its contemporaries for its intelligent racial and cultural commentary.
Philipps also did end up getting a part inMean Girls— the 2024 musical version, that is.
Philipps also did end up getting a part inMean Girls— the 2024 musical version, that is — as “cool mom” Mrs. George. She’s worked frequently with Fey and her production company,
“The truth of the matter is, I have now been working with Tina Fey and the Little Stranger company, her production company, for the last seven or so years pretty consistently. And so when Tina calls and says to me, ‘I have a job for you,’ who the heck am I to say, ‘Oh, you know what? No, thanks.'”
She said about her work with Fey,
“I don’t know how I got so lucky, except that I’ll take it and I’m so glad. I’m so grateful for it, because I did spend so much of my early career wanting to be in the boys’ club of comedy, and always feeling like I don’t understand why I’m not. I just don’t get it. Why am I not in this club?… I was such a huge, huge fan of hers. Of course her career meant everything to me. Like there was nothing better than 30 Rock. It made me laugh so hard. And I didn’t understand how there were so many jokes. It’s so dense. I mean, that’s what sometimes on Girls5eva, I’m like, I don’t even know what this is, but I’m going to say it because I assume it’s a joke…. I’ve gotten to work with her in so many different capacities, both as a producer who’s pitching me jokes for my show, helping us break it and figure out what it is, and then handing me these amazing roles: Summer on Girls5Eva and now Mrs. George.”
Busy Philipps has had a long and impressive career. She’s even managed to rectify her perceived mistakes in the industry, whether withWhite ChicksorMean Girls, and has hitched herself to the incredible creative mind of Tina Fey, resulting in some winning performances.
Mean Girls (2024)
Mean Girls is a reimagining of the 2004 classic comedy film as a musical, directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. When Cady Heron and her family move from Africa to the United States; she experiences a culture shock when she enters the public school system for the first time. While trying to fit in, she is roped into the popular but superficial and cruel clique, the Plastics.
