Is Hallmark's Jonathan Bennett Still Close With His Mean Girls Co-Stars?

It's been nearly two decades since "Mean Girls" made its big screen debut, but it continues to be regarded as one of the groolest teen comedies of all time — so much so that it spawned a Broadway musical and a subsequent film version. But we all know nothing can beat the OG, with fans still clamoring for a sequel to this day. Jonathan Bennett, forever etched in our hearts as Aaron Samuels and whose hair still looks sexy pushed back, admits that he's open to revisiting the wild halls of North Shore High, especially since he's still close to some of his co-stars.

Bennett said that he probably wouldn't be where he is today if not for his stint as the smoldering, mathematically-challenged jock. The Ohio native started his career in the soap opera space, having been cast in "All My Children," and went on to have small parts in projects like "Smallville," "Law & Order," and "Veronica Mars," but he catapulted into fame when he was cast in "Mean Girls," alongside Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert. "I owe my entire life, my entire career" to the movie, he told Salon. "Everything about who I am today I owe to Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, and Lindsay Lohan."

Bennett relishes the film's enduring place in the zeitgeist, too. "It's not a regular movie," he said. "It's part of people's lives." And the cherry on top? The friendships he made outlasted the Plastics. Apparently, the "Mean Girls" group chat is not just surviving — it's thriving (especially on October 3rd).

Jonathan Bennett might not be thick as thieves with the "Mean Girls" cast like in the old days, but they have an enduring friendship — and a group chat that is so fetch! Speaking to E! News, the Hallmark star shared that many of them have maintained contact through the years. "I talk to Danny [Franzese], I talk to Lindsay [Lohan], I talk to Amanda [Seyfried] every once in a while," he said. "We have a 'Mean Girls' group chat that lights up every October 3." At this point, their bond remains pretty much unshakeable. "It's like a family," he added. "We all got to be involved in this really special movie that meant a lot to a lot of people and you don't always get in your career."

He did admit, though, that the reunion on the film's 16th anniversary was slightly "awkward," primarily because it was all virtual. "It really did give us, like, a sense of nostalgia seeing everybody and being next to each other, like, on screen," he told the outlet.

And his ride-or-die from the cast? It's none other than Lacey Chabert. "There are certain people that come into your life and it's never the same again," he wrote in an Instagram post. "Little did I know that she would be a rock for me throughout the next 16 years and see me through the ups and downs of life and show business. She has stood by me and been a beacon of light and love when I have felt lost."

Jonathan Bennett skipped the Black Friday Walmart commercial featuring three of the "Mean Girls" plastics, Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert. Rachel McAdams was notably absent, as well, telling Variety she had no idea that everyone would be on board. "I guess I wasn't that excited about doing a commercial if I'm being totally honest," she admitted. "I didn't know that everyone was doing it. I would, of course, always love to be part of a 'Mean Girls' reunion and hang with my plastics, but yeah, I found that out later." As for Bennett, he had his hands tied with prior commitments. "I was filming so I couldn't do it," he told E! News. "But it was so fun to see everyone reunite."

If you're holding on to hope that there will be a "Mean Girls" sequel down the line, don't worry — the cast is crossing their fingers, too. "Everyone wants to know if we'd do a sequel, and I think the mass consensus to my knowledge of our cast is of course we would," Bennett said. Daniel Franzese, who played Damian, also told People that they're all just waiting for Tina Fey to put her pen to paper. "We all want it," he said. "You got to tell the boss lady over there. I'm sure [she's] heard it a million times, but she's the gatekeeper, so we're all waiting."