After hits like ‘The Parent Trap” and “Mean Girls”, Lindsay Lohan says she’s fighting Hollywood pigeonholing and eyeing more nuanced, sophisticated roles.
Lindsay Lohan is pushing back against Hollywood’s narrow casting expectations after reflecting on her decades-long career in a candid interview with The Times U.K. She admits that, despite demonstrating dramatic range early on, she’s been “pigeonholed” into lighthearted, teenage-oriented roles ever since her breakout, forcing her to “fight for stuff like that” when she seeks more sophisticated characters.
“I was so thrilled to work on A Prairie Home Companion and yet even today I have to fight for stuff that is like that,” Lohan explained, stressing her determination to “break that cycle and open doors to something else” so directors have “no choice” but to see her versatility.
Lohan first captured audiences at age 12 in Disney’s The Parent Trap (1998), then solidified her teen idol status with a string of 2000s hits—Mean Girls (2004), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005).
Though these roles brought her fame, they also cemented the “fun girl” image she’s spent years trying to transcend. Looking back, Lohan laments that Hollywood “knows me as this—but you also know I can do that. So let me! Give me the chance,” highlighting how typecasting has limited her career choices.
At the height of her early success, Lohan stepped away from the spotlight, taking a self-imposed hiatus to regain perspective. “I wanted to take a minute,” she recalls, admitting that the relentless pace had dulled her love for filmmaking. During this break, she focused on living “a more private, real life” and awaited the day the “itch” to act would return—preferring real-world experiences over scripted ones for a time.
Now, with that creative spark reignited, Lohan is returning to the big screen in Disney’s upcoming sequel Freakier Friday, reuniting her with Jamie Lee Curtis.
In this multigenerational follow-up—set to hit theaters on August 8—Lohan reprises Anna, now a mother navigating the magical body-swap chaos alongside her onscreen daughter. She describes the project as a joyful homecoming and a reminder of her early days in family comedy.
Beyond film, Lohan is expanding into television with her first lead role in a scripted series. She’ll star in—and executive produce—Hulu’s thriller Count My Lies, adapted from Sophie Stava’s novel about a deceptive nanny who uncovers dark secrets within a wealthy household.
Created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger of This Is Us fame, the show represents a milestone in Lohan’s career resurgence—what some have dubbed the “Lohannaisance”—and underscores her commitment to pursuing complex, character-driven stories.
As she looks ahead, Lohan is clear about the kinds of projects she craves: “I miss films that are stories, like All About Eve or Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” she says, pointing to a cinematic void she’s eager to fill.
With renewed focus and the freedom to choose roles that challenge her, Lindsay Lohan appears more determined than ever to redefine her legacy—and remind audiences of the full range of her talent.
