'White Chicks' Star Was 'Embarrassed' After Film Was Initially Panned by Critics, Now Sees It as Cult Classic

Busy Philipps was recently back in theaters when she was cast as Regina George's "cool mom" in the 2024 Mean Girls musical remake. It was a full circle moment for the 44-year-old actress, who never got a chance to audition to be a member of the Plastics in the original 2004 comedy.

Philipps made the revelation during a recent appearance on NPR's Fresh Air podcast, when asked by host Ann Marie Baldonado what the original movie meant to her when it came out 20 years ago. As the Cougar Town star revealed, she had already committed to filming the Wayans brothers comedy White Chicks. And suffice to say, she wasn't exactly thrilled about it at the time.

"Oh god, just that I was jealous that I wasn’t in [Mean Girls]! You know, to be honest, just another job I didn’t get," Philipps admitted. "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."

The film stars Shawn and Marlon Wayans as two undercover FBI agents tasked with protecting two 20-something hotel heiresses from a kidnapping plot targeting socialites. To add insult to injury, Philipps revealed that she was initially embarrassed due to her involvement in the comedy.

"And no shade to White Chicks—although all shade to White Chicks, because at the time, when White Chicks came out, it was, like, universally panned," she continued. "People hated it. It was, like, honestly embarrassing that I was in it in the industry and the world at large."

But rest assured, Philipps has since come around to the film, which has only soared in popularity over the past two decades.

"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," she added. "And I’m so proud that I was in that ridiculous movie in 2004."

Despite earning a solid worldwide gross of $113 million on its $37 million budget, White Chicks was indeed unpopular when it first came out. The film was nominated for five Razzies, including Worst Picture and Worst Director. In a New York Times review, film critic Dave Kehr scathed that while "most movies require some suspension of disbelief," that White Chicks could benefit from a "frontal lobotomy."

Apparently, time heals all wounds in addition to critical disasters.