It is only fair to say that Lindsay Lohan stepped into the world of stardom at the age of 3, as her parents signed her up for Ford Models. From being a teen idol, courtesy of her role in Walt Disney’s The Parent Trap, to comedy sleeper hit Mean Girls, Lohan established herself as one of the leading stars in H-town. But again, all that mega-stardom did fumble when she refused Todd Phillips’ $469M cult classic The Hangover over Playboy. The former turned out to be a $1.4 billion franchise.
Lindsay Lohan Found Potential In Playboy Over The Hangover
Lindsay Lohan was 20 and already a mega-star when Joker director Todd Phillips came up with the idea that turned into a cult classic. It was reported that Phillip was in constant touch with the actress for a stripper’s role in his 2009 comedy film, The Hangover. Back then, US Weekly reported that the actress passed on this lucrative role because she believed that the movie has “no potential”.
Instead, the Freaky Friday star chose Hugh Hefner’s Playboy magazine, appearing in the January–February 2012 issue. The woman who reaped benefits from the stripper’s role was none other than the then-40-year-old Boogie Nights star Heather Graham. Fans criticized Lohan for turning up a lucrative role.
The outlet claimed that the stripper’s role could have been a major comeback for the actress, but Lohan felt otherwise. The Hangover was a major hit and grossed over $469 million worldwide. When it comes to comedy, the movie “was a whole new level”, and turned into a $1.4 billion franchise, spawning multiple sequels, released in 2011 and 2013.
Todd Phillips Has A Different “Stripper’s Role” Story
In an interview with People Magazine, the director came forward and narrated an entirely different reason for choosing Heather Graham for the stripper’s role in his cult-classic comedy film, revealing that Lohan didn’t turn down the role. Todd Phillips explained that, at the time, Lohan was 20, but the role was meant for a much-elderly actor. He said:
“Honestly, it felt like she ended up being too young for what we were talking about. People love to attack her for everything, like: ‘Ha, she didn’t see how great The Hangover was going to be. She turned it down.’ She didn’t turn it down. She loved the script, actually. It really was an age thing.”
While the truth remains cloudy, Lindsay Lohan got away from the limelight as she settled in Dubai in 2014, focussing on her nightclubs business. Later, she admitted that she liked Dubai’s “low-key atmosphere and relished the chance to live out of the spotlight for a while.”
Lohan, who is presently showing off her baby bump, after announcing her pregnancy with husband Bader Shammas in March 2023, did make a comeback in 2022 with Netflix’s Falling for Christmas, which debuted at number one on the streaming service’s most-watched movies list. Things could have been different with The Hangover, but she’s got nothing to regret.
Source: Insider
