Jonathan Bennett on Advice for New Aaron in “Mean Girls”, Christopher Briney: 'He Must Nail the Word Grool' (Exclusive)

Jonathan Bennett played Aaron Samuels in the original 2004 film opposite Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams

Jonathan Bennett has a piece of advice for Christopher Briney who takes on the role of Aaron Samuels in the new Mean Girls: "He must nail the word grool."

The actor, 42, shares words of encouragement for the Summer I Turned Pretty star in an interview with PEOPLE as the Official Kiss Sponsor of the Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration in partnership with KAY Jewelers.

Bennett played Aaron Samuels in the original 2004 film opposite Lindsay Lohan. The upcoming film reimagining is an adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical.

"I'm super excited for the movie musical. I love that this movie has transcended multiple generations because of the writing of Tina Fey," Bennett says. "I think the new musical movie is gonna be fantastic, and I hope that the new Aaron makes the character his own because it's his time to interpret the character."

While Bennett has yet to see the movie, he says he did catch it on Broadway with his husband Jaymes Vaughan.

"What's so funny is Mean Girls has such a gay cult following," Bennett says. "The fact they took a movie that has such a gay cult following and made it a musical, the fans are going to go crazy. So I'm very excited."

"We saw Reneé Rapp on Broadway. Holy cow. Her voice is insane," Vaughan adds.

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Related: 'Mean Girls' Musical Movie: Everything to Know

The main cast for the new Mean Girls was announced in December 2022; Senior Year actress Angourie Rice is set to star as Cady Heron, and Rapp, a singer and Sex Lives of College Girls star, will reprise her Broadway role as Regina George.

Auli'i Cravalho, the voice actress behind 2016's Moana, will play Janis, and Jaquel Spivey, from Broadway's A Strange Loop, will play Damian. Avantika and Bebe Wood are set to play Regina's Plastics cohorts, Karen and Gretchen.

Related: Rachel McAdams 'Wanted' to Participate in New Mean Girls Film but 'It Was Tough': 'Cannot Wait to See It'

In February, Fey announced that she and Tim Meadows would step back into their movie roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall.

Additionally, The Office alum Jenna Fischer was cast as Cady's mother, and Busy Philipps as Mrs. George. In March 2023, Jon Hamm joined the cast as Coach Carr.

Mean Girls is in theaters Jan. 12.

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