- “13 Going on 30” is a favorite among fans of romantic comedies and it was released 15 years ago.
- The film features Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, and Andy Serkis.
- It follows the story of Jenna Rink, a 13-year-old girl trapped in her 30-year-old self’s body.
- Fans will be surprised to learn there were cameos from Brie Larson and Ashley Benson, and what a deleted scene reveals about Jenna.
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“13 Going on 30” has become a favorite among audiences who have hailed it as one of the best romantic comedies of all time. In the film, Jennifer Garner plays Jenna Rink – a 13-year-old stuck in her own 30-year-old body. It follows Jenna as she navigates life as a big-time magazine editor living in Manhattan.
Garner starred in “13 Going on 30” alongside famed stars like Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, and Andy Serkis.
Here are 15 things you might not know about “13 Going on 30:”
Producers knew they wanted Garner after she won a Golden Globe.
Garner was asked directly to be in this movie, after winning the Golden Globe for her role in “Alias.” It was actually her Alias castmates who encouraged her to take the role.
Judy Greer and Jennifer Garner are friends in real life.
Although Garner and Greer (who plays Lucy) are frenemies in the film, the two are pals in real life.
Greer recently spoke about Garner in an interview with The Social, saying, "I just really love her so much, and she is such a special person ... There's not a lot of people in the world that deserve everything that they've gotten, and all the success, and she is one of them. I'm really happy for her."
Christa B. Allen was cast as young Jenna because she looked just like Garner as a teenager.
Allen didn't have any acting experience but Garner thought she looked exactly like she did when she was a teenager, so she was cast in the movie.
"13 Going on 30" wasn't the only time Garner and Christa B. Allen worked together.
After connecting with Garner on "13 Going on 30," Christa B. Allen later went on to play a similar role in "Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past," as a teenage version of Garner's character.
Five of the actors in "13 Going on 30" have been in Marvel-based films.
Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, and Brie Larson have all had roles in Marvel-based movies.
Jennifer Garner played Elektra in both 2003's "Daredevil" and 2005's "Elektra."
Mark Ruffalo plays the Incredible Hulk and has appeared in the "Avengers" franchise.
Judy Greer plays Maggie Lang in 2015's "Ant-Man," as well as in 2018's "Ant-Man And The Wasp."
Andy Serkis appears as Ulysses Klaue in "Avengers: Age Of Ultron," as well as "Black Panther."
Brie Larson starred as Captain Marvel in 2019.
The Six Chicks had some serious star power.
The "popular girls" of "13 Going on 30" refer to themselves as the "Six Chicks." Of the six, two are now-famous faces. The clique included Ashley Benson of "Pretty Little Liars" fame and Academy-Award winner Brie Larson.
Mark Ruffalo almost didn't take the role because of the "Thriller" scene
The now-iconic scene in the film where Jenna and Matty spontaneously nail Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance almost didn't happen.
In a 2004 interview with Black Film, Ruffalo said, "The dancing was horrible. I almost didn't want to do this movie. I literally read it and I'm like 'I can't do this movie. I can't get up and do those scenes.'"
"I'm like 'white boy don't dance," he told the publication. "When [Jennifer Garner] dragged me out (onto the dance floor) she was literally dragging me out and I had hours of rehearsal with a dance coach who taught me how to do all the moves and stuff and still, when we got into actually shooting it and there were 300 extras around, I did not want to do that scene."
Judy Greer's mom got emotional when meeting the "younger" version of her daughter
The first time Judy Greer's mom met Alexandra Kyle, who plays young Lucy in the film, she became emotional. The similarities between Kyle and a young Greer were so striking, Judy's mother said, "It's like seeing my daughter again."
A deleted scene revealed Jenna had a tattoo
In a deleted scene from the movie, Matty urges Jenna to see a doctor get to the bottom of how she's feeling. At the appointment, the doctor says she can't find anything wrong with Jenna and compliments her tattoo. When the door closes, Jenna frantically searches her body to find her mysterious ink.
Judy Greer improvised many of her lines in the film
Jennifer Garner once said that "Judy Greer without a doubt is a comic genius. She knows how to take something that looks like nothing and spin it. Talk about improvising. She always can make a line that seems funny 10 times funnier."
At first, they weren't even going to cast kids.
Before the younger versions of Jenna, Matty, and Lucy were cast, the older actors were going to portray younger versions of themselves. According to Mark Ruffalo, "It was talked about for some time, but then they thought it wouldn't work so well."
The movie was shot all around New York City
The cast and crew filmed "13 Going on 30" on location in New York City. They filmed all over - from Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Some cast members said that, while filming, they remember hundreds of people and paparazzi turning up to watch them film scenes. In a behind-the-scenes look at the film, Garner recalls from her filming days, "There were all these paparazzi taking pictures, it was embarrassing."
The characters' costumes reflect their intentions.
According to Susie Desanto, the film's costume designer, the clothes each character wears is representative of the character's growth. Jenna Rink's closet, for example, has a lot of pinks and soft fabrics that a 13-year-old Jenna would have picked out. Lucy's wardrobe goes the opposite way, beginning to incorporate a lot of red and black pieces.
Lucy's dark clothing reflects her cutthroat tendencies and Jenna's reflects her return to who she used to be. Desanto explained, "Jennifer's character has a huge character arc and how she changes and realizes who she is and the costumes have to tell that story."
The biggest costume challenge was making throwback looks feel fresh.
When dressing characters for the flashback parts of the film, Desanto said she was faced with the challenge of making old styles feel contemporary.
She described how she created the looks of the Six Chicks explaining, "What was challenging was trying to find a look for the Six Chicks that was really cute and also that had a sort of fun and contemporary feel to it so that young girls watching the movie would think it was a great look."
Garner was a big fan of Mark Ruffalo before they worked together.
Garner also said she was a big fan of working with Ruffalo on the film. In a behind-the-scenes feature, Garner said, "Mark is an out-of-control, unbelievably amazing actor. Five years ago if you had said, 'List three or four actors that you want to work with,' he would be at the top of my list."