Busy Philipps plays Mrs. George, a "cool mom" seeking the approval of her teen daughter in the new movie musical version of Mean Girls. Philipps got her start in acting as a teen on the series Freaks and Geeks. She spoke with Ann Marie Baldonado about sexism in Hollywood, collaborating with Tina Fey, and the best friendship advice her mom gave her. Also, Ken Tucker reviews a new solo album from Mary Timony, and David Biacnulli reviews the series Shōgun. For sponsor-free episodes of Fresh Air — and exclusive weekly bonus episodes, too — subscribe to Fresh Air+ via Apple Podcasts or at https://plus.npr.org/freshair Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Ted radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people where they will say to me, but it can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is.
The history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
This is FRESH AIR.
I'm Terry Gross.
Our guest actor Busy Phillips co stars in the series Girls five Eva, which begins its third season next month on Netflix.
It's just one of the Tina Fey projects Phillips has premiering this year.
She's also in the new movie musical version of the 2004 film Mean Girls.
Busy Phillips spoke with fresh airs Anne Marie Boldonado, here's Anne Marie.
Busy Phillips has been involved in projects lousy with teenagers dating back to her breakout role on the critically acclaimed but canceled show freaks and geeks.
She was 19 playing tough girl Kim Kelly.
Since then, she starred in Dawson's Creek, Cougar Town and vice principals.
She wins people over with her comedic work on tv shows and movies, but she also does it with her honest, straightforward approach to talking directly to her fans.
She does it through social media, her podcasts and her writing.
In her best selling memoir, this will only hurt a Little, she writes about her childhood and her career, including candid, hilarious and also heartbreaking stories about the rejection and misogyny she's dealt with in Hollywood and in the rest of her life.
Before we talk about all of that, lets hear her in her latest film, Mean Girls, which is the movie version of the musical based on the 2004 movie written by and starring Tina Fey.
All versions of Mean Girls are based on the nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes, about the complicated and cruel power dynamics teen girls live with.
Busy Phillips plays the mother of the Queen Bee, Regina George.