Jonathan Bennett Shares Throwback Photos with Lindsay Lohan and Lacey Chabert as “Mean Girls” Turns 20

The actor said the film's success has "been one of the biggest gifts of my career and life"

Mean Girls was one "grool" adventure for Jonathan Bennett.

The actor, who played Aaron Samuels in the 2004 teen comedy, shared his gratitude for being in the film as he celebrated the movie's 20th anniversary.

On Instagram, Bennett, 42, posted throwback photos featuring himself posing with costars Lindsay Lohan (who played protagonist Cady Heron) and Lacey Chabert (who played Plastic member Gretchen Wieners).

"20 years ago today, the world met Aaron, Cady, Gretchen, Karen, Regina, Janis, Damien, Kevin G, Shane and Ms Norbury for the first time when Mean Girls premiered at the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, California on April 19, 2004," Bennett recalled of the premiere.

He continued, "20 years ago today my life was changed forever. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be part of a story that, still to this day, makes so many people happy. It’s been one of the biggest gifts of my career and life."

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Related: Mean Girls Secrets in New Book About the Making of 2004 Film: From $10K Wigs to Twerking at Cast Parties

He went on to joke that he has "never felt older in my life," as the same day he made the Instagram post an airport agent told him their boyfriend was born the same day Mean Girls premiered.

"But at the same time, I felt proud," Bennett wrote. "Thank you for loving Aaron Samuels as much as I do, and I hope you still think my hair looks sexy pushed back. Love you all. Do you remember where you were the first time you saw it?"

Bennett played the love interest of Lohan's Cady (and ex-boyfriend of Rachel McAdams' vindictive Regina George) in the Mark Waters–directed film, which officially hit theaters on April 30, 2004.

Written by Tina Fey, Mean Girls is adapted from the 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman. The film follows Cady, a new student at Illinois-based North Shore High School, as she adapts to life in the United States after growing up in Africa, where navigating the teenage social landscape tests everything she has ever known.

Aside from Lohan, 37, McAdams, 45, Chabert, 41, and Bennett, Mean Girls also featured a supporting cast of Fey, 53, plus Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, Neil Flynn and Rajiv Surendra.

Related: Jonathan Bennett Surprises a High School Production of 'Mean Girls': ‘This Is Your Time’

Mean Girls inspired a 2018 Broadway musical, which, in turn, spawned a movie version released earlier this year.

Stepping into the role of Aaron was The Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Briney, opposite Angourie Rice (The Last Thing He Told Me, Senior Year) as Cady.

Asked by PEOPLE in December 2023 if he had any words of advice for Briney, 26, ahead of the musical film's premiere, Bennett said, "He must nail the word grool."

Bennett also said he was "super excited for the movie musical," raving of the original Mean Girls, "I love that this movie has transcended multiple generations because of the writing of Tina Fey."

"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," he added.

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