Janis Ian (Mean Girls)

Janis was born April 29, 1987, and is of Lebanese heritage.[2]

Janis was best friends with Regina George throughout her childhood and was previously very fashionable and feminine. This all changed in eighth grade after Regina got her first boyfriend Kyle. Janis was upset that Regina was spending more time with Kyle than her, which annoyed Regina to the point that Regina did not invite her to her birthday pool party. Regina told Janis that she did not invite her because she thought Janis was a lesbian. This resulted in Janis’s mother calling Regina's mother and shouting at her. After the incident, Janis had shaved half her hair and left school due to being upset about Regina's treatment of her. During her time away, Janis developed a different style and expression and grew a bitter hatred towards Regina for telling everyone she was lesbian.

Janis returned to North Shore High some time before Cady Heron joined. She stayed away from Regina and befriended Damian Leigh in that time.[3]

Janis is a punk rocker who is witty, artistic, and opinionated. While she can seem aggressive, she cares deeply about her friends and is honest about her feelings. Despite this, Janis can hold grudges for a very long time and can be stubborn.[4][5]

Janis begins the movie as a social outcast, and is always seen with Damian. Janis befriends Cady Heron and encourages her to pursue a friendship with the plastics when she sits with them on her first day, with the goal of using Cady to find a way to take down Regina George as revenge for their fall out. While Cady initially sees Regina as sweet, Janis warns her the opposite is true. After Cady returns to Janis's house from a Halloween party in tears after Regina kissed her crush, Aaron Samuels, Janis concocts a plan to take down Regina, including destroying her friendships, her relationship with Aaron, and her body.

While plotting against Regina, Cady learns about Regina and Janis's past friendship, which crumbled as Regina believed Janis was lesbian (and had a crush on her) and spread rumours because of it. Cady slowly stops talking to Janis afterwards and the two hardly talked by the time Cady successfully overthrew Regina. The friendship was broken after Cady lied about being unable to attend Janis's art show due to going to a show with her parents in Madison the same night, when she actually stayed home and threw a party without inviting Damian or Janis. This causes Janis to lash out at Cady before driving away.

When the Burn Book is released (where Janis is called simply "dyke"), there is a riot and then the girls have to attend an apology workshop in the gymnasium. During Janis's apology, she reveals everything that she and Cady had done to Regina and at the end of her speech, she jokes that the reason she hates Regina so much is because of her "big, lesbian crush" on her, before receiving cheers from the other girls. At the Spring Fling dance, Janis is nominated for Spring Fling Queen (as Damian had rigged the vote as a joke) alongside Cady, Gretchen and Regina. She loses the crown to Cady, but is given a piece of it from Cady as a sign of mending bridges and forgives her. Janis ends the movie being friends with Cady and Damian and having began a relationship with Kevin Gnapoor.

Janis was also in Mean Girls on Broadway, now being referred to as "Janis Sarkisian". She was played by Barrett Wilbert Weed.[6]

Janis's character has been perceived as more villainous as time goes on, but the character is still positively received.[3][7]