There’s a long and checkered history with body-swap movies. They’re a proverbial coin toss where the likelihood of success is always 50/50 at best. But when it comes to 13 Going On 30 , that’s a different story altogether.
The film is a statement on second chances , wish fulfillment, and following your heart.
Have a look at what went on off-camera and check out these 10+ 13 Going On 30 behind the scenes secrets fans didn’t know.
1. Mark Ruffalo hated one thing most of all.
“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,'” he told Blackfilm .
2. Andy Serkis had to find his own equilibrium to play Richard.
“For me, it’s just getting that balance between his, kind of, flamboyant nature and actually, you know, keeping the reality of who he is and the stress he’s under,” he said about the character in a documentary.
3. Jennifer Garner actually hung out with a group of teenagers in order to better understand the frame of mind.
Jennifer even hosted a slumber party! Although she admits that it was hard to keep up with the energy of the girls:
“I stayed up as late as I could, which I have to admit wasn’t very late,” The film’s production notes reveal.
“I did try to rouse myself around 4 a.m. because I knew some really good stuff had to be going on. I dragged myself into the kitchen where they were all talking. I tried with all my might to pay attention and stay awake.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t remember much of what happened then. Hannah and Julia later told me that I stumbled in, made a s’more, ate it and went back to bed. Oh, to really be 13 again.”
4. Ariana Grande is a huge fan of the film.
In the music video for her hit single, ” Thank U, Next ,” Ari paid homage to a number of classic rom-coms, one of which was 13 Going On 30 .
Jennifer Garner saw the video and posted it to her own Instagram account.
5. At first, the studio wasn’t sure about director Gary Winick.
During an interview with BBC , Gary explained that:
“The studio was concerned that I’d turn it into an art film , and I was like, ‘You can’t turn this into an art film! But I can hopefully elevate it and make it better than it is.'”
6. Christa B. Allen still gets recognized as Jenna Rink after all this time!
“I think because it meant so much to so many people, and it was just such a beloved film, that people are all so excited to see a person that was part of that zeitgeisty moment in the flesh,” Allen told Today .
7. Director Gary Winick says the film all boils down to one central theme:
“It’s about second chances . It’s about getting everything you ever wanted only to realize that none of those things make you happy, and then having a second chance to make the right choices.”
8. The studio originally wanted Renée Zellweger.
It was before Gary Winick was attached to the project. As he tells it, it was Jennifer Garner who hand-chose him to direct after she had seen his film Tadpole .
“We were in the same boat together on this one, really, because it was her first leading role and my first big movie,” Winick said to BBC .
9. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance became a controversial sticking point.
According to Winick, the studio wanted to put the dance scene in the trailer.
“I didn’t want it to feel like a music video. I wanted it to work dramatically . As good as the dancing is, the reason the scene works is because it’s plot oriented. Jenna is saving the party the way a 13-year-old would, not an adult,” The film’s production notes reveal.
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10. Jenna Rink lives a life of luxury.
Let’s start with Jenna’s closet full of Manolos — those retail for about a grand a pair.
The Gucci purse, plus the Fifth Avenue apartment would be well over $10,000 a month or more than $5 million per year!
11. Jennifer Garner and Gary Winick worked incredibly well together.
“Gary and I had the most successful collaboration possible,” Jennifer said during an interview with EW . “I don’t mean success in terms of box office, or from anyone else’s point of view other than my own.”
She goes on to say that Gary was incredibly inclusive and every day the pair played off one another’s energy.
“From then on, there wasn’t a single project that I didn’t try to do with him. We had scripts written together, we developed things together. It was an ongoing and unfinished collaboration.”
Sadly, Gary passed away in 2011.
12. Director Gary Winick and Andy Serkis clashed on how Richard should be portrayed.
According to Andy, he would at times get a bit overly animated with his facial features. He said in a behind-the-scenes documentary that Winick had to keep telling him to “bring it down.”
Andy says that “Having done Golem for ages, my face has gotten more animated . I make Jim Carrey look relaxed.”
13. Jennifer Garner had a crush on Mark Ruffalo!
“Mark is delicious . I don’t know anyone who saw You Can Count on Me who didn’t fall head over heels for him,” she admitted in the film’s production notes.
“If, at that time, you would have told me that I would be working with him a few years later, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
14. Lucy isn’t a villain, according to Judy Greer.
“I never consider a character I play a villain , even if they are a villain, ’cause like, real villains don’t think, ‘I’m a villain.’ They just think what they’re doing is right,” she told Today .
So then, by her own logic… isn’t Lucy a villain?
15. The behind-the-scenes documentary revealed that, originally, the director wanted Garner and Ruffalo to play the younger versions of themselves!
Personally, I think they made the right call by casting young actors.
It definitely gives a more authentic feel to the film, that’s for sure.
16. The documentary also reveals which scene was the most awkward for Christa B. Allen.
Not surprisingly, it was the scene where she has to stuff toilet paper in her bra, to make it appear that her breasts are bigger.
I’m sure that’s unpleasant to film with a crew!
17. There is a deleted scene most people don’t know about.
During adult Jenna’s doctor’s appointment, the doc compliments her tattoo.
The second he leaves the office, she frantically begins to check her body for her apparent tattoo.
18. The production notes also reveal that the cast often talked about their past, and the joys of growing up.
“We all remembered how terrified we were of all that lay ahead for us,” said Garner.
Greer added, “We all related to how badly we wanted to be on our own at that age and not have anyone tell us what to do — even though we knew we weren’t really ready yet.”
They even talked about what their hopes and dreams were as teenagers.
“I was in a very awkward stage for a long time,” said Garner. “I played in the marching band. I didn’t wear cool clothes ever and I wore huge glasses. I just wanted to grow up and be able to put one foot in front of the other and carry on a conversation.”
19. Andy Serkis was terrified of the dance sequence.
“I was terribly frightened. Fortunately, we were allowed to fall in and out of it, just as people who are remembering an old dance would normally do,” he said, according to the production notes.
Do you know any more interesting facts about the iconic movie *13 Going On 30*?
Or were you surprised by all of the facts that we presented you with? Which one was your favorite?
Let us know down below in the comments! We would love to hear from you!
