She’s Still All That: Rachael Leigh Cook & Freddie Prinze Jr. set to reunite in KC at JCCC
Photo Courtesy of Standing Ovations Live
Cue Sixpence None The Richer because Kansas City is about to get a full-on ’90s rom-com revival. On Saturday, Oct. 18, the Midwest Trust Center will transform into a time capsule of flannel, flip phones, and feel-good teen movie magic with a special screening of She’s All That.
But the real glow-up comes after the credits roll—when the film’s iconic duo, Rachael Leigh Cook (Laney Boggs) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (Zack Siler), will hit the stage for a spirited and nostalgic-laden conversation.
Expect charm, banter, and the same crackling chemistry that made us all swoon back in ’99.
During their chatty, laugh-filled, pre-show Pitch interview, the pair riffed like old friends who never missed a beat. Translation? You’re in for a candid night of stories, old-school banter, and probably a few inside jokes only they can tell.
Whether you crushed hard on Zack, related to Laney’s paint-splattered angst, or still hum “Kiss Me” without realizing it, this reunion hits every generation right in the feels. (And yes, there will be a robust audience Q&A, so bring your smartest, funniest, or most burning questions for the dynamic duo.)
If you’re still obsessed with She’s All That a quarter century later (and who isn’t, really?), this is an event you can’t afford to miss. We caught up with the two stars from their respective Los Angeles homes recently to get reacquainted.
The Pitch: Okay, you two… without a doubt… name your favorite scene in the movie.
Rachael Leigh Cook: Let’s go with this scene where Freddie gets sad and realizes what he’s done. It’s just such a beautiful, powerful acting moment when Zach realizes the gravity of the situation and when everything comes to a head. Freddie just played that with such real tenderness. He just realized that he was dealing with a person who was a real person.
Photo Courtesy of Standing Ovations Live
Freddie Prinze Jr.: Probably when Rachael comes down looking all hot instead of scraggly for the first time in the movie. That or Kieran with the fresh cracked pepper. Those are probably my two favorites.
Cook: I’ll take it! And, oh God, fresh cracked pepper. And Kevin Pollak doing all of the Jeopardy jokes.
What’s something that eagle-eyed viewers who have seen this film a hundred times still need to look out for or may have missed?
Prinze Jr.: So, there may be this one shot in the volleyball scene where—if you look way out in the distance—we wrote in the sand, “Dulé sucks.” And it’s really, really far away. And Robert Iscove, the director, even got pissed at me. He’s like, “What the hell is that?” And I was like, “Why? It’s so far away? I don’t think anyone would see it.”
He’s like, “Freddie, it’s gonna be on a giant screen. Everybody’s gonna see it!” So, if you guys look close, way in the distance, it says, ‘Dulé sucks!’
Wait, but can you actually see it?
Cook: Guess we’ll find out! Also on that day, is probably one of the most burned-in-my-brain shots in the movie. It’s just a locked-off close-up of handsome Dulé’s face just getting, like, derpy-hit with a volleyball. I’m sorry, Rob Iscove, but that is one of the most ridiculous shots I’ve ever seen in a movie.
The cast list is impressive… but even more impressive is how many of you went on to superstardom. Did you ever have Kieran Culkin winning an Oscar on your radar?
Cook: He is that good. I could have called it.
Prinze Jr.: He’s just fantastic. Yeah, it really exploded for a lot of people after that movie, which is cool. We all kind of had a connection. And I still, once in a while, hear from Kieran. He’ll send me a picture of his baby in a famous professional wrestling pose, like once a year, just randomly.
And I was in touch with Paul. We had a connection with Jiu-Jitsu. I’m still friends with Dulé and still friendly with Gabrielle. I wish I was still friends with Lil’ Kim because she was the coolest out of everybody there. And I still love Rachael to death. So, yeah, there are a lot of relationships there.
Were either of you surprised when the movie blew up? Or were you like… this is gonna be a blockbuster?
Prinze Jr.: Yeah, right!
Cook: Right! Yeah, right!
Prinze Jr.: That was the first movie I ever got offered. I thought I was going to get fired the whole time. I was so scared. I was so nervous. It was a six-million-dollar movie. I think that’s what we made that for. So, I was nervous and scared to death—and did not have those expectations. I don’t know about Rachael, but I assume it was similar.
Cook: It was very similar. And again, Rob Iscove did such a great job with this movie, and he’s obviously an amazing talent, but wow, did I think he wanted to fire me like half the time at minimum. Yeah, he just didn’t seem that actively interested in us… or maybe just me?
Prinze Jr.: Just constant disappointment for him—that’s what we supply.
Cook: Maybe he was just really focused? And I’m not. I don’t need an ‘Attagirl!’ all of the time. But yeah, I didn’t think that I was killing it. So, when the movie made money and people seemed happy, I was just thrilled. I was thrilled that I was still in it when I went to see it.
Courtesy Photo
It may not be from this movie, but what line of yours from a film do people yell back at you?
Prinze Jr.: ‘SCOOOBY DOOO!’ Yeah, Scooby Doo. I’m with my kids, and some guy will yell ‘Scooby Doo.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not Scooby Doo, but I’m with you. I get what you’re sayin’. Right on.’
Cook: How lucky am I just that the movie has an accidentally complimentary title? So, when people shout, ‘She’s all that!’, they’re talking about the entire movie. They’re not talking about me. But I’ll take it. I know that’s not a line, but yeah, that feels good.
What should people expect on your 25th anniversary reunion tour?
Cook: I don’t know! We’ve never done this before, but apparently, it took doing these screenings to get Freddie to actually watch the movie. So, I’m pretty happy about that.
Prinze Jr.: Yeah, I don’t watch my movies, really. I’ve only seen, like, three or four of them, and only because I was in a position where I sort of had to.
But I’m excited to get out there and meet everyone! And, like I said before, I’m much better at hearing people’s thoughts on the movie and how it affected them than I was in my 20s when I was shy. So, I don’t want you guys to be shy. Come up and talk to us and shake our hands, and we can share some love and all that good stuff.
I’m going to pepper you with maybe three or four questions max, and then I’m just gonna pass off the microphone to the audience to ask the rest.
Cook: I love that. I love it when we go to a convention or something and we’ll meet a couple who will say, ‘Our first date was to your movie!’ This has happened to me a couple of times now—and it’s so special. You’re like, “Oh my gosh—We’re that baked into someone’s real experience?!” So, you better come say “Hi.” We gotta share it and make it a full circle thing.
Finally, what do you kids know about Kansas City? And do you need a tour guide?
Prinze Jr.: Yeah, I still need a tour guide. But my best friend growing up was from there, and so he used to tell me a lot about it. I know you guys have good football. And I think you guys like UFC. And I know there’s pro wrestling there because I went there for a pro wrestling show one time and watched in the audience with everybody else, but that’s all I know. Oh, and good barbecue!
Cook: I have only eaten good food in Kansas City, but I have two good friends from there. I cannot wait to come see you guys. It’s gonna be really fun.
A Live Conversation with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook Following a Screening of ‘She’s All That’ will be on display at Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and can be found here.
Interview gently edited for content and clarity
