Erin JensenUSA TODAY
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While it might sound as absurd as two divorced parents splitting up and raising their identical twins as only children, the Lindsay Lohan version of “The Parent Trap” turns 25 on Saturday.
As Hayley Mills did in the original 1961 movie − which inspired the 1998 remake − Lohan portrayed the pair of siblings scheming to get their parents back together upon realizing they have a twin. Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson play Annie and Hallie’s parents, Nick Parker and Elizabeth James. The twins’ mission of reuniting their parents was made all the harder by Nick’s fiancée Meredith Blake (Elaine Hendrix), who taught audiences that “Being young and beautiful is not a crime, you know.”
In celebration of the anniversary, put on a pot of Chessy’s chili as we dive into what the film’s stars have been up to lately.
Lindsay Lohan
Lohan has gone from parent trapper who discovers she has a long-lost sister to parent herself: The 37-year-old actress and her husband, financier Bader Shammas, have welcomed their first child, the couple confirmed to USA TODAY earlier this month. They wed in 2022 and named their son Luai, meaning “shield” or “protector” in Arabic.
Though Lohan had a string of popular teen movies in the mid-2000s − “Freaky Friday,” “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” and “Mean Girls” − her career stalled amid struggles with substance abuse.
Lohan moved to Dubai in 2014 and worked sporadically, mostly on TV series. Last November, Netflix announced a two-picture deal with the star. The first film, “Falling for Christmas,” in which Lohan played a hotel heiress struck with amnesia, arrived that same month.
Lindsay Lohan is a mom! Actress welcomes first child with Bader Shammas
Dennis Quaid
After Quaid played Nick, the man who could melt you just by saying “Lizzie,” he continued to have a steady career, with roles in “Any Given Sunday,” “Traffic,” “The Rookie,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and the remake of “Footloose.” He received an Emmy nod for his work on HBO’s “The Special Relationship” (2010) for his portrayal of Bill Clinton.
In recent years, Quaid has starred in numerous inspirational films, including “I Can Only Imagine,” “Blue Miracle” and “On a Wing and a Prayer.” This week, the 69-year-old released his Christian music album "Fallen: A Gospel Record for Sinners." He told People that he had once again embraced his Christian upbringing.
Quaid, who previously battled cocaine addiction, told the magazine: “When you're done with the addiction, you need something to fill that hole, something that really works, right?”
Natasha Richardson
Following her role as an elegant fashion designer in “The Parent Trap,” Richardson appeared in 2002’s “Maid in Manhattan,” starring Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes. Sadly, about a decade after “The Parent Trap,” Richardson died in 2009 at 45. While skiing in Québec, Richardson hit her head and refused to see a doctor. But she fell ill and her husband Liam Neeson made the decision to remove life support.
Quaid remembered his co-star in a 2018 interview with Us Weekly. “She was such a beautiful person, such a beautiful, beautiful person. Just none of that, that actor stuff, prima donna stuff,” Quaid said. “Someone easy to work with and such a great sense of humor.”
'Really special': Lindsay Lohan reflects on 'Parent Trap' experience in co-star reunion
Elaine Hendrix
Hendrix played the villain who thought she’d scored, landing a fiancé who owned a Napa Valley vineyard. With dreams of sending his maniacal twins to boarding school, Meredith was ultimately taken down by Annie and Hallie.
Following “The Parent Trap,” Hendrix, 52, appeared in popular series like “Friends,” “ER” and “Two and a Half Men.” More recently, she portrayed Alexis Carrington on CW’s reboot of "Dynasty."
Hendrix hasn’t strayed from referencing the iconic Meredith Blake over the years on social media. "People loved to hate her," she told Insider in 2021, "and now people just love her."
Lisa Ann Walter
After playing the sharp housekeeper Chessy in “The Parent Trap,” Walter appeared on TV series like “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Since 2021, the 59-year-old actress has played rough-around-the-edges teacher Melissa Schemmenti on ABC darling “Abbott Elementary.”
Walter and Hendrix remain close after all these years. Hendrix dressed as Chessy for Halloween 2021. And Walter asked Hendrix to be her date for the Screen Actors Guild Awards in February.
