Why ‘Parent Trap' actress Elaine Hendrix was worried over her parody play ‘Ginger Twinsies'
The 'Parent Trap' actress worried she would have a serious case of FOMO watching another actor step into her iconic shoes in 'Ginger Twinsies,' the new off-Broadway play she's producing.
Written and directed by Kevin Zak, the show parodies the 1998 Disney film, which starred Lindsay Lohan as twins Hallie Parker and Annie James. Hendrix's Meredith Blake was the girls' gold-digging soon-to-be stepmother.
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7 Elaine Hendrix at opening night of 'Ginger Twinsies.'
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7 'Ginger Twinsies' parodies the 1998 Disney film 'The Parent Trap.'
Matthew Murphy
Hendrix, 54, exclusively told The Post she wasn't sure how it was going to go with the production, given how close she is to the original material.
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'I was wondering, 'Elaine, how are you going to feel? How are you going to experience this? What is this going to be like for you?'' she recalled. 'I wondered if I was going to have FOMO, like, 'Hey, wait a minute, someone else is playing my role.''
'Ginger Twinsies' opened off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre on July 24, following previews that began July 10. It is scheduled to run through October 26, with Phillip Taratula playing Meredith Blake.
7 Phillip Taratula as Meredith Blake in 'Ginger Twinsies.'
Matthew Murphy
But Hendrix said she actually hasn't felt any FOMO at all.
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'The cast is so incredible, and I just can't imagine it with anyone else,' she added. 'So I like this. I like being behind the scenes.'
The 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion' actress further proved she was comfortable handing over the role when she moderated a Meredith Blake lookalike contest at the play's second preview night on July 11.
7 Taratula enters wearing a gigantic version of Meredith's iconic hat.
Matthew Murphy
7 Taratula as Meredith Blake in 'Ginger Twinsies.'
Matthew Murphy
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First prize went to a contestant dressed in black athletic gear and a claw clip — true Meredith Blake camping fashion.
For Hendrix, the play is a long-overdue recognition of something she's been saying for 27 years: Meredith Blake was never the villain.
And if Meredith were to see the show, Hendrix imagines she would feel vindicated at last.
7 Hendrix as Meredith Blake in 1998's 'The Parent Trap.'
©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
''Finally. Finally, they are understanding what I went through, what happened, oh my gosh,'' she said, channeling what she thinks Meredith would say.
She continued, 'I have always held the perspective that she was not a villain, that she was lied to, and these kids made her life hell. But it's really the millennials who came along and started #JusticeforMeredithBlake. So I really tip my hat to them.'
More than just a nostalgic nod to 'The Parent Trap,' 'Ginger Twinsies' also brings Hendrix full circle — back to where her career began: the theater.
7 Hendrix during her exclusive interview with The Post.
New York Post
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Hendrix told The Post that while she's best known for her work on screen, she got her start on stage.
'This has taken right back to my roots,' she explained. 'I always try to make room to do theater, so this was perfect because I don't actually have to be on stage for it; I can be behind the scenes.'
Still, the 'Superstar' actress said she is 'itching to get back on stage.'
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'This is like, 'Hi New York, I'm here. And I'm ready to come love you and be with you,'' she concluded.
Hendrix is set to lead OFC Creations Theatre Center's upcoming production of 'Hello, Dolly!' in Rochester, New York. Performances are scheduled to run beginning January 29, 2026, through February 15.
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