The year 2000 wasn’t that long ago, right?
It’s spawned four straight-to-video (DVD? Bluray? Illegally downloaded digital file?) sequels and a Broadway musical, but as with most things, the original remains the best.
Yeah, we’re talking Bring It On.
It came out in 2000 and was a massive box-office hit. The film perfectly spoofed over-the-top cheerleader culture, and had catchy chants to boot.
Hands up if you can remember this chant:
I’m bitchin’, great hair, / The boys all love to stare, / I’m wanted, I’m hot, / I’m everything you’re not, / I’m pretty, I’m cool, / I dominate this school, / Who am I? Just guess, / Guys wanna touch my chest, / I’m rockin’, I smile, / And many think I’m vile, / I’m flyin’, I jump, / You can look but don’t you hump, / Whoo / I’m major, I roar, / I swear I’m not a whore, / We cheer and we lead, / We act like we’re on speed, / Hate us ’cause we’re beautiful, / Well we don’t like you either, / We’re cheerleaders, / We are cheerleaders. /Roll call…
So where the hell are its stars now?
Kirsten Dunst, 33, who played head cheerleader of the Toros, Torrance Shipman.
Dunst was the perfectly perky Torrance, who inherited a cheer squad that was ripping off all its killer routines from inner city schools.
Kristen Dunst
She’s had an alright career since, I suppose. ONLY KIDDING. She’s been killing it since well before Bring It On, famously pashing Brad Pitt at the age of 11 in Interview with a Vampire. She’s a big fave of Sophia Coppola, who cast her in The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette and the Bling Ring. She’ll next be seen in Midnight Special.
Little-known fact: Dunst gained German citizenship in 2011 and now has dual German/US citizenship. She speaks fluent German.
Eliza Dushku, 34, who played bad-ass cheerleader (is that an oxymoron?) Missy Pantone.
She played Missy in Bring It On, the new girl who informs Torrance that her team’s winning routines were nicked. Dushku’s always been good at bringing the darkness. Remember her as troubled slayer Faith, the dark to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s light in Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Eliza Dushku
Since then, she’s been in some TV shows, including Tru Calling and Dollhouse, as well as creating a documentary about her ancestral home, Albania.
Little-known fact: When Dushku was playing Faith on Buffy, she was still a minor, so had to get legal emancipation in order to work the long filming hours.
Gabrielle Union, 42, played Isis, Torrance’s counterpart for the Clovers.
She was Isis, the cheerleader from the wrong side of the tracks who finally brings her team to a deserved victory. Union, who it has to be noted has barely aged a day since Bring It On, has been in loads of films, including another teen classic, 10 Things I Hate About You, Bad Boys II, Neo Ned and Top Five. Oh yeah, and she was in this little show called Friends.
Little-known fact: She’s part of Planned Parenthood’s Women are Watching campaign, to encourage women to be aware of politician’s stances on critical issues for women.
Jesse Bradford, 36, who played Missy’s punk brother Cliff Pantone.
He was Torrance’s love interest in the film and after she gets rid of her deadbeat boyfriend, they get together. Bradford’s dreaminess hasn’t diminished over the years. He’d already done some cool stuff before Bring It On, including Romeo + Juliet (he was Balthasar) and Hackers with Angelina Jolie.
Jesse Bradford
Post-BIO, Bradford hasn’t had the career of, say, a Kirsten Dunst, but who has? He’s been in movies including Swimfan, W. and 10 Rules for Sleeping Around, which also starred our own Tammin Sursok. It was universally panned.
Little-known fact: He’s an accomplished guitarist and COULD BE dating rapper Azealia Banks.
Lindsay Sloane, 37, aka Big Red, former Toros captain and evil routine-stealer.
As Big Red, she “put the itch in bitch”, something she also did as Valerie on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. She’s appeared in TV shows such as The West Wing, Weeds, and movies including Horrible Bosses, Horrible Bosses II, and Nancy Drew.
Lindsay Sloane
Little-known fact: She’s a great friend of Buffy’s Sarah Michelle Gellar and was one of her bridesmaids when Gellar married Freddie Prinze Jr in 2002.
Nicole Bilderback, 40, was perfect as snarky cheerleader Whitney.
She’s appeared in loads of stuff including the obligatory Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson’s Creek, Boston Legal and The Mentalist.
Nicole Bilderback
Little-known fact: So many people thought she was the anonymous actress who sued IMDB for revealing her true age (40) that she made a Funny Or Die video about it. The woman, known only as Jane Doe, is an Asian American actress from Texas – but it’s not Bilderback.
Clare Kramer, 40, played Courtney best friend to Whitney.
She’s a cheerleader and utterer of zingers such as “she puts the ‘whore’ in ‘horrifying’.”
Clare Kramer
Sarah Michelle Gellar knows basically this whole cast! After Bring It On, Kramer had a recurring role on Buffy as evil vampire Glory. She co-founded GeekNation, which produces podcasts and TV shows about nerd-passions like comics, video games and sci-fi movies and TV shows.
Little-known fact: Her first job was as a “hamburger spokesgirl” for fast-food chain Wendy’s at the age of 12.
Did you/Do you love Bring it on? How do you feel about its sequels (or should we just not talk about it)?