Lindsay Lohan: “I Was Pigeonholed … But I Plan to Break That Cycle”
Lindsay Lohan, now 39, reveals she spent years feeling confined by Hollywood’s narrow expectations, and is now fighting to redefine her image.
While promoting Freakier Friday, Lohan opened up in a recent interview with The Times UK about being typecast. “Yeah, I do think I was pigeonholed,” she said. Despite roles like A Prairie Home Companion, she still faces resistance when pursuing more complex parts: “You know me as this, but you also know I can do that. So let me! I have to break that cycle and open doors to something else…”.
She expressed a firm belief that, if she’s given the chance, she can embody roles like the sophisticated characters of All About Eve or Breakfast at Tiffany’s: “There’s a gap and I’m craving to do work like that”, said the actress.
Lohan described frustration at having to constantly advocate for serious roles, even decades into her career. She says it’s vital to “leave people no choice” but to see her deeper range as an actor. And if Martin Scorsese ever calls? “I’m not going to say no”, she added.
Reflecting on her early fame that was marked by intense media attention and paparazzi, Lohan now grapples with lingering trauma. She reports suffering from “PTSD to the extreme” and is committed to ensuring that her young son, Luai, never has to endure such scrutiny. That’s why, since 2014, she has lived in Dubai, citing the city’s strict photo regulations and greater privacy as life-changing.
Lohan married Bader Shammas in 2022 and gave birth to Luai in 2023. She now chooses roles that allow her to balance career and motherhood and expresses gratitude for that shift in priorities.
Lohan’s return to the spotlight comes via Freakier Friday, a nostalgic sequel that sees her reprise a classic Disney role while embracing motherhood on screen for the first time. She’s also executive producing a Hulu thriller, Count My Lies, in which she plays a manipulative nanny ensnaring a family with dark secrets.
Despite ongoing nostalgia, Lohan refuses to be defined by her past. “There’s more I want to do,” she says, suggesting this isn’t just a comeback, but a reclamation. Lohan is clearly redefining her career on her own terms, battling Hollywood pigeonholes while reclaiming her narrative, both on and off screen. She remains open to serious roles and directors she once thought unreachable, proving she’s not just back, she’s reimagining her legacy.
