In order to prepare for the role, as it was her first time playing a role of the opposite sex, Bynes and Fickman observed males at a shopping mall. In an interview with MSN in 2006, she said that the part had been difficult for her to play, stating that she felt "awkward" in the role,; she later spoke highly of the experience, saying that "It was hard, but I did it and I did something that was not easy for me — so it was a cathartic experience and I felt really good getting it out of me." However, in a 2018 interview with "Paper", Bynes admitted that her role in the film eventually had a negative effect on her mental health. "When the movie came out and I saw it, I went into a deep depression for four to six months because I didn't like how I looked when I was a boy," Bynes said. Seeing herself onscreen with short hair, thick eyebrows, and sideburns was "a strange and out of body experience."