7 Things You Never Knew About ‘Just One of the Guys,’ the Classic 1985 Teen Comedy

JUST ONE OF THE GUYS, Billy Jacoby, Clayton Rohner, Joyce Hyser, William Zabka, Steve Basil, 1985 — (c) Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection

Though it’s not up on the Mount Rushmore of ’80s teen films alongside The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1985’s gender-swap comedy Just One of the Guys stands out among the high school sex comedies of the eras, and has a devoted cult fanbase due to frequent re-runs on HBO in the ’80s and Comedy Central in the ’90s.

Offering plenty of the ingredients that you need to make a great teen comedy (a prom! A sex-crazed younger brother! William Zabka!), Just One of The Guys gave us a unique gender-bending spin on the genre by telling the story of Terri Griffith (Joyce Hyser), a beautiful high school student who feels discriminated against because of her looks and femininity. To make her point, she enrolls in a different school disguised as a male student (“Terry”), only to fall for a guy who thinks she’s – well, just one of the guys (there, we said it). Hilarity ensues as “Terry” struggles to keep her secret.

A fresh slant on the typical teen rom-com, this underrated gem stands out from the pack (Entertainment Weekly named it one of their “50 Best High School Movies”), so let’s celebrate this movie’s 40th anniversary with some little-known facts about Just One of the Guys!

1The film’s original inspiration was … a Shakespearean play?

TWELFTH NIGHT, Helena Bonham Carter, Imogen Stubbs, Toby Stephens, 1996

The concept for Just One of the Guys was loosely based on William Shakespeare‘s iconic play Twelfth Night, with Terry/Terri representing an updated version of the Viola/Cesario character (in the 1996 adaptation of the play, Imogen Stubbs, pictured above, plays the character that inspired Terri/ Terry).

However, while we didn’t review the play’s script, we’re fairly sure that lines like “Same to you, buttface!” weren’t included in the original source material.

2There was plenty of competition for the lead role

GRANDVIEW, U.S.A., Jennifer Jason Leigh, 1984.

©Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection

While it’s tough to imagine anyone but Joyce Hyser in the lead role, she was anything but a lock – especially considering her age. At 26 years old, Hyser was concerned that producers might write her off as too old to play a high school student — concerns that intensified after finding out that she was screen-testing against Jennifer Jason Leigh, the popular Fast Times actress to whom she’d lost out on a previous role. Thankfully, Hyser’s screen test went well enough to leave her feeling confident that the role would be hers (spoiler: she was correct).

3The film’s The Karate Kid reference isn’t what you think

A memorable line in the movie sees Sandy (played by future Twin Peaks star Sherilyn Fenn) proclaiming that Terry “Dresses like Elvis Costello, looks like the Karate Kid … I’m gonna get him.” While many assume the dialogue was a nod to castmate William Zabka (who famously played Johnny Lawrence in said classic), insiders refute that notion, stating that the quote had been scripted before Zabka even came on board the production. Instead, the line was simply born from Joyce Hyser’s resemblance to Ralph Macchio after cutting her hair in a similarly short fashion.

4A consultant taught Hyser how to be a man

Director Lisa Gottlieb and the production team knew early on that Hyser would need some support to help her learn how to transform her character into a “man” (that is, a high school girl doing her best to act like one). During early rehearsals in Los Angeles, the team brought in Paul Lieber, a character actor known for playing macho types. Gottlieb and Hyser spent a week with him on and off set, absorbing his mannerisms and general behavior to form an idea of how “Terri” would act as “Terry”.

5The godfather of soul paid a visit to the set

Rick Morehouse (played by Clayton Rohner) was not just the secret object of Terri’s undercover affection; the character was also an obsessive James Brown fan… a fact that would play into the movie’s prom scene. To prepare him, the movie’s production team actually enlisted the legendary singer himself to hang out on set for several days to tutor Rohner on his dance movies.

6Hyser was resistant to baring it all

In a pivotal scene in the movie, “Terry” is compelled to rip her shirt open and expose her breasts to prove to Rick that she is, indeed, a female. Hyser wasn’t thrilled about this idea, as she had a “no-nudity” clause in her contract. Those close to her (including good friend Rosanna Arquette) advised her to resist, but Gottlieb eventually convinced her that the visual was the only way to effectively portray her character’s big reveal.

7She also saw the movie as more than a teen comedy

Despite the clichéd high school setting and plot points (did we mention the prom?), Hyser was drawn to Just One of the Guys’ deeper qualities. Dealing with issues such as gender identity, homophobia, and peer pressure, the movie has been a source of pride for not only its star but the rest of the cast and production team as well. Gottlieb even revealed in an interview that Hyser once approached her about a hilarious idea for a sequel. We’re in!