It's been 20 years since Lizzie McGuire aired its "Night of the Day of the Dead" episode, but chances are viewers can still recall feeling scared of the skeleton couple that haunted Lizzie, Gordo, Miranda and Kate. And, if we're being honest, there's still something a bit spooky about that particular episode—even Lizzie's dad, Robert Carradine, thinks the kids' show was scary for the time.
Robert, Hallie Todd, Jake Thomas and Kyle Downes, a.k.a. Tudgeman, joined E! News on a Zoom call to discuss that iconic episode, sharing the gross and heartwarming memories they have from filming the show in 2000.
But seeing as it's been two decades since most people saw the Halloween special, here's a quick refresher: Lizzie (Hilary Duff) wants to be Vampira, the dungeon mistress, for the school Fright Night and even has Gordo (Adam Lamberg) help her clean the janitor's closet so she can use it as her dungeon. But Kate (Ashlie Brillault) pulls a fast one on her, taking the role for herself.
So, Lizzie begrudgingly transforms into a clown for the party, where Miranda (LaLaine) has set up an offrenda for Day of the Dead. However, the party becomes the backdrop for a haunting when Matt (Jake) eats a tamale that was an offering for the dead and Kate offends the spirits. Chaos ensues as Lizzie becomes possessed and chases Kate through the school halls, before Miranda eventually instructs the school bully to cleanse herself of evil by dipping her head in punch and rubbing cake on her dress.
Unbeknownst to Kate and the viewers, Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo recruited Miranda's parents to help them pull off their revenge plot. So, those scary skeletons were actually just the Sanchez's.
Back at the McGuire residence, Jo (Hallie) and Sam (Robert) attempt to have a romantic night to themselves, but are routinely interrupted by trick or treaters. And things only get worse when they run out of candy, forcing them to give one disgruntled child a chicken pot pie, which is later thrown in Sam's face.
Though "Night of the Day of the Dead" seems like any other Lizzie McGuire episode, it was special because it combined all the best elements of the show, like inclusivity and acceptance. The writers previously highlighted Gordo's Jewish faith in the episode "Gordo's Bar Mitzvah," and "Night of the Day of the Dead" was Miranda's moment to celebrate her heritage, something the cast is now proud of.
Hallie said that in hindsight the kids show was "actually pretty ahead of its time" by highlighting the Hispanic holiday. "It shouldn't have been, but I haven't seen anything like that before," she shared. "I was a parent watching shows along with my daughter and I've never seen that portrayed in Disney or anything."
Jake added, "I don't think there were many other kids shows that were portraying other cultures and their versions of holidays… So, that's pretty cool!"
The 31-year-old actor believes Lizzie McGuire "paved the way" for current shows with its inclusion of different topics. He remarked, "If you don't have that kind of representation to kids on their entertainment platforms and everything, then it's sometimes very hard to come by."
Regarding this specific episode, Kyle doesn't remember much since he was only on set for three hours at most. As he put it, "If it's an episode that doesn't involve me in the main storyline, they mainly bring me in to do a gag and this episode was no different than that."
"They had me come in and do an impression of Darth Vader, Chewbacca and Yoda, all very badly," Kyle continued. "But I do that and 20 years later, Disney owns Star Wars, so you're welcome."
Jake, on the other hand, can recall more details from that episode, like getting dressed as an inside out version of himself. This stood out in his memory because he remembers "enjoying [the outfit] a little too much."
"I don't think I got to keep that costume, but I sure as hell tried," Jake joked.
That costume was created with a little help from Matt and Lizzie's mom Jo, who offers up some raw sausage that can be used as his innards, instead of the caviar that was bought for her date night with Sam.
According to Hallie, it was just a typical moment with Jake. "That was Matt and Jo's tone with each other, it seems like a lot of the time," Hallie shared. "It was funny watching it because I have not watched it since it came out the first time."
She added that she had "totally forgotten" what happened all those years ago, at least until she recently turned on Disney+, and "then it was right back" to old times.
As for Robert, he described that episode as special since he and Hallie were able to "hang out" on set while the kids did the heavy lifting.
"We didn't often have scenes, just he and I together, so that was fun," Hallie added. "We got to kiss and be husband and wife together, which wasn't done ever."
Moreover, Robert said it was rare that he and Hallie got such nice meals. He joked, "The caviar, I thought that was a really nice touch from the prop department. God bless ‘em."
Speaking of the prop department, Jake wasn't a fan of eating much of anything that was used in a scene, including the tamale. He revealed that, more often than not, the food is cold and has been sitting out for hours, so he said, "We have a spit bucket that was usually standing by."
And don't get the cast started on the food fights.
Robert said the chicken pot pie scene was "extremely uncomfortable" to film. He shared, "Knowing me, it was likely one take because I would've had to go back and change clothes and wash up and take care of my hair and it's like, ‘You know, boys, let's get this in one.' That was always my attitude."
However, if you ask Jake, he'd say it went a little differently. He quipped, "It's less of ‘let's get it one, boys.' It's like it happens to you and then Bobby is like, ‘Well, did we get it? Too bad.'"
For her part, Hallie, who recently wrote and co-produced the Paramount movie The Last Champion, is just relieved she didn't have to actually be in the frame and get "residual" chicken pot pie on herself.
But the real MVP of the "Day of the Dead" episode was hands-down Ashlie, who had every assortment of food thrown at her. Robert said of those scenes, "Our kids really turned it around on Kate. She had her come-uppance."
Of course, it's been 20 years and the cast can't remember every moment of the shoot, but they have fond memories of "Night of Day of the Dead," even if Robert still gets "scared."
If you want to see E! News' conversation with Robert, Hallie, Jake and Kyle, check out the video above!
For those wishing to rewatch "Night of the Day of the Dead," the episode is available now on Disney+, and Disney's "Hallowstream" features a new collection of exciting new originals and beloved Halloween classics.