‘My So-Called Life’s’ A.J. Langer Borrowed Brittany Murphy’s Bodysuit for Audition (Exclusive) [Video]

When A.J. Langer auditioned for My So-Called Life, she was originally up for the part of Angela Chase — a  role that eventually went to Claire Danes. But when she learned the character Rayanne Graff hadn’t been cast yet, Langer did everything she could to make a good impression on the casting director.

“I just was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to make this happen,’” she tells PEOPLE in a new interview. “I went to Brittany Murphy‘s house, borrowed a zip-up bodysuit, then borrowed my brother’s Levi’s jeans and a pair of Doc Martens, drew a line on my eye, and went in. I took my picture off my résumé because my picture was quite conservative, and I was hoping they wouldn’t remember me, which is always good. When you don’t get something, they usually don’t remember you.”

When she read for Rayanne, Langer, 50, “felt so good.”

“Then next thing I knew, …