‘Sex Lives of College Girls’ Is Back: Newcomer Mia Rodgers on Working With “God” (Mindy Kaling), Reneé Rapp’s Absence
Rejoice, The Sex Lives of College Girls fans: The students are back at Essex College for another season of female debauchery.
After a two-year wait, Amrit Kaur, Pauline Chalamet, Reneé Rapp and Alyah Chanelle Scott have returned as the chaotic-yet-loveable girl squad Bela, Kimberly, Leighton and Whitney, respectively, in season three of HBO Max’s hit sitcom, created by comedy boss Mindy Kaling and showrunner Justin Noble.
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Fans may have begun to wonder when they would ever see the four reunited and back where they belong (causing mayhem at a bizarrely-themed frat party, perhaps?), but from Thursday, Nov. 21 onwards, an episode of the latest installment is dropping every week on Max.
The show left off last season with the group finishing up their freshman year, though the loose ends were nowhere near tied up. Whitney catches Kimberly’s kiss with Canaan, unbeknownst to the pair, and she swiftly reneges her decision to room with Kimberly. Bela is fired from college comedy troupe The Foxy and requests a transfer to another school (though, as the season three trailer showed, she recommits to Essex: “This is sophomore year. We’ve got to step up our game,”) while Leighton quits Kappa before reconciling her relationship with Midori Francis’ Alicia.
Show fans were devastated to find out that this would be Rapp’s last season as the dry but genius Leighton, with the actress-singer focusing her attention on a successful music career. Her impeccable comedic timing will be sorely missed — so who’s stepping up to the plate?
Enter, Mia Rodgers. The Brit, just 24 and fresh out of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, only needed two auditions to book her first big job: a role as Essex College first-year international student Taylor. Together with Gracie Lawrence, portraying Kacey, the two are tasked with filling a Rapp-sized hole in The Sex Lives of College Girls.
The Hollywood Reporter sat down with Rodgers to talk about her character and the season ahead. She discusses what fans can expect as the girls get older, how Rapp’s departure is reflective of true university life (“people leave”) and why viewers need to give Taylor some grace. “She comes in on the defense,” the actress says. “I think this is one of the first moments in [her] life where she feels love and friendship, and she understands the beauty of that and how important it is.”
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I’m so intrigued as to how this came to fruition. The Sex Lives of College Girls is so American in its humor. How did you, a Brit, land a starring role?
It’s very American. I think it was a bit of a shock. Last December, I also got an email in my inbox, just being like, “Mia, Sex Lives of College Girls. Do you want to do a self-tape? This is the scene. This is the character.” They gave nothing away. They just said she was British, so do what you want with it. You can’t think about these things too much or else you will literally die. Then, it was Christmas, everyone forgot about it. About a month later in January, my agent called me, and it’s so funny because when she was calling me, I thought she was calling me about something else. So this came completely[out of] left-field. She’s like, “Hey, do you remember this audition that you did a month ago or so? Well, they want to see you tomorrow. Are you free? Don’t think too much on it. There’s about 30 people auditioning. It’s just the second round.”
I had to have a big old light on me, and I had a piano keyboard, a laundry basket, a tray and then my laptop on top, and it was just the most stupid setup ever. There was honestly about like, 25 people in this call, just execs, everyone involved in it.
That must have been so daunting. Was Mindy Kaling present?
No, she wasn’t on that call. Mindy is obviously extremely involved but she’s honestly like a God, the way everyone looks up to her and loves her. But Justin [Noble], the showrunner, he was the main big dog that gave me my moment. But [Mindy] is super involved in the cast and the edit and in post. She makes those set visits.
I had a really great time [at the second audition]. We were on for an hour and a half or something like that. We did the scene so many different ways, had a great, grand old chat, and then, I called my agent the next morning. She’s like, “How’d it go?” I was like, “Yeah, I just honestly waffled away.” And she was like, “Well, that’s amazing because you got it.” I literally had two auditions. I screamed, and then I fainted. I’m not even joking. It was years of trying and self-belief but also self-doubt, and everything rolled into one just hit me in that moment. I was like, “Oh my God, what do you mean? How is that possible?” But it was amazing. I still can’t believe it.
Were you a fan of the show before your audition?
So I really wanted to watch the show when it first came out in 2021, and I was trying for the life of me to find it, but I couldn’t, because obviously it’s HBO, and we [in the U.K.] don’t have HBO, so I started watching clips on YouTube… When I got the audition, I looked it up, because I was like, “OK, they want a Brit, surely, there’s going to be a platform on which we can watch it.” And so then when I got the audition, I saw it was there on [U.K. streaming platform] ITVX so I had it as a bit of research.
The writers are incredible. There’s about 10 of them, and they each do an episode. Which is great because it gives different people the opportunity to try and write things out. They’re on set every day and throwing new things at you all the time. It makes it so exciting.
Your character joins the crew as a first-year international student. Can you tell us a bit more about Taylor?
I love playing Taylor. She’s great. She’s from London. She’s a bit younger than the other girls. She’s two years younger than them, and so she is at the beginning of her journey, finding herself — as everybody is — around 18 and starting school, and also being in a new country or continent even! Her journey is really exciting, and it’s one that I think is super relatable for everyone that is continuously finding themselves, especially around that age. I still am, definitely, at 24.
She gets introduced to the other girls through Bela, who is played by Amrit. She is a FAF this year, which is Friendly Advisor and Friend. Like a buddy. So she has a whole group of these first-year students, and I am part of that, and we definitely get off to an interesting start. I’d say we’re very different characters, but it’s really fun.
In this show, everyone has their distinct personalities — Reneé as Leighton is sassy and dry and Pauline as Kimberly is sweet and a little silly, for example. What does Taylor bring to the group?
She definitely brings a new energy to the group. She brings that Brit sense of humor. I’d say she’s very witty but very dry with it. So I think initially, for sure, people get off on the wrong foot with her because they don’t understand her, but yeah, she goes on a journey.
She comes in on the defense. I think Taylor has experienced a lot in her life where she expects the worst from people, and so, in turn, thinks that everyone’s going to expect the worst of her. And I think there’s a lot of character growth within that. She’s super young, She’s still learning with Bela. That’s her starting point. They get off on the wrong foot because Bela is super excited and happy and wants to help everyone. And Taylor is like, “Oh my god. Why do you want to help me? Like, stop. I don’t need help.” And so they definitely bash heads, but you can tell from the beginning that there’s chemistry there and that their friendship will develop. She knows she’s a good person. She knows she means well, but she doesn’t know how to express that with others. And people take her sarcasm and her tone very seriously. So initially, everyone has to give her some grace. I think this is one of the first moments in Taylor’s life where she feels love and friendship, and she understands the beauty of that and the meaning of that and how important that is.
What was it like working with all these hilarious women?
It was a really great environment to be in. And also, walking into quite a well-oiled machine — people [already] have their friendships and their relationships, and they’ve been doing this for four years now. That’s quite daunting, obviously, but to have such a warm reception was so nice for me.
We shot in the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank in Los Angeles, which was just insane. It’s so funny, as well, being a Brit and having this idea of Hollywood and Los Angeles, you know — that’s where movies are made! And all that jazz. So when I was faced with that, I was like, “You’re joking me.” I am the cliché. It’s brilliant, but then actually being there is so different to this idea in your head. It’s amazing, but it is also so daunting. You walk in, and it is huge and incredible, and it’s surrounded by this incredible canyon. It has this insane landscape. And you walk in, and you’re just like, “Wow. I feel the history.” Here you have the Friends lot, you have the Gilmore Girls lot. You have Abbott Elementary, which is a huge show going on at the moment, and you’re just going around in a little golf buggy. And I’m like, “what is my life? Pinch me.”
It is a big talking point this season that it will be Reneé’s last outing as fan-favorite Leighton. I know you aren’t replacing her. But I wonder if it’s fair to say you’re being passed the baton by her, in some capacity, in terms of Taylor’s significance in the show?
With Leighton, she’s such an iconic character and so loved by the fans that I think in no world would I — or anyone — be able to take up that space within the show. I love her, and she’s great, and I had the pleasure of meeting her a few times. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to work with her, which was a really big shame. But she’s such a babe. And I think it’s important to recognize that the characters are so separate. They are just two different people. I would love to say that she’s like, passing over the baton. I feel like I’m getting knighted or something, but it’s the classic case of what university life is like: people leave. It’s a revolving door. It’s such a shame, but she’s got so many exciting things happening for her, and I’m just excited that I’m now a part of it.
Was Reneé’s absence felt on set?
The girls are super close so I think it is like your mate not turning up to school, you know? But it’s hard for me to say. Everyone’s still great friends.
Does Taylor join as the fourth member of the core group?
There’s two new characters this season, myself and a girl called Gracie Lawrence, who plays Kacey. We both come in but have very different places, I think, within the group and the dynamic.
How was it being a student at Essex College? Do you have a favorite day or memory from the shoot?
Oh, goodness. It’s really fun there. The show is incredibly fun as well, and so that definitely trickles into how it’s ran. What’s great is that the cast and the crew and everybody involved are very close. It’s like everyone is there 16 hours a day so you get to know each other very, very well. Some of my closest friends are part of the crew, and I still talk to them now, we’ve gone out on weekends and things like that. It’s great. And for me especially, I think coming in as the new kid on the block, that new kid energy, I was just like, “This is amazing. Oh my god.” What was great is I actually have come away with it with really great friendships, as well as my dreams coming true. So it’s a win-win situation. I think Gracie and I coming in together definitely bonded us from the get-go. And all the other girls really took us under their wing.
I think probably one of my favorite days from set is definitely when we’re all together. I think that’s really fun, just because then we all get to hang out, we get to bounce off each other, and I get to learn a lot from other people. I definitely have learned so much, especially from Amrit. I think because she was who I started off with and I’m very proud of myself, but also this is my first big job, so the whole etiquette of it, like how things are run, or what I can say… I can ask these questions. So that was really important for me [to hear] you can get involved with your character and have an opinion, and people are actually listening to it. That’s the thing with working with great actors and people in this industry: you’re always going to learn something new from every conversation that you have. And I think especially for someone like me, who’s just come off the back of drama school. I’ve done bits and bobs before, but this being my first big job, you learn more than you did at school.
What do you think audience reactions will be from the season ahead?
Well, I think there’s a lot of anticipation for the show anyway, just because obviously COVID-19 happened and all the strikes, so it’s been a lot longer of a wait. So, from what I can see of them, they’re all very, very excited. It’s funny for me, because obviously I’m in London right now, and the show, whilst it has an audience here, it isn’t as big. So when I go to the States, I feel that energy way more of “What’s gonna happen? How’s it gonna go?” Like people messaging me, saying “I’m so excited to see your character.” There’s a lot of anticipation. I think people are going to definitely not be disappointed. A lot happens, and there’s new conversations to be had — the girls are getting older. With the new characters coming in, there’s an added bit of spunk to the series.
Is this your big break?
God, I wish you had a crystal ball. I think in this industry, you can never be sure of anything. All I can do is be really hopeful and positive about it, and just take in the moment and be grateful for what has come my way. I’ve waited a really long time to get to this position. It all happened quite quickly, but I’ve been acting since I was 17, and I’m now 24. There’s been a lot that’s happened within that time, both positive and negative. So for me, I can’t actually believe that it’s happening. I have a bit of imposter syndrome with it all. So I hope that things are going to stay as exciting as they have been.
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New episodes of Sex Lives of College Girls release weekly on Max at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays.
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