Renee Rapp Finds Supportive Environment After Departure from Sex Lives of College Girls
Renee Rapp finds solace in collaborating with supportive individuals who genuinely value her as a person, after her departure from Max's 'The Sex Lives of College Girls'
Reneé Rapp. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
After leaving The Sex Lives of College Girls, Reneé Rapp is prioritizing a positive work environment. "The people I work with now genuinely care about me as a person," Rapp, 23, shared in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Tuesday, January 9. "It's a different experience from what I've had in the past."
Rapp plays Leighton Murray on the Max series, which premiered in November 2021. The teen comedy follows four roommates navigating their new freedom at Essex College, starring Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, and Alyah Chanelle Scott. Rapp announced her departure from the show in July 2023, six months after the season 2 finale. She is set to appear in a "handful" of season 3 episodes, according to Deadline.
"College Girls brought me to LA and introduced me to some of my favorite people. Now, 2 and a half years later, I have this incredible community. Thank you, Mindy, Justin, and everyone at Max for believing in me. Playing Leighton has changed my life. I love who I am even more now because of her. I hope she has had the same impact for all of you. Even as a small part of representation, she matters. I wouldn't be the person I am today without her and all of you. I can't wait for you to see what's in store for her and the girls in this upcoming season!" Rapp wrote on her Instagram Story to announce her departure.
Series creator and executive producer of the show, Mindy Kaling, also confirmed the news via Instagram at the time, writing, “We love @reneerapp so much and of course will be so sad to say goodbye to Leighton Murray! But we can’t wait to see our friend on tour!!”
After news of her departure, Rapp has shared gratitude for her role as Leighton while also discussing her challenging experiences on set during the filming of season 1. Alongside grappling with her own sexual identity while playing a lesbian character, Rapp, who identifies as bisexual, admitted to "hating" going to work because she felt inadequate for the role.
"I thought, 'Maybe I'm pushing myself too much,'" she disclosed on an episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in March 2023. "And then I would come home and doubt myself, completely."
Rapp expressed her initial excitement about playing Leighton, a queer character, but found the experience to be mentally challenging, in part due to the people on set. She explained, "I'm on a show with a lot of men, both gay and straight, and having older men around me. I would do scenes and have gay men approach me, asking if I'm really gay, which really frustrated me and made me doubt myself."
Despite her initial difficulties, Rapp noted that her experience on SLOCG eventually got better. However, she still worries that people will constantly compare her to her character. To combat this, she focuses on releasing music and choosing roles for herself, such as reprising her role as Regina George in the upcoming Mean Girls musical film. Rapp originally portrayed the character at age 19 in the Broadway musical before being cast in the film four years later. In an exclusive interview with We in April 2023, she expressed her belief that this role is meant for her.
“I have a deep connection with my body and know how to perform in a way that suits me,” she shared with Us. “As a 23-year-old, I have grown and improved in my career compared to when I was 19 or 20. I now have a stronger sense of self than I did in my teenage years.”
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Rapp praised Tina Fey as a "creative genius" for modernizing the 2004 character, originally portrayed by Rachel McAdams, for 2023. He also commended her openness and collaborative approach in the workplace.
"I truly value their commitment to involving young people and those in touch with current culture and trends, rather than just following their own agenda," she expressed. "They are incredibly collaborative and impressive. So while some aspects may have changed, there are also similarities."
