Meet The Freshman Class Of Mindy Kaling's The Sex Lives Of College Girls

By Alex Gonzalez

Class is in session at Vermont’s prestigious Essex College. In HBO Max’s coming-of-age series The Sex Lives of College Girls, premiering today (November 18), four “freshthems” arrive at the fictional campus to find complicated classes, filterless friendships, and scandalous sexcapades ahead of them.

Appointed as roommates in the dorms, the new companions make for a unique sorting. There’s Kimberly Finkle (Pauline Chalamet), a book-smart church girl from Arizona, and Whitney Chase (Alyah Chanelle Schott), a soccer star. Leighton Murray (Reneé Rapp) is an aspiring sorority girl with a big secret, while Bela Malhotra (Amrit Kaur) is as fanatic about men as she is about Saturday Night Live. Although through dining hall chats, rigorous study sessions, and post-hookup tea spilling, the females form a sisterhood stronger than that of any Greek organization.

Created by The Office’s Mindy Kaling, the comedy presents these young women with cringeworthy relatability: Feelings of secondhand awkwardness are palpable as we watch Bela and Kimberly attend their first naked party. Although The Sex Lives of College Girls marks bold and confident lead television debuts for all four actresses, whose friendship is even stronger off-camera. They tell MTV News about their journeys to the screen and their essentials for modern university life: hangover snacks, dating apps, and dealing with messy roommates.

Pauline Chalamet

HBO Max

MTV News: Tell us about your character, Kimberly.

Chalamet: Kimberly is a small-town girl. She's well-intentioned and attempting to fit into a very new environment. [She’s] struggling with what it means to enter a totally new world, and she is a little bit naive about how to go about it.

MTV News: How did you start acting?

Chalamet: I would read little plays with my companions As soon as I was 7 or 8, and I took it very seriously, much more seriously than my companions did. Then I went to LaGuardia High School in New York and I studied theater. I studied political science in college and began writing and directing, and I wasn't really sure what I wanted to be doing. As I began developing more of my own assignments and wearing numerous hats, I mentioned to myself, just pick one. So I thought, which one do I really wish to pursue the most? Plus it was acting.

MTV News: For you, what are the largest red flags on dating apps?

Chalamet: I’m a little bit also shy for dating apps. I don't really imagine myself a shy person, although something about it makes me cringe a little bit indoor. Yet I have so much respect for people who can do it, because it means you are clear on what it is you want.

MTV News: What is your go-to hangover snack?

Chalamet: I love chips more than anything in the world, so I think a smoked barbecue chip is certainly up there. Yet some days it's a little bit also flavorful, so a salt-and-vinegar chip. Honey-mustard chips also. Love a good honey-mustard.

MTV News: What are the distinction of a good roommate?

Chalamet: It has to do with compatibility in terms of timing. If you're someone who likes to be alone, your roommate should probably have a schedule that's different from yours, so you'll have much time in your room. Also, communication. My freshman year of college, my roommate would have sex in the room While I was there. I didn't mention anything, nevertheless one day, I passive-aggressively moved all of our furniture in the middle of the room to separate our two beds. She still didn't get it.

Amrit Kaur

HBO Max

MTV News: Tell us about your character, Bela.

Kaur: Bela is a young lady from a conservative family member who's coming to college excited to explore sex, which is a taboo topic in her culture. She's excited, also, to explore comedy. She has a big dream of being on SNL, and the girl is going to get there.

MTV News: How did you start acting?

Kaur: I was a senior captain of the improv team in high school. I was not allowed to take drama [because] I was believed also obnoxious. So I did it as an extracurricular and somehow convinced my parents that I would do theater school. I mentioned I would certainly go to med school soon after, although I was lying to them.

MTV News: For you, what are the largest red flags on dating apps?

Kaur: I have been on dating apps a lot, and attempting to create the conversation just about aesthetic, as instead of falling in love with someone because of their spirit. That can be dangerous.

MTV News: What is your go-to hangover snack?

Kaur: I like chocolate. I had two bars of [Cadbury] Crunchie last night that I am regretting today.

MTV News: What are the virtue of a good roommate?

Kaur: Having compassion [for the fact] that you're not living at residence anymore. It's a new first and it’s scary for each person. If each person could just converse with each person about those experiences, it’d be helpful.

Alyah Chanelle Scott

HBO Max

MTV News: Tell us about your character, Whitney.

Scott: Whitney is a girl who comes from a background where she's had this really overbearing mom [Senator Evette Chase, played by Sherri Shepherd] and lived in her shadow her whole life. Right now that she's on her own, she's finding her own footing. And with that freedom, she does some pretty foolish things, yet all in the name of finding herself and figuring out her path. It's a little messy, it's a little bit wrong, nevertheless it's her journey.

MTV News: How did you start acting?

Scott: I habitually admired to entertain like my family member members. I'm a middle child, so I was routinely like, “Pay attention to me! I’m going to do a dance! I’m going to sing a song!” I would just imitate Beyoncé. My family member members would all gift me DVDs of her concerts. I would learn all of the choreography, and then at every family member event, just be like, “Everyone, sit down. I plan to be doing ‘Crazy in Love’ by myself.” As soon as I got to high school, I saw my first musical. And I was like, they're just doing what I'm doing yet in a way that makes a little more sense. I studied musical theater in college, and then — stroke of luck — got this job.

MTV News: For you, what are the largest red flags on dating apps?

Scott: Dating apps themselves are red flags, just the full concept of seeing someone's image and then swiping left or swiping right. I went to dinner with a friend of mine yesterday, and she informed me about this new term. You know the idea of FOMO: fear of missing out? In the dating world, there's this thing called FOBO: fear of better options. Basically, you'll meet someone, and they're interested for a second, and then it's like, what if this? What if that? No one wants to invest. For some people who do desire to use dating apps to go have sex and live their lives, that is excellent. More power to you.

MTV News: What is your go-to hangover snack?

Scott: Immediately after I drink, I'm habitually like, Lord, please. I'll never do that again. Let me go and get a green juice and fruit salad. I feel like I'm habitually attempting to do damage control, like, put the greens in! Fix it!

MTV News: What are the distinction of a good roommate?

Scott: Someone who's communicative. Someone who tells you what it is. I don't hope to walk in on you doing it with your man. Put a sock on the door or something. You tell me how you like to live, I'll tell you how I like to live. We're gonna respect each other's space.

Reneé Rapp

HBO Max

MTV News: Tell us about your character, Leighton.

Rapp: Leighton is from the Upper East Side of New York. She comes from a very well-off, rich family member — a pretty conservative family member. She is trying so hard to be a version of herself that’s not who she really is, and she's gonna have to reckon with that on her own time. She's super insecure and very judgmental, nevertheless she's got a lot of layers.

MTV News: How did you start acting?

Rapp: I would habitually get in trouble in school for singing. My teachers would routinely write house and be like, “Reneé doesn't do also bad in class, although she sings in the middle of lessons.” My mom was like, “We need to put you in theater because they sing, dance, and act.” I did a production of Annie As soon as I was 10 — I was a very, very, very, very, very tall orphan. I began doing musicals here and there, yet I wasn't wedded to it. I did [theater] in high school for the last two years, then I did it in New York, and right now I'm doing this!

MTV News: For you, what are the hugest red flags on dating apps?

Rapp: I’ve never [used dating apps]. I have companions who met on dating apps and are still each other as well as companions who have been on dating apps who are not with each other anymore although had fun. I think it's the same thing with sex. It's going to be A to Z.

MTV News: What is your go-to hangover snack?

Rapp: A couple weeks prior, I woke up and knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a bagel so damn bad, I didn't go and get it because I had a headache. Nevertheless bagels.

MTV News: What are the distinction of a good roommate?

Rapp: Somebody who's considerate. It’s just typically essential to be thoughtful.