According to Deadline, Gracie Lawrence (Did You Hear About the Morgans?, Moxie) shared her perspective on her role as new roommate, Kacey, on Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls. Lawrence joined the series replacing Renee Rapp’s (Mean Girls, Renee Rapp: Don’t Tell My Mom) character, Leighton. Rapp previously announced her departure in the summer of 2023 and was announced as a guest star instead of a series regular via mxdwn. Lawrence was interviewed by Us Weekly, which is where the information was initially revealed.
“I think Kacey’s very different [from Rapp’s character, Leighton],” Lawrence informed Us Weekly. “There was no intention of ever feeling like it was replacing [her] or anything like that because that’s an iconic character. Leighton is a beloved iconic character. I don’t think anyone — from the creators of the show to any of the actors — would want to step on the toes of that.”
Deadline states that Kacey isn’t the only new student arriving this season. Taylor, a queer and sober freshman played by Mia Rogers (Trauma, Defending the Guilty), has joined the cast as well. Different characters will continue to appear until January 21. The showrunners plan to create characters with fresh ideas to keep the show engaging and explore different perspectives.
“They’re building out the cast with so much respect and homage to what [Rapp] brought to the show,” Lawrence explained in the Us Weekly interview.
Co-creator Justin Noble (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Never Have I Ever) stated that Leighton “definitely still has some lessons and room to grow ahead of her” after the rumors of Rapp’s departure last year. Rapp was in the middle of her Snow Hard Feelings Tour when the news of her leaving the series was announced. The series saw Leighton depart to build on her finance career by transferring to MIT.
The Sex Lives of College Girls is currently streaming on Max.