When I ask Rapp about her future aspirations tied to acting, she goes back to her first love: music. From a very young age, Rapp was dead set on being a

musician, a pop star in fact. Nobody, not even her father, could tell her otherwise. “Acting is something that I didn’t think I was qualified to do,” she tells me. “I never thought I would get a job straight acting because I’ve been singing my whole life and that’s my little niche.” Mean Girls: The Musical offered Rapp the best of both worlds. While she still has an appetite for Hollywood (“I would love to be in the Marvel universe”), she has her sights on a solo music career, too, which she reveals could be happening soon. “I need to be doing music as a part of my life because I am a very different version of myself when music is not a part of my life,” she adds.

Perched on her couch, Rapp lights up knowing she has a lot to look forward to—her impending music career, her big TV debut, the Ferragamo red carpet look she has planned for the show’s L.A. premiere the next day. Not to mention, Leighton’s introduction onto the long-standing list of beloved mean girls. I certainly can’t wait to watch it all. 

The Sex Lives of College Girls is now streaming on HBO Max. 

Photographer: Jonny Marlow

Stylist: Jared Ellner

Hairstylist: Marty Harper

Makeup Artist: Dana Delaney