In our Q&A series Last Call, we get down to the bottom of every last thing with some of our favourite celebs – from the last time they were starstruck to the last song they listened to. This week, Midori Francis takes our call.
The Sex Lives of College Girls is so good – so good that we’re getting a second season! The HBO Max series follows the lives of four young women – Pauline Chalamet (Kimberly), Amrit Kaur (Bela), Reneé Rapp (Leighton), and Alyah Chanelle Scott (Whitney) – as they navigate love, life, and friendship as freshmen at the prestigious Essex College. “But through circumstance, just solely circumstance, they find so many connections and develop empathy for one another, and you really are rooting for them to be friends,” The Sex Lives of College Girls star Midori Francis told POPSUGAR – who could better sum it up?
Among the complicated relationships on the series is Leighton’s slow burn and eventual fizzle with Alicia, played by Midori. Leighton and Alicia couldn’t be any more different, but their dominant personalities and journey to vulnerability created some serious shipping. Midori caught up with POPSUGAR to discuss the “spark you can’t deny” between her character and Reneé’s and what makes their relationship work.
“There’s that great sense of [Alicia and Leighton] both being alphas that I think people find really appealing.”
When taking on the role of Alicia, Midori shared, “It all seemed very exciting and meaningful to me.” However, at first, Midori admittedly couldn’t figure out what her character saw in Reneé’s. “What, besides the fact that they’re two lesbians, makes Alicia like Leighton?” she initially wondered. “And then eventually I think that was that became very clear,” Midori noted. “They’re two people [who] stand up to each other. . . There’s that great sense of like both being alphas that I think people find really appealing.” I’m team Alicia and Leighton all the way – has anyone come up with a good ship name yet?
Hopefully, the second season of the hit series will answer all the questions we have about Leighton and Alicia’s relationship. Midori told us prior to the season two announcement, “I’m excited to see – if the story were to continue – that how their friendships continue to like deepen and if they get challenged at any point. Because you know, a lot can change from freshman year to senior year.” Say it louder for the people in the back! Also, does this mean we’ll see Kimberly, Bela, Leighton, Whitney, and Alicia finish college? We can only hope.
Binge The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max, and read the rest of Midori’s Last Call interview ahead.
What was your last day of filming The Sex Lives of College Girls like?
We were shooting a very important scene, and in the middle of it, it started raining. And then we were in a little van like “Oh no!” and then we came back the next day to finish it. So it was traumatic! But ultimately, it ended on a really positive note. I remember the scenes that Reneé and I finished on felt really good. I gave everybody little gift bags filled with these mixed-drink alcohol things, and everyone seemed very thrilled at that point in the process to receive an alcoholic beverage.
What was the last thing you did with your costars?
Off set was at the premiere, which was not too long ago. We all hung out and did the carpet together, and Renika Williams, who plays Willow, is actually coming over on Thursday night to watch the finale with me. We both live in New York.
What is the last song you listened to?
The last one that I listened to was Arcade Fire’s “Everything Now.”
What is the last song you sang in the shower?
I have a special somebody here with me in New York who doesn’t spend as much time in New York as I do. And we’ve been doing so many New York activities. So I’ve been in the New York spirit. I think it was Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”
What is the last show you binge-watched?
White Lotus. I just got into it. I’m always a little late.
What is the last thing you texted one of your Sex Lives of College Girls costars?
I texted [Reneé] a screenshot of a joke that I wrote on Twitter. Like, “Aren’t I so funny?” Because I’m not really on Twitter. But through the process of Sex Lives, there’s been an outpouring of Alicia fans. I started tweeting, and I made my like second joke, and I was really proud of it.
What is the last book you read?
Minority Feelings, which I was again late to, again.
What is the last thing you did for self-care?
I took this bath with this oatmeal – it sounds gross, but it’s not – bath salts that I got at the Christmas market to soothe my legs. Because yesterday I literally walked 20,000 steps, because I’m doing the whole New York thing.
What is the last trip you went on?
To Indiana to see my mother and father, who have recently moved there for my dad’s job.
When is the last time you were starstruck?
I think at the [The Sex Lives of College Girls] premiere by Mindy Kaling.
What is the last piece of advice you’ve received that changed your life?
I watched a documentary recently where Tony Bennett said, “Life teaches you how to live it, if you live it long.” And for whatever reason, it hit me hard.
What is the last thing you ordered online?
I ordered paper towels and toilet paper because I’ve been buying them by the single roll . . . the cheaper ones that don’t last long, and I was like, enough is enough.
What is the last photo on your camera roll?
This happens all the time. I accidentally take multiple screenshots in a row, and I have five of the same [photo]. It’s [a search of] best pop hits of 2010 to 2021. And that song “Savage Love” is for whatever reason highlighted.
