Yahoo Lifestyle ‘Sex Lives of College Girls’ Star Gracie Lawrence on Weirdest Self-Tape Locations, Auditioning to Play Kacey and Juggling Music and Acting
Though “Sex Lives of College Girls” fans know Gracie Lawrence as Kacey, a theater nerd and the new fourth roommate in Season 3, things could have been much different.
“She was a finalist to play Kimberly in Season 1,” co-creator and executive producer Justin Noble says, adding that Lawrence was in the final three under consideration for the role, which eventually went to Pauline Chalamet. But two seasons later, as the minds behind “Sex Lives of College Girls” conceptualized Kacey for the small screen, Lawrence’s audition once again stood out.
More from Variety
“She’s so funny and charming,” Noble says, comparing Lawrence’s take on Kacey to a “cute little Reese Witherspoon character” who rounds out the rest of the cast.
Lawrence, a singer-songwriter and actor also known for her band, Lawrence, which she co-leads with her brother Clyde, had previous credits on Showtime’s series “Billions” and the Netflix film “Moxie.”
“I just fell in love with the whole opportunity and sent in a self-tape,” she tells Variety. “24 hours later, maybe 48 hours later, I was doing the call back, and then that day they were like, ‘You have the part, and you should come to L.A.’”
In her interview with Variety, Lawrence opens up about learning from co-stars Amrit Kaur, Pauline Chalamet and Alyah Chanelle Scott; weird self-tape locations; juggling music and acting; and when it’s appropriate to eat Doritos on set.
You have to juggle music, touring, acting, etc. What’s the weirdest place you’ve made a self-tape?
I have done self-tapes in our bus, in Holiday Inn lobbies, in bathrooms. When we were opening for the Jonas Brothers, the shows were in hockey arenas and stadiums. I did auditions in those showers that have all these shower heads, so all the players can shower in there. It was horribly reverberant, but it was the only place that I could be alone. I’ve done self-tapes pretty much everywhere you could do a self-tape. The guys in the band have been lovely enough to read the sides with me.
Who’s your go-to reader when you’re filming a self-tape?
I have to give credit to my mom, because she is my go-to reader. She will FaceTime me and read the other lines most of the time, so shout out to Linda; she kills it. But I will give credit to some of the other guys in the band who in a pinch have come in.
Given that Kacey has a big moment singing “Roar” in Episode 4, did you have to sing during your audition?
I did not have to sing in the audition. It wasn’t clear exactly how much singing was actually going to be a part of the role. If I remember correctly, the description of the character said either “is good at singing” or “enjoys singing.” I was really excited because I thought that would imply that there would be singing and that music was going to be a part of the show. Sure enough, I read the first few scripts and they had me singing a song. That was like one of the first things that I shot and that song is sung live, which is so cool. A lot of credit given to Justin Noble, our showrunner, who was like, “Yeah, do it live, that would be really fun.”
What do you think are some of the similarities and differences between you and your character?
She’s a pageant girl, and so much of her self-worth has been predicated on beauty and appearance and that lends itself to her going on a confidence journey and figuring out where her self-worth should lie.
[In Lawrence] we’ve written so much about those ideas about confidence and insecurity and self-worth. I sing a lot of those songs, so I feel like the confidence conversation around Kacey and her finding herself is something that I relate to, even if we’re very different people.
Tell me about your first time meeting Amrit, Pauline and Alyah.
They reached out to me before the show started, and were so kind. There was this very quick turnaround, and their warmth and kindness towards me was such a helpful thing, from big things like learning how the job works to smaller things like when is the appropriate time to go grab a bag of Doritos. Having their guidance and also warmth and total openness was just so cool.
When is the appropriate time to grab a bag of Doritos while shooting?
It’s actually unclear, because sometimes you’re just changing a lens. Sometimes it’s a quick turnaround. It’s really when we’re changing camera positions –– and even then sometimes it’s unclear.
I’d been on TV shows before, but there was this learning curve with how quick the show moves. So I did need an indication from the other women to be like, “Now’s the food snacking time.” I would just follow them around, and they were nice to me.
Where does acting fit in with your overall career ambitions?
As dumb as it sounds, I’m just going where the path takes me. Lawrence is something that is my own and my brother’s. It’s so personal, and it’s so close to home, so it will always be a huge focus in my life and something I always prioritize. But I think what’s been really cool about it is because it’s my own, there’s been these moments where whether it’s me doing an acting job or my brother doing a composing job for another artist or for film and TV, we’ve had these moments where we get to branch off and try out new activities. I think that it will always be a little balancing act.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Best of Variety
Cameron Diaz's 12 Best Film Performances: From ‘Charlie’s Angels‘ to ’There's Something About Mary'
Leonardo DiCaprio Turns 50: His 21 Best Performances, From 'The Departed' to 'Titanic'
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
