Anyone else ridiculously excited for Mindy Kaling’s new show The Sex Lives of College Girls? In case you aren’t already running over to HBO Max to watch, the series focuses on four freshmen at college in Vermont and stars a super-talented cast including Reneé Rapp, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Amrit Kaur, and Pauline Chalamet. And if that last name gives you pause, yes: She’s related to your husband/son. So also yes, it’s time to dive into everything you need to know about her.
She Made Her Film Debut in The King of Staten Island
You know, Staten Island? Where Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian went on a date? Anyway, Pauline made her acting debut in Pete’s film directed by Judd Apatow:
She Is Timothée Chalamet’s Older Sister
Meaning she grew up with him in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, and was super involved in the arts just like her brother. (She also went to the famous LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.) Ready for a bunch of cute pics of the two of them? Okay, yay:
Note: Pauline told W magazine that she doesn’t really buy into the frenzy around Timmy, saying, “Timothée is a hard worker. When I see him on the big screen, for me that’s just the result of his job. As for the rest, I don’t really experience the frenzy around him. I guess it’s kind of crazy, but it doesn’t affect my life at all.”
She’s Been Acting Forever
If you’re under the incorrect assumption that Pauline pivoted to acting after Timmy became famous, nope! She studied theater at Bard College and did an acting apprenticeship at the Studio Théâtre d’Asnières in France after she graduated. She’s also been acting consistently since the late ’90s, with roles in One Life to Live, Royal Pains, and a bunch of small films on the festival circuit.
She Lives in Paris
Emily who? Pauline has been living in Paris for the past seven years and told W magazine, “I definitely feel like Paris is my home. Although that doesn’t stop me from wanting to do touristy stuff: Sometimes I’ll text my friends to ask them to come with me and retrace Ernest Hemingway’s journey through the Left Bank or have a 15-euro slice of fruit tart at the Café de Flore, and they’ll be like, ‘Why?!’”
Yes, She’s Fluent in French
Which is obvious but also noteworthy since her character in The Sex Lives of College Girls is learning French, which means Pauline had to tone down her naturally flawless accent. “It was hard,” Pauline told Interview. “There was an accent coach on-set for the people who spoke French. She heard me try and put on a bad accent and started to work with me. It was interesting to learn which words are difficult if you don’t grow up speaking the language.”
She’s a Big-Time Reader
Like, a book a week. Meanwhile, I’m lucky if I get through a book a year.
She’s Had a Ton of Jobs
While she’s always loved acting, Pauline has worked in a ton of different fields, telling Harper’s Bazaar, “I was a copy editor. I loved it. I love grammar. I’m obsessed. I was a bartender. I worked in a café. I was a dog walker. I was a babysitter. I was a tutor. Once I was asked to half babysit, half bartend. The parents were like, ‘Set up all the alcohol there on that table, you can bartend, but also watch these eight kids running around.’”
She’s Super Musical
How is this family so talented?!?!?!
Kay, off to watch the Sex Lives of College Girls premiere again, byeeeee.
