Reneé Rapp took Broadway and Hollywood by storm when she stepped into Regina George’s shoes for the Mean Girls musical. The multi-talented 23-year-old didn’t just slide into the hit remake by luck, though. Reneé climbed up the ladder by wowing crowds with her impressive theatrical performances back in her high school days.
Learn more about Reneé below!
Renee Is From North Carolina
The North Carolina native hails from the large suburban town of Huntersville. While attending a local high school, Reneé played for the varsity golf team while participating in the theatre program. She then transferred to Charlotte’s selective Northwest School of the Arts.
Renee Has a Theatre Background
Upon honing her craft in high school, Reneé landed the highly coveted role as Wendla in Theatre Charlotte’s regional production of Spring Awakening. In 2018, she was honored with the Best Actress award at the Blumey Awards for her performance in Big Fish.
After performing and reading for several different theatrical productions over time, Reneé eventually was cast in the Mean Girls Broadway musical, which was nominated for a Tony Award at the time.
The rising star’s performance as Regina was lauded by critics, and she went on to have a permanent spot in the cast in September 2019. However, due to the restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, Broadway shut down all of its productions, and Mean Girls closed. One year later, it was confirmed that the show would not reopen.
In 2024, she will be seen portraying Regina in the film adaptation of the Mean Girls Musical.
Renee Initially Turned Down Another ‘Mean Girls’ Gig
What most fans don’t know, is that she initially turned down an offer from Mean Girls creator Tina Fey to star in a nationwide traveling version of the production, she told The Los Angeles Times in September 2023. Reneé had moved to New York City and deferred her first semester at Texas State University when she rejected Tina’s offer.
She’s Faced Harsh Body Image Scrutiny
Although her big break on Broadway helped her career, Reneé revealed that she faced harsh body image scrutiny from members of the production. During an August 2023 interview with The Guardian, the Sex Lives of College Girls star claimed a few people around her “would say some vile f**king things to me about my body.”
As a result of the cruel criticism, Reneé developed an eating disorder, which concerned her parents.
“Eating disorders don’t just go away. Like, you’re healed, like, ‘Sorry, I can eat again, ha ha!’ It’s a lifelong thing,” she explained. “There are battles with addiction and whatever everywhere. I still struggle with it, but at least my parents know that I’ve been taken out of environments that were really harmful to my sickness, which is awesome and a huge win. They worry like hell, but they’re chilling, I guess.”
Despite hearing the despicable comments about her body, Reneé pointed out the positive side about Gen-Z. Although, she noted, “this generation is still super mean to each other,” Reneé added, “we are more outspoken and give less of a f**k.”
“My generation and the generation that will follow mine is much more open — especially women, non-men, queer people,” she acknowledged. “I do think I’ve been afforded more opportunities than women before me, men and queer women before me.”
Renee Is a Recording Artist
In addition to her acting career, Reneé is also a recording artist. Throughout 2022 and 2023, she released her studio album, Snow Angel, and her EP, Everything to Everyone.
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders (ANAD) website or call their hotline at (888)-375-7767 to get help.