Reneé Jane Rapp (born January 10, 2000) is an American singer and actress. She gained recognition for starring as Regina George in the Broadway musical Mean Girls (2019–2020). She reprised the role in the 2024 musical film adaptation and also contributed to its soundtrack. Rapp has also acted in the HBO Max comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021–2024). She released her debut EP, Everything to Everyone, in 2022, which was followed by her full-length studio album, Snow Angel, in 2023. Rapp's second album, Bite Me, was released on August 1, 2025.
Early life Reneé Jane Rapp was born on January 10, 2000 to Charles Rapp and Denise Olexa, who purposefully chose an alliterative name for her daughter "just in case" she would pursue a music career. She attended Hopewell High School in Huntersville, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte, for two years, performing in the theater program and playing on the varsity women's golf team before transferring to Northwest School of the Arts. Corey Mitchell, Rapp's theater teacher, said Rapp "has a special distinction...There is a difference when that vocal ability is coupled with sincere emotions that can move an audience and that literally can excite an audience".
In 2018, Rapp won the Best Actress award at the Blumey Awards, Charlotte's premier musical theater awards, for her portrayal of Sandra in her school's production of Big Fish. Rapp then attended the tenth annual Jimmy Awards in New York City, where she ultimately won "Best Performance by an Actress", beating forty other competitors for the award. This win earned her a $10,000 scholarship. Actress Laura Benanti, who presented the award to Rapp, said, "I will never be as confident as that 18-year-old".
Career
2018–2020: Musical theater beginnings In 2018, Rapp was cast as Wendla in Theatre Charlotte's regional production of Spring Awakening. On July 27, 2018, Rapp performed at the 2018 Supergirl Pro Surf and Music Festival. On September 23, 2018, she took part in The Educational Theatre Foundation's fourth annual Broadway Back to School event held at Feinstein's/54 Below. In December 2018, she read the role of Monteen in Roundabout Theatre Company's reading of Parade. On January 12, 2019, Rapp performed at BroadwayCon's 2019 Star to Be event, singing "They Just Keep Moving the Line" from the NBC musical drama series Smash. She was next seen on March 4, 2019, performing at Feinstein's/54 Below's 54 Sings The High School Musical Trilogy, followed by their FOR THE GIRLS event on March 28.
On May 28, 2019, it was announced that Rapp would be taking over the role of Regina George in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical, Mean Girls, first for a limited run from June 7–26, then permanently starting September 10, 2019. On June 3, Rapp performed at The Green Room 42, singing songs from the show after an introduction by Tina Fey. The production closed on March 11, 2020, in accordance with Broadway's shutdown; it was later announced, on January 7, 2021, that the show would not reopen.
2021–2023: Television and music On October 14, 2020, Rapp was cast as Leighton Murray, one of the four leads in Mindy Kaling's HBO Max teen comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls. During July 2023, it was reported that she would not be returning as a lead for season 3.
In October 2023, Rapp mentioned having no desire to return to acting after Mean Girls due to the anxiety the environment gave her, wanting to instead focus on a music career. She had previously said that working on the Broadway production of Mean Girls had exacerbated her eating disorder.
Rapp released her debut extended play (EP) Everything to Everyone on November 11, 2022. In February 2023, a deluxe version was released, featuring two new songs.
On November 14, 2022, Rapp announced her first tour, "Everything to Everyone: The First Shows". There were four tour dates across the United States, in Los Angeles, Manhattan, Boston, and Atlanta. Due to high ticket demand, a new date was added in Brooklyn as well as extra shows in Los Angeles and Manhattan, and upgraded venues in Manhattan and Atlanta. Rapp's sold-out US tour ran from December 6–18, 2022, with a total of 8 shows. On January 12, 2023, Rapp announced her first international performance of her debut EP. On January 19, 2023, she performed a three-time venue-upgraded sold-out show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town.
Rapp's debut studio album, Snow Angel, was released on August 18, 2023. On June 16, 2023, Rapp announced an international Snow Hard Feelings tour, supported by Alexander 23 and Towa Bird. On November 17, 2023, a deluxe version of Snow Angel was released, featuring four new songs, including a remix of "Tummy Hurts" with Coco Jones. The official video for the remix was released on November 17, 2023.
2024–present: Breakout in film and other ventures On December 9, 2022, it was announced that Rapp would reprise her role as Regina George in a musical film adaptation of Mean Girls. On January 12, 2024, the film was released in theaters nationwide. On March 5, 2024, the film became available to stream on Paramount+.
On January 20, 2024, Rapp performed "Snow Angel" and "Not My Fault" on Saturday Night Live, with the latter featuring Megan Thee Stallion.
On February 4, 2025, L'Oréal Paris announced Rapp as its newest global ambassador. Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, L'Oréal Paris Global Brand President, stated that she "was very touched, attending Reneé’s concert in Paris, to see how much the young people in the room were loving her, supporting her, believing in her honesty and kindness and feeling understood by her."
On May 21, 2025, Rapp announced her second studio album, Bite Me, and released the lead single "Leave Me Alone". On May 25, 2025, she performed the song at the American Music Awards.
In June 2025, Rapp served as one of WorldPride DC's grand marshals alongside Laverne Cox. Later that month, Rapp released a second promotional single from Bite Me, titled "Mad".
During a 2025 appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Rapp addressed TikTok speculation about the infidelity implications in the closing track “You’d Like That Wouldn't You,” explaining that it was a misread "cheeky" line.
Artistry and influences Rapp's music has been classified as pop, R&B, and pop rock. She has cited Beyoncé as her greatest musical influence and "the reason that [she] knows how to sing". Rapp also looks up to Frank Ocean as a songwriting inspiration. Her other musical influences include Jazmine Sullivan, SZA, Kacey Musgraves, and Pink. Her second studio album Bite Me was inspired by Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill and Joan Jett.
Rapp is a soprano.
Personal life Rapp came out as a lesbian in 2024.Cohen, Andy (January 14, 2024). "Renee Rapp & Giselle Bryant". Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Podcast). Bravo. Retrieved January 23, 2024. She had previously identified herself as bisexual in a 2022 interview. She has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a mood disorder. She has been outspoken about her struggles with an eating disorder and her mental health.
From 2019 to 2021, Rapp was in a relationship with fellow Broadway actor Antonio Cipriano. From January to October 2023, she was in a relationship with TikTok personality Alissa Carrington. In March 2024, Rapp and British musician Towa Bird made their public debut as a couple on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Filmography Film Year Title Role 2024 Mean Girls Regina George
Television Year Title Role Notes 2021–2024 The Sex Lives of College Girls Leighton Murray Main role (season 1–2); recurring (season 3) 2024Saturday Night LiveHerselfEpisode: "Jacob Elordi/Reneé Rapp" 2025 Sesame StreetHerselfSeason 55 Episode 1: Beachball Bop 2026Austin City LimitsHerselfEpisode: "Reneé Rapp / Thee Sacred Souls" 2027The Morning ShowSamanthaRecurring (season 5)
Stage
+Stage performances by Reneé Rapp Year(s) Production Role Theatre Notes 2018Spring Awakening Wendla Theatre Charlotte 2018Parade Monteen Roundabout Theatre Company Workshop 2019–2020 Mean Girls Regina George August Wilson Theatre Broadway replacement 2021Sisgendered Producer/Herself Feinstein's/54 Below One-night only concert
Discography
Studio albums +List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certificationsTitleDetailsPeak chart positionsCertifications US AUS Bite Me: GER NZ Bite Me: UKSnow Angel Released: August 18, 2023 Label: Interscope Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 44 42 76 31 7 BPI: Silver Bite Me Released: August 1, 2025 Label: Interscope Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 3 3 4 7 1
Soundtrack albums + List of soundtrack albums, with selected details Title Details Peak chart positions US AUS Mean Girls (Music from the Motion Picture)Released: January 12, 2024 Label: Interscope Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 124 97
Extended plays +List of extended plays with details and chart positionTitleDetailsPeak chart positions USHeat. USSalesEverything to Everyone Released: November 11, 2022 Label: Interscope Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 14 47
Singles +List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album nameTitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum USBub.Peaks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart: "Not My Fault": "Leave Me Alone": USPopPeaks on the Pop Airplay chart: "Too Well": "Not My Fault": CAN IREPeaks in Ireland: "Not My Fault": "Leave Me Alone": NZHotPeaks on NZ Hot Singles Chart: "Too Well": "Snow Angel": "Pretty Girls": "Not My Fault": "World Burn": "Leave Me Alone": "Mad": "Why Is She Still Here?": "Sometimes", "Kiss It Kiss It", "Good Girl" and "Shy": UK "Tattoos" 2022 — — — — — — "In the Kitchen" — — — — — —Everything to Everyone "Don't Tell My Mom" — — — — — — "Too Well" 2023 — 32 — — 17 — ARIA: Gold MC: Gold "Snow Angel" — — — — 35 — Snow Angel "Talk Too Much" — — — — — — "Pretty Girls" — — — — 30 — "Not My Fault" 2 12 82 54 8 61 ARIA: Gold MC: Gold Mean Girls "Tummy Hurts" 2024 — — — — — — ARIA: Gold Snow Angel "Leave Me Alone" 2025 20 — — 84 8 69 Bite Me "Mad" — — — — 17 — "Why Is She Still Here?" — — — — 16 — "I Think I Like You Better When You're Gone" — — — — — 84 "Lucky"(from Now You See Me: Now You Don't) — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other charted songs +List of other charted songs, showing year released and album titleTitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum NZHot "World Burn" 2024 34 Mean Girls "Sometimes" 2025 14 Bite Me "Kiss It Kiss It" 13 "Good Girl" 19 "Shy" 11
Tours Everything to Everyone: The First Shows (2022–2023) Snow Hard Feelings Tour (2023–2024) Bite Me Tour (2025–2026)
Awards and nominations +Accolades for Reneé Rapp Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2018BroadwayWorld Charlotte AwardsBest Actress in a Musical (local)Spring AwakeningJimmy AwardBest Performance by an ActressBig Fish 2023 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Breakthrough Music ArtistHerself MTV Europe Music Awards Best New Best Push MTV Video Music AwardsBest New ArtistPUSH Performance of the Year"Colorado"2024GLAAD Media AwardsOutstanding Music ArtistSnow Angel iHeartRadio Music Awards Favorite Debut Album Nickelodeon Kids' Choice AwardsFavorite VillainMean GirlsFavorite Breakout ArtistHerself
References
External links