Mia Rodgers

In Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, Mia Rodgers gives us your not-so-typical ‘mean girl’.

The path to success is never a straight line, there are always U-turns, crossroads, and zigzags, that either bring you closer or further to your goal and no one knows that lesson better than Mia Rodgers. Originally laser-focused on being a singer from a young age, she had a passion for the stage and formed a bond with musical theatre that put her talents on full display. A lover of the performing arts, Rodgers questioned everything during her English classes. Pushed to learn Shakespeare and deliver speeches and soliloquies to her classmates, she disappeared into the characters she portrayed, revelling in the ultimate game of make-believe and relishing in the challenge of playing pretend. It was a high she was (and still is) constantly chasing, one, that even with all the obstacles life threw at her, she continued to pursue.

It’s fair to say that most would have most definitely thrown in the towel, been happy with the success she had earlier in her career, and moved on. But that success served as a reminder: no matter how small the role, it’s for the love of the craft. So, Rodgers kept grinding, before landing the role of Taylor in the Max Original series The Sex Lives of College Girls. It was the break she had been looking for and an opportunity she ceased with both hands. That talent of disappearing into characters quickly became her biggest attribute, giving her the confidence she needed to command a presence on screen.

In conversation with 1883 Magazine’s Dana Reboe, Mia Rodgers discusses The Sex Lives of College Girls, where her love of acting stems from, the best (and worst) piece of advice she’s ever been given, and more.

Before we dive into The Sex Lives of College Girls, you’re still at the very beginning of your career. Can you discuss what made you want to pursue acting? 

I’m very much at the beginning of my career. But also, I’ve been acting since I was 17. I compartmentalized my career into two halves. When I was about 17 to 21 and from then to where I am now at 24. Yeah. I originally thought I was going to be a classical singer. That was my introduction to the idea of performing. And I did that from about 11 till I was 18. Obviously, once your school hears that you can sing, they want to slap you in any musical that they can [laughter]. I got introduced to acting through musical theatre.

Halfway through my time at school, I got asked: “What do you want to do when you grow up?” My tunnel vision was firmly set on classical singing. But then when I got on stage, I found I used singing kind of like a crutch. Singing is extremely exposing. Most acting is to an extent, it’s somebody else, right? So, I don’t think of it as a personal thing. I feel way less self-conscious about it. I thrived on that. I was like, “Wow, wait, there’s something to this. Why do I prefer this?” Whilst I was at school, I had an English teacher who would make me get up in class and recite Shakespearean texts. 

Oh, my God that sounds like my nightmare [laughs].

It was usually a small skit. Something that we were focusing on in class, and she would pick me and another girl, and she’d be like, “Guys, go outside. You have 10 minutes. And you have to come and talk to everyone, so they understand it.” I didn’t think anything of it. She eventually held me back one day, and said, “I really think you should consider going into drama or acting.” I didn’t think it was a viable career option. I thought everyone showed up on my television, you know? 

I love that. 

I still didn’t take her seriously. I was still more focused on singing. Then, over time, it completely transitioned. From that point, I randomly met my old agent, at a gallery opening, and we started talking about a piece. I was around 17 at the time. She contacted my mum. She got my mum’s email [laughs]. She said, “Hey, is your daughter interested in acting?” My mum said no, as mums do. Let’s be real. She wanted me to finish school, which I understand in hindsight.

Time afterward, when I found out, once I finished my exams, I was absolutely livid with her. That’s kind of when my professional career started, I got signed to my old agency and started going on the audition circuit, got a few small parts. That was really rewarding and amazing, but it was a slow incline. Then a subtle decline. When I was about 21, I was working in film, but behind the scenes, I was a prop buyer at the time, I just had a conversation with myself one day: “This isn’t what you want to do. You need to put your all into it.” Then I went to drama school. That was my second wave. I’d say it worked out very differently, which is amazing. 

Can you talk a little bit about just going back to being a prop buyer? How did you fall into that? Because it’s very niche. 

My idea was, “Okay, I’m not going to university. I want to be an actress. I want to be in film. How can I involve myself in that environment if it’s not going to be on screen?” My godfather is a prop master. He said, “Look, I’ll give you a job and I’ll let you on auditions.” But it was very much meant to be a temporary situation. I was meant to do it for six months. I ended up being there for about three years.

Wow. 

I was super young. So, I found it extremely exciting. The only other jobs I’d had before that was babysitting and being a waitress, you know? I was really grateful for that time because it opened my eyes to every department, what they do, and how much work they put in. I’m so grateful to have that knowledge. 

I feel like that’s quite a rarity in the film industry, having someone well-versed in multiple positions as an actress. Some actors don’t care to know.  I think that’s a very solid foundation. It gives you a better appreciation of on-camera work and the people who work behind the scenes.

It was so funny because it became a safety net for me. In my brain, in the moments of thinking, this isn’t working out, but it’s fine because I’m still in the industry, I’m getting paid, and I have a solid routine. This is a position that loads of people when they come out of university want to be in. I was very grateful, but I kind of used it as an excuse not to really go for it. You know what I mean? But once I did, I went to drama school, I went and worked in a bar, you know? So again, I was still working backward to where I wanted to be. I’m so happy that I did. 

The path to success is not linear, right? 

I think I thought I had an idea of how it was going to go. I was going to get some small parts and then slowly build it up. But like you said, nothing is ever going to happen in the way you want or anticipate it to. Whatever story, however it’s played out, is what’s meant to be. 

When you booked your first role, how did that feel? 

I was so excited. I did a TV show called Trauma. I had a small part, but I was on set, I think maybe for like a week or two. I couldn’t quite believe it. But I was so young, and I just was like, “Oh my God, this is amazing. This is what’s going to happen for me now.”

I went to set. I was with loads of young people. I’m still in touch with them today. I still text them all the time. It’s amazing to see where we started to our trajectories now. But I remember being on set on my first day and I was the only girl. I’d never been on set before and I’d never had a trailer before or anything like that. I didn’t know that that was what I was going to have. I remember I was doing an exam or something. So, I was like, “I’m just going to study in my trailer.” I could hear all the boys that I acted with running up and down, having a proper laugh. Then later at lunch, the ice was broken, they asked, “Why didn’t you come out of your trailer all morning?” [laughs]. It was just joyful naivety in a way. In hindsight, the fact that my first roles weren’t big ones meant I didn’t feel the pressure of it. I was too young to deal with that. I think now, having the experience I have with Sex Lives, I’m grateful that it’s panned out this way. I mean, you can have a little bit more fun, especially when you’re younger. You enjoy it so much more. I got to like watch everybody else, you know? So that was brilliant.

I remember there was one day I was in a cold church, it was just me and John Simm, and we hadn’t spoken. He was practicing this big speech that he had to give. He kept going over and over it. And I just very sheepishly was like, “Would you like some help running your lines?” 

Bold move!

Hey, take your shot, right? To me, it was like, “Wow, this is your moment. You’ve made it. You’re running lines with John Simm. To this day that is a memory that I’ll hold forever.

Amazing. When you think about acting, what are the quintessential performances that come to mind? What are the ones that stick out to you specifically resonate with you? 

I love the theatre. It’s my first love and always has been. It’s something my mom and I go and do together. As much as we can. But I saw a play called The Effect at the National (Theatre) last year with Taylor Russell and Paapa Essiedu. I had never seen Paapa before. I was blown away by his performance and his choices. I thought it was one of the best pieces of acting I think I’d seen. I wanted to be him. I think what’s so amazing is the fact that I’m getting influenced by people of similar age in a way. Seeing it in real-time, you know? He’s the kind of person that if I ever got the chance to meet or perform alongside, I think I would thank him. 

I read in an interview you did with Principal Magazine that you went to the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Can you talk about your time there? What is one lesson you carry with you?

I got to a point in my life where I needed to make a choice. I only auditioned for one drama school. I always wanted to go to the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I originally went to view it when I was 17 or 18 years old. Something about it always stuck in my head. But at the time, I just thought this wasn’t right for me. When I was having these thoughts, I went, “Look, if I get in, it’s a sign. This is what’s meant for me, and I’m going to go. If I don’t, maybe plan B needs to be thought out.” Luckily, I got in, which was every sign that I ever needed. So, in a way, what I took from it was that this is exactly the path that I was meant to be on, not to overthink it and allow the bad thoughts to win, which inevitably will on some days. But to stick to your true belief that this is right and you’re worthy enough to have a seat at the table. 

I fell back in love with acting. I was doing it every day with like-minded people who also wanted to learn and expand. I hadn’t had that for years. I genuinely walked into that room, not knowing what to expect, but coming out a much better person as well as an actor. Just to be surrounded by people from the ages of 18 to 63 or something, all with different jobs. I had a cab driver in my class, you know? It’s amazing to put yourself in a position where you don’t know anyone, people of different backgrounds and ages, et cetera. To be able to relate and come together based on one thing and learn and grow from each other. Naturally, everyone in their habitat is very comfortable in their lives and their friends and their work and whatever. This for me was a space where I could be truly myself. It was a breath of fresh air.

It must’ve felt so freeing.

It did. Because also the work that you’re doing, you can’t be self-conscious [laughs]. There’s no room. I was just playing. I was just being a kid again. I loved it. It was one of the best times of my life.

Moving forward to The Sex Lives of College Girls. You said that you and Taylor are similar in a lot of ways and different in others. Can you expand on the difficulty of playing facets that are naturally opposite to you and what makes that interesting as a person and an actor? 

We are very different and very similar. I think Taylor’s approach to life is much more defensive than my own. She is untrusting. She doesn’t entertain people. She doesn’t appease others, which I think is a great attribute to have and something that I have taken away from and learned during the process. That’s what I’ve learned to do with people. I think I used to facilitate conversations that I didn’t need to and gave energy to people who were undeserving. Then sometimes I walk away and think, “Why did I do that?” I think it was like a serendipitous moment in a way because I was playing a character where we both went into new environments, right?

With new people around us, starting different chapters of our life and approaching both completely oppositely. I walked into every room expecting that everyone was going to be best friends or expecting them to ‘get me’ off the bat or my humour because everyone in my life at home already does because they’ve known me my entire life. Howeve,r that’s not going to be the case and I think I was shocked by that. But that’s a growing pain. That’s what you have to understand is going to happen and not take it negatively. It’s not about you. I think Taylor’s good at that. This isn’t about me and I don’t want it to be about me. And how I’m going to be with people is they’re either going to take it or leave it or they’re going to appease me and I’m just not going to respect that. 

I do think she needs to learn to be nicer to people off the bat. I think playing Taylor made me grow up because she’s so young and she has that mindset. I’m like, “Okay, what has she learned before me that I haven’t in my life?” Equally, it was really fun to be that kind of person. Because don’t get me wrong, I have my moments, as everybody does, of being abrasive and defensive, obviously, and that’s okay.

You can be open-minded and opinionated, and it doesn’t need to be negative, which I think is a characteristic that people push onto women all the time. To be able to just be free and play with that was really fun. 

What advice would you give to Taylor? If you could sit her down? 

Oh my gosh. There is, regardless of what you’ve experienced, there is so much kindness and love in this world. Allow that door to be open to you. Because once you do, then it will be welcomed. Don’t expect the worst from people because people don’t expect the worst of you. You don’t need to play them.

I think that’s very wise. Lastly, what is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? What’s the worst you’ve ever been given? 

The worst advice I’ve ever been given is, “You’re 24 now, you need to move quickly to get to the success that you want to get to.” 

Wait, I’m so sorry – what? 

Yeah, I just couldn’t believe it. But it made me think, I was like, “Oh my God, I’m 24, is this old in the industry?” It really made my mind run. I understood it at the moment in a way. It also made me panic hugely and just go, “Oh my God, I’m five years behind where I need to be.” 

Absolutely not. Morgan Freeman got his big break at 49 years old. 

Honestly, look at Olivia Colman. Do you know what I mean? If it’s meant to happen for you, it’s meant to happen for you. 

Exactly that. 

The best piece? This is quite specific. But it’s one that I hold dear to my method. Know your lines and know your co-star or whoever you’re acting alongside lines as well, because then you’re prepared for absolutely everything. You don’t need to think about what you’re saying at all. Like, that’s just removed and it’s all about your performance instead and your choices give you that freedom. Once I took that on, I think my entire performance changed. It becomes about muscle memory, then you can just focus on the acting part. 

 Yeah, I love that.

Just have fun. Don’t worry all the time – which I do [laughs]. Give yourself that grace. 

Sex Lives of College Girls is out now.

Interview Dana Reboe
Styling Shaquille Ross-Williams
Photography Craig Gibson
Hair Sophie Sugarman
Make-up Sara Hill