Having made her cinematic debut in the Judd Apatow-helmed movie, The King of Staten Island, alongside Pete Davidson, 29-year-old Pauline Chalamet’s star is on the rise as part of a new breed of politically engaged and socially aware actors, grabbing our attention.

New York-born, Chalamet, is currently tackling the depiction of nascent female sexuality in her lead role as Kimberly on Mindy Kaling's HBO Max series, The Sex Lives of College Girls, following four roommates navigating their freshman year of college.

We caught up with her to discuss Paris, pirouettes and passionate causes, and we didn’t mention her famous younger sibling, Timothée Chalamet once, (until now that is).

Left and right coat PRADA, shoes NICOLE SALDANA

Hi Pauline! You’re a native New Yorker now living in Paris, what do you love most about the city?

Probably the walking distance I am to many of my closest people as well as the daily routines (groceries, stopping for a café or a drink), that seem to be less of a hassle than when I’m in New York.

So you grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, (near to Times Square), in a subsidised arts building - that must have fired up your ambition for theatrical life?

One of the gifts of having grown up in Manhattan Plaza was innately knowing that I was allowed to march to the beat of my own drum. Many of the building’s inhabitants are artists but others are locals of Hell’s Kitchen who have been living in the building since it was built. It feels like a village in itself, where working in the arts is encouraged.

Left suit FENDI, shoes MIU MIU
Right dress VINCE

And later you joined the New York City Ballet with aspirations to be a dancer, why are we not seeing you pirouetting on stage now then?

I danced at the School of American Ballet until the age of 15, and by the end of my time there, I was simultaneously in the drama department at LaGuardia High School. I fell in love with being on stage through the ballets I danced in as a child, but ultimately, I loved expressing myself with words and wanted to challenge myself in a new way.

So before the acting opportunities arose, what were you doing work-wise, and did any part help shape and inspire you in any way?

I had multiple jobs in different fields, but one that was rather consistent was working in restaurants and cafés. I wanted to be a writer, and I enjoyed serving people and chatting with regulars. In retrospect, I think it helped me understand the pressure that waiters, bussers, and kitchen staff are under on any given day, and how important communication is between all the moving parts of an establishment. Not dissimilar from a film set in that way.

And then later came your big break, appearing in The King of Staten Island, and now your new HBO show (The Sex Lives of College Girls), which marks your first lead role, how does that feel?

I’m grateful for the opportunity to help bring Kimberly to life, and I think on big and small projects alike, it’s validating to feel like you’re being trusted to share a character’s story. And I was so lucky to play with a character for over six months while shooting the first season.

Left coat PRADA
Right shirt ACO, denim AGOLDE

Was it fun to go back and explore what it was like to be a freshman in college all over again - any comparisons with your own experience?

The first days of shooting were like going in a time machine back to the first days of college where you are surrounded by new people, in a new place, seeing lots of new buildings you’ve never seen before. So it was similar in that way. But other than that, I’d say that Kimberly and my freshman experiences started off quite differently.

She’s quite bookish and innocent?

When I first read the pilot, I was attracted to her earnestness.

Left suit FENDI, shoes MIU MIU
Right shirt ACO, denim AGOLDE

I like how the show portrays the bigger story around female sex - it’s more observant about the actual emotional encounters, and more importantly about how four bright young women share those experiences with one another…

The show is trying to share the individual sexual experiences of young women as they embark on the college chapter in their lives, but simultaneously it explores the interactions women have around these experiences through the friendship between the four roommates.

Social media has been very kind about the show so far, and you use the platform very well yourself, being quite vocal about issues you’re passionate about, from championing sustainable companies to the importance of voting. It can often be a complex and toxic place for women though too. What’s your advice on how to balance the bad with the good?

I try to share what I am currently curious about exploring myself. In terms of toxicity, if I feel that I’m getting sucked in a black hole of despair, I will turn my phone off for a few hours, call a friend, or go on a walk.

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Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Brittany Brooks

Fashion by Carolina Orrico

Make-Up by Loren Canby

Hair by Kiley Fitzgerald