Ilia Isorelýs Paulino is a star, and she knows it. The 27-year-old actor scored her breakout recurring role as Lila in HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls” last year. And after wowing viewers with her handful of hilarious moments, she was promptly upped to series regular in season two, which premiered on Nov. 17.
Paulino says not much has changed for her since season one (though she’s proud of herself for remodeling her mother’s kitchen). Despite only having a few lines in each episode, the fan favorite agrees she made the most of her “two minutes” and turned up her comedic chops this season. “Yes, I did. I made a whole meal, b*tch — seven-course meal,” she jokingly tells POPSUGAR. According to Paulino, she was technically already a series regular in “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” but she “definitely got more play time this season.” “When the show dropped, I was like, they’ve got to give me more scenes,” she says. “Put me in, coach. I got some baskets.”
“It’s not lost on me that I’m the biggest girl on the show, and I love that I get to play a character that is so unapologetically in love with herself.”
Like the rest of the “Sex Lives of College Girls” characters, viewers have gotten more acquainted with Lila this season, especially with her joining Bela’s comedy magazine and getting promoted to general manager of the Sips coffee shop — the latter being “the most exciting part” for Paulino. Her season two storylines were a pleasant surprise, and the actor says she’s grateful to have the opportunity to bring a character like Lila to life — with a dash of something extra.
“Anytime I see a woman character just being herself unapologetically — the love, the sex, the fun, the when she gets a little angry — it’s just so exciting to see full women characters having fun,” Paulino shares. “It’s not lost on me that I’m the biggest girl on the show, and I love that I get to play a character that is so unapologetically in love with herself. Yeah, I’m sure there’s some level of narcissism, but I love that it can just be that. It doesn’t have to be a storyline or anything. She’s just existing in her body, wanting what she wants, and she’s going after it.”
Viewers have been quite pleased with Paulino’s performance so far, but the actor says there’s so much more to explore with her character — namely, her sex life. “I want to see Lila f*cking,” Paulino says frankly. “And I want her with somebody that makes her nervous and jittery because we’ve seen Lila the confident b*tch . . . I’d love to see Lila in love, or not even in love, just f*cking. She doesn’t have to be in love yet. She doesn’t know what love is. Sh*t, I’m 27, and I still don’t know what love is.”
Only time will tell who will serve as Lila’s future love interest, but Paulino already has a candidate in mind. “Swedish, 6’2″, with muscles the size of my head,” she says, “but plays the piano and reads books.”
Beyond that, Paulino is manifesting another grand idea for “The Sex Lives of College Girls” season three (if and when the series gets renewed, that is). “The little musical theater nerd in me would love a musical episode,” she shares. “We just have so many singers on the show, and I’m like, ‘Please?’ So I would love a musical episode next season. I think Justin [Noble] is down. We just have to convince Mindy [Kaling]. It doesn’t even have to be a musical. It can be a fantasy, like someone hits their head and they’re daydreaming. I don’t know. Get me in the writing room.”
Season two of “The Sex Lives of College Girls” is now streaming on HBO Max.