Gavin Leatherwood stars as Nico Murray in Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls, but the actor doesn't appear past the first season.
The comedy series follows the lives of four college roommates Kimerley (Pauline Chalamet), Bela (Amrit Kaur), Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), and Leighton (Reneé Rapp) who all attend the fictional Essex college in Vermont.
Season 1 also introduces Leatherwood's Nico, Leighton's brother, who becomes Kimberley's love interest.
Why Did Nico Leave College Girls?
Nico plays a fairly pivotal role in the first season of College Girls. Nico and Kimberley start dating throughout the series until she learns he is cheating on his girlfriend with her. After Kimberley and Nico end things, Leighton reveals Nico's infidelities to his girlfriend who breaks up with him.
Leatherwood did not return as Nico in College Girls Season 2 and it was soon explained that he had been expelled due to Kimberley handing in a collection of old tests his fraternity had been harboring. Leighton reveals that her father made a donation that led to Nico being accepted at Cornell instead.
Nico's exit was written into the story for a couple of reasons.
Leatherwood stated in 2022 to US that he would not be returning to SLOCG due to his wanting to pursue other projects:
“It was such an incredible experience. I think Mindy is brilliant and the cast, everyone’s lovely. But with so many amazing opportunities out there, we want to keep spreading our wings and leading ourselves to other projects so that’s the move.”
Additionally, co-creator Justin Noble said in an interview with The Wrap they were no longer interested in telling Nico's story in the show as "Kimberley Finkle deserves better:"
“I’m not interested in telling the story of a white, cis, straight male who cheats on someone and then is vindicated... [It's an] all too real story that exists for people when they start dating in an environment like college.”
Will Nico Ever Return?
College Girls is now on its third season and Kimberley has had plenty more romantic pursuits since Nico. While a return from her ex could make an interesting storyline, it seems unlikely that Leatherwood will reprise his role.
Leatherwood seemed to be amicable about parting ways with the show and has since pursued other projects, most recently appearing in Netflix's It's What's Inside. With the actor making new headway in his career, it's doubtful he'd return to SLOCG.
Nico's exit was also resolved quite neatly, with the character moving to a different college, so there's no in-story reason for him to return. Also worth considering is the fact that Reneé Rapp also departed College Girls in Season 3, so with Nico's sister off-campus there's even less reason for him to reappear in the show.
New episodes of College Girls Season 3 are released weekly on Thursdays on Max.
