Haley Lu Richardson thinks it’s thrilling our names are spelled the same way — the most simple, five-letter version. My mom always reminds me that Haley means “hero,” so it’s fitting that Richardson recently became one of mine. Some may say the actress is on the precipice of something great, but I think she’s past that.
After starring in the incredibly successful sophomore season of MAX fan favorite, The White Lotus, Richardson is everywhere. It’s not necessarily that she’s releasing more projects — though, she is — but rather how much she's already done thus far. You start to realize she was in that indie coming-of-age movie you loved so much (The Edge of Seventeen), and you remember that she recently co-starred with Euphoriaalum Barbie Ferrara. And wasn't that her in a Jonas Brothers music video? Yes, yes it was.
Her high-profile stardom seems new, but Richardson is intimately acquainted with the ins and outs of the industry. But given her vast experience and packed schedule, how does THE Haley Lu Richardson stay the spunky, genuine girl as seen on TV and otherwise? We hopped on a call with her to find out.
Image via Sonali Ohrie
Aside from our shared H-A-L-E-Y likeness, Richardson was thrilled to talk about tequila at 10 a.m. her time. She's currently partnering with Jose Cuervo to encourage others to stay present in social settings with their joint campaign, "Go Off This Cinco." Starting today through May 5, you can visit www.CuervoDumbPhone.com to enter for a chance to win a flip phone (AKA a "dumb phone"). The Cuervo campaign intends to kickstart better IRL behavior, centering it around socializing at your Cinco De Mayo celebrations.
Richardson explained to me that among the many, many good things smartphones have to offer, they also take away from our real world experiences. "Our lives become in that world, as opposed to in the actual world with the people around us, in nature, and where our feet are planted," she says. "It's like, this contradicting, amazing, awful thing."
And if you don't win a dumb phone from the "Go Off This Cinco" campaign? Jose Cuervo might send some cash your way.
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While I appreciate the interpersonal efforts of "Go Off This Cinco," I'm light headed just thinking about the actual liquor of it all. As a girl who took too many shots of tequila in college, I can't smell the aforementioned spirit without being transported back to dark, sticky bars and ultimately epic hangovers. Richardson remembers those nights well, noting that "not all tequila is created equal." She assures me that Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino goes down smooth, based on the fact that she may or may not have taken two shots before shooting her campaign commercial.
Still unconvinced on the shooters, Richardson came to my rescue with a top notch cocktail concoction to ease me back into tequila. She recommends I try a spicy pineapple margarita, but not just any — she suggests tossing in some cucumber and tons (and tons) of tajín, too.
"You cannot forget the tajín rim — you like have to double up on the tajín. I like to ask for extra. Sometimes I'll even ask for just a side plate of tajín, and I just sprinkle that in," she says. "Or between sips of the margarita, I'll just take a pinch of the tajín. Honestly, big tajín fan."
Image via Sonali Ohrie
Tajín isn't the only glue that holds this girl together, though. Richardson swears by two self care tools: therapy and her favorite planner. She values time, and not in a Hamilton legacy-inspired way — Richardson just wants time to be. Whether she's taking her time during an hour's worth of therapy, or using her planner to ensure she doesn't over-extend herself, Richardson moves through the world intentionally, with lots of big feelings and infectious energy in tow.
This intentionality allows Richardson to center herself around what matters most in her world — her family, her friends, and her cat. "I think I've always kept them in that like top priority spot," she says. When asked how she makes time for this core group, she explains that she schedules her life around this inner circle, instead of the other way around.
As purposeful as Richardson is with her people, there are moments when her career can cut into those relationships. While filming The White Lotus, she had thousands of miles and an entirely different time zone working against her. "It's harder in those moments — I didn't see them for four or five months," Richardson explains. "But because they are such a huge priority for me — and I never really lose track of those connections even when I'm away — I feel their love, I feel them supporting me from afar, and I'm there for them as much as I can be from from afar."
"It's kind of not even really a thought of how to keep time for them because it's more so in my mind: how do I do all the other stuff in my life like work, and travel, and all these obligations? Like, how do I fit that in around my actual life, which is these connections, these people that I truly love?"
While she saves a lot of herself for her IRL connections, Richardson's love has reach. Part of her memorable, meteoric rise in the public eye included a music video to remember. Richardson took on the role of a lifetime, starring in the video for "Wings" by The Jonas Brothers. Dancing around without a line to say may not seem like a career-high, but Richardson is admittedly a mega-fan of the iconic trio.
"I was like, literally in the sky. I was crying every two minutes," she says. "I was completely back to my 12 year old self — she had totally taken over my body, and she was just living her actual dream."
Before we hung up, I told Richardson I watched The Edge of Seventeen recently.
“Haley watching Haley and Hailee," she jokingly says.
The acknowledgment (which I certainly thought the second I pressed play) was a testament to the heroism of Haley — the bravery to boldly be herself, meta, quirky jokes and all.
You can enter to win a Y2K flip phone or some quick cash at www.CuervoDumbPhone.com for "Go Off This Cinco."
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Brit + Co. may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations. Header image via Sonali Ohrie.
