The White Lotus Star Haley Lu Richardson is not just ‘Cute’

Haley Lu Richardson looks a lot more entertaining than her White Lotus character Portia (season two’s quasi-nihilistic Gen Z assistant) who sees chilling at an all inclusive Italian resort like a soul-crushing existential chore.

Portia is disappointed in her lack of direction when she could have ordered room service for her boss. Richardson is a «mix of random» passions. She makes sexy bodysuits for Etsy and teaches burlesque dance lessons to the aged. Portia weeps poolside in Sicily, while Richardson saves her tears to help Phoebe Bridgers. The two share some truly unique travel experiences.

We’ve seen Portia fourth-wheel two awkward family trips with a Stanford nerd. This is a situation that the actor is not unfamiliar with. She reports that she went to Vegas with her ex-boyfriend for his 60th birthday. «It was a trip that all four of us made and ended up in a strip club. When I say that I don’t know how it happened, I know for certain because I was the one who forced us all to go. His father was feeling down after turning 60 and I said, «Let’s go the strip club!»

Richardson paid for all of their lap dances, even hers. «I fell in love with Penelope, a stripper. It was three years ago, and I still dream about Penelope,» she says. I’m not exaggerating. Penelope, the pole dancer at Crazy Horse in Vegas, will read this article. Please know that I am still thinking of you.

There’s more to the 27 year-old actor than what she has been labeled «cutesy» since her arrival in Los Angeles at 16 years old. She admits that she is a cute little thing, but that it can be strenuous. What about hot and sexy? But what about smart? What about my ideas? What about all that?

We spoke out about the unexpected pitfalls that bubbly personalities can lead to and spoke for herself on The White Lotus.

Did you have a label when you were young?

You’re adorable when you’re a baby girl. You’re adorable when you are a toddler, or whatever age. This is something I have felt trapped in for a long time. I was viewed as adorable even in my relationships up to recently. Even at twenty-years-old.

You know, I feel like an adult now. I am in my late 20s. This is the official age. Another thing I find so unfair in life is that for the past 11 years I have worked as an adult and have taken on very adult responsibilities. I was expected to deliver everything on set, including the hours I work, my emotional depths, the professionalism and all of it. However, people don’t respect Haley as an adult woman with all the brain power, opinions, thoughts, passion, and brain power as an adult.

How do you achieve this?

It’s annoying when something happens to me. Because they enjoy the movies I have been in, a producer or someone else will be interested in meeting with me. Over coffee, they’ll tell me all the schmoozy things about how I make my projects better and what I do to add value to them projects. They’ll then offer to show me a movie. They are shocked when I arrive. I suddenly have ideas and want a part in all the conversations. It’s almost an inconvenience for them.

It’s almost like you were expecting it. If I came here and just said the lines, wore whatever I wanted and had no brain whatsoever, I wouldn’t be doing my job. My job is to get to know the character and bring them alive in a way that feels authentic. That’s what you hired me to do. This frustrates me. Although it doesn’t happen every day, it does happen more often than I would like. It’s a confusing thought process for me.

People need to understand that I won’t just be bubbly, cute, and easygoing when they hire me to film a movie. I am an optimist. I am hopeful. I am positive. I am sweet. I am kind and compassionate. While I enjoy being all of these things, I want people to expect me to care about others and to have opinions. I want them to also know that I am willing to work with others.

What can you do to make your opinions and ideas known on the set?

Recently, I have become a master at honest and direct communication. I speak my truth and stand up for the things I care about. As if I was talking about the character before, I just jump into the scene. Or ask for a private space to be able to breathe and get into the zone if it is an emotional thing. Things I wouldn’t have thought of asking for before.

If I am passionate about the character’s look, I want to be able to participate in the conversation with my hair, makeup, and costume. It’s mine, and I don’t have to conform to anyone else’s ideas of me or this character. However, I don’t have the right to say, «This is what you want to wear. Take it or leave it.» I enjoy that kind of collaboration.

Have you ever worked on The White Lotus and have you got an example?

Yes, I did have a few conversations with Mike White because each director is unique. Every set is unique. Every actor is unique. It’s a risky and surprising thing to take on a new job. Mike didn’t come to me before scenes, which was something I noticed very early. I especially felt that these scenes were important to my character and more emotional.

He cares deeply, I know that. This show is his creation, it’s his passion, and he cares so deeply about it. It was important to me that I felt that connection with him before I did a scene. This was something that I knew would help me do better work. I approached him about it and said, «Hello, I see, this may come across as needy but guess what? He was very open to the idea of me being a little needy ….». It is so liberating to speak truth to someone, and they are open to hearing it. It doesn’t always work the same way. It’s pretty cool.

Mike became a part of my life and I felt a deeper connection. I already loved Mike and have wanted to work with him for years, almost a decade. As an actor, I felt more comfortable speaking my truth and being respected.

Which life lesson would you like to have learned sooner?

I have really focused on my personal growth in the past couple of years. I recently took a personality test that I had taken many years ago. I found it almost identical to what I was 10 year ago.

I feel that I am naturally very empathic. Empathy is one of the most important qualities in the world. However, I put so much emphasis on empathy for others, even strangers and people that I don’t like. Before I could find empathy for myself, I had to take the time to empathize with them.

Actors love to travel. You flew to Italy for this season of The White Lotus. Is there a travel item you cannot live without?

You know what I just bought? Because my cat is so good on planes, I love to travel with him. This is why I have a travel bag I take with me that is airline approved and has everything. It’s a great bag for him, and he is growing so fast. He is a big boy. He was so heavy that I almost threw my back when I took him on the connecting flight to Italy for White Lotus. Amazon sent me this attachment. It has wheels and a handle. I can then put the cat carrier on the platform to transport him around airports.

Which is your favorite spot to relax after completing a project?

My house. All my cushions are in one room. It’s just a collection of cushions on the ground. I call it my meditation area. But, I don’t meditate as much. I do a lot more laying down and emptying my mind. This is the place I can just be empty. You know, in a good way. It’s a way to reset. It’s not a sad way.

It’s not in a «crying at Phoebe Bridgers” way. To be truthful, I do some crying in that room to Phoebe Bridgers. Yes, I have experienced many transitional emotions in that room. Resetting. Releasing. Relaxing. This is my favorite place to relax and unwind.