Haley Lu Richardson (born March 7, 1995) is an American actress. Following early television roles on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up (2013) and the ABC Family supernatural drama Ravenswood (2013–14), she acted in the coming-of-age film The Edge of Seventeen (2016) and the psychological horror film Split (2016).
Richardson had her breakout role in the independent drama Columbus (2017), for which she received a Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress nomination. She continued to appear in critically acclaimed independent films such as Support the Girls (2018), Unpregnant (2020), and After Yang (2022). She also starred in the second season of the HBO anthology series The White Lotus (2022), the romantic comedy film Love at First Sight (2023), and the Peacock series Ponies (2026).
Early life Haley Lu Richardson was born on March 7, 1995, in Phoenix, Arizona. She was a regular in theatrical productions and regional dance competitions throughout the Southwest. From 2001 to 2011, she was a leading dancer in Phoenix's Cannedy Dance Company.
Career In 2013, Richardson began a recurring role as Tess in the ABC Family series Ravenswood. She appeared as a guest on Disney Channel's Shake It Up and co-starred in ABC's pilot production "Adopted". She played Julina in the Lifetime original movie Escape from Polygamy alongside Jack Falahee. In 2016, she had a recurring role as Ellie in the Freeform drama series Recovery Road. Her early film career included a leading role in The Last Survivors and supporting performances in The Edge of Seventeen and Split.
Her breakthrough came in 2017 when she starred opposite John Cho in Columbus. For her work in the film, she was nominated for the 2017 Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress. Reviewing Columbus in The New Yorker, Richard Brody wrote: "Richardson in particular vaults to the forefront of her generation’s actors with this performance, which virtually sings with emotional and intellectual acuity."
In 2019, Richardson starred in the romantic drama Five Feet Apart opposite Cole Sprouse. In the film, she played a cystic fibrosis patient who falls in love with a boy with the same disease.
In 2022, she played Portia in the second season of the HBO comedy-drama anthology series The White Lotus. She starred in the video for the Jonas Brothers' song "Wings" in February 2023. In November 2025, Richardson published her first collection of poetry, I'm Sad and Horny, with Simon & Schuster.
She joined the cast of Ponies in November 2024, joining Emilia Clarke. but the show was canceled after one season.
Personal life Richardson has been crocheting since the age of eight, and has an Etsy shop where she sells accessories and crocheted clothing made from her own designs.
Richardson began dating Brett Dier in 2012, after they met on the set of Ravenswood. Richardson proposed to him in 2019. On the television program Busy Tonight, she said that she and Dier were not "romantic" people, and she had asked him to marry her casually over pizza. In 2022, Richardson announced that they had broken up two years earlier.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role NotesRef. 2012 Meanamorphosis Cameron Short film Christmas Twister Kaitlyn 2014 The Last Survivors Kendal The Young Kieslowski Leslie Mallard 2015 The Bronze Maggie Townsend Follow Viv 2016 The Edge of Seventeen Krista Split Claire Benoit 2017 Columbus Casey 2018 The Chaperone Louise Brooks Operation Finale Sylvia Hermann Support the Girls Maci 2019 Five Feet Apart Stella Grant 2020Unpregnant Veronica Clarke 2021 After Yang Ada Montana Story Erin 2023 Love at First Sight Hadley Sullivan Also executive producer 2025 Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die Ingrid 2026 Zi Elle Also producer
Television Year Title Role NotesRef.2012 Up in Arms Dancer/Choreographer Episode: "Flash Mob Parody Special" Christmas Twister Kaitlyn Television film2013 Adopted Destiny Unaired television pilot Shake It Up Shake It Up, Chicago! Dancer Episode: "Quit It Up" Escape from Polygamy Julina Television film 2013–2014 Ravenswood Tess Hamilton 5 episodes 2014 Awkward Mackenzie Episode: "Sophomore Sluts"2015 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jenna Davis Episode: "Decaying Morality" Your Family or Mine Maya Episode: "Pilot" 2016 Recovery Road Ellie Dennis 6 episodes 2019 Jane the Virgin Charlie 2 episodes 2022 The White Lotus Portia Main role (season 2) 2026 Ponies Twila Hasbeck Main role
Music videos Year Title Artist Album 2023"Wings" The Album
References
External links