Haley Lu Richardson

Haley Lu Richardson was born on March 7, 1995, in Phoenix, Arizona, to parents Valerie and Forrest Richardson. Her early life was significantly shaped by dance; she spent eight years as a leading dancer in Phoenix’s Cannedy Dance Company from 2001 to 2011, training intensively. This foundation in performance led her to move to Los Angeles at the age of 16, with an initial focus on dance before transitioning to acting, which had always been her primary goal.

Richardson’s acting career began with television roles, including a recurring part as Tess in the ABC Family series “Ravenswood” (2013–2014) and a guest appearance on Disney Channel’s “Shake It Up.” In 2014, she secured her first lead film roles in “The Last Survivors” and “The Young Kieslowski.” Her career gained further momentum with supporting roles in significant films such as “The Edge of Seventeen” (2016) and M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split” (2016). A pivotal moment arrived in 2017 with her starring role in the independent drama “Columbus,” opposite John Cho, for which she earned a Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress nomination. Critics praised her performance for its emotional and intellectual depth.

Her filmography expanded to include “Support the Girls” (2018), “Operation Finale” (2018), and “The Chaperone” (2018). In 2019, she took on a leading role in the romantic drama “Five Feet Apart,” portraying a cystic fibrosis patient. More recently, she starred in the HBO anthology series “The White Lotus” (2022) as Portia, which further elevated her profile. Her work in 2023 included the romantic comedy film “Love at First Sight,” where she also served as an executive producer, and an appearance in the Jonas Brothers’ music video for “Wings.” Richardson is also an executive producer on the upcoming film “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” (2025) and has a poetry collection, “I’m Sad and Horny,” scheduled for publication in November 2025.