Haley Lu Richardson Says She Pushed Sam Rockwell to Do White Lotus Monologue
Haley Lu Richardson says she read the now-famous white lotus monologue with Sam Rockwell on the set of their new film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die and urged him to take it on: "Sam, I think you really have to do this. " The moment, Richardson says, came about a year before the monologue became the stuff of legend.
White Lotus moment read on set
Richardson describes a private, off-camera rehearsal of the scene with Rockwell while they were working on Gore Verbinski's sci-fi comedy Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die. In the film Richardson plays Ingrid, a party princess with electromagnetic sensitivity, and she says the two actors shared a memorable moment when Rockwell asked her to help him read the monologue that later drew widespread attention.
Richardson’s role and co-stars in Don’t Die
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die is described as a sci-fi comedy that roasts artificial intelligence, and Richardson appears opposite Sam Rockwell as well as Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña and Juno Temple. Richardson says her character Ingrid is allergic to mobile phones and Wi‑Fi, a condition that has made human connection difficult for the role; she drew inspiration from musician Phoebe Bridgers for Ingrid’s energy and mannerisms, noting, "Honestly, Phoebe [Bridgers] is a crucial part of the emotional, physical, psychological development in my life. "
From indie premieres to a poetry book
Beyond Don’t Die, Richardson has kept a varied slate. She just premiered Zi, her third independent drama with director Kogonada, at Sundance, and she appears alongside Emilia Clarke in the Peacock streaming series Ponies, playing a widow who steps in for her deceased CIA operative husband during the late '70s portion of the Cold War. Richardson and her childhood best friend Lily Kravetz also released a poetry book titled I'm Sad and Horny, which she says chronicles "the chaos of being a twenty-something girl in this world. "
On the inspiration for Ingrid, Richardson recalled putting a picture of Phoebe Bridgers in the hair and makeup trailer and said, "I would love to collaborate one day. I was very much inspired by Phoebe for Ingrid — her energy, her mannerisms, her stance, her hair. " She also reacted to a Bridgers tweet from the pandemic era and said, "Oh my God, I did not know about that. I’m feeling mixed emotions right now because I’m such a Phoebe fan. "
Creator reflections and the monologue’s reach
The White Lotus creator Mike White has also reflected publicly on his time on Survivor, a detail noted alongside the discussion of the monologue and its cultural footprint. Richardson’s anecdote about encouraging Rockwell to perform the piece underscores how the scene moved from a rehearsal room exchange to a widely discussed moment tied to the show's creator and performers.
Richardson said the on-set reading happened before the monologue became widely celebrated, and that Rockwell had been "on the fence" until they worked through it together — a private spur that preceded the scene’s later prominence.
For now, Richardson is on the big screen in Gore Verbinski's Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, and viewers can also find her work in Zi and the Peacock series Ponies. Her poetry book I'm Sad and Horny is a current creative outlet alongside her film and television roles.
