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The White Lotus star Haley Lu Richardson became close with all of her cast mates during filming. The HBO series brought together an all-star cast, including Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza. In addition to the hit comedy, Plaza is also known for a handful of movies. And it sounds like Richardson may have watched one of them, given how she treated Plaza before she met her.

Haley Lu Richardson stalked Aubrey Plaza

While promoting The White Lotus: Sicily, Richardson appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! While there, he addressed rumors regarding how she and Plaza first met.

Richardson told Kimmel that she “didn’t really know Aubrey but I knew of her.” She claims that she “stalked” Plaza. “I showed up to places I was not invited knowing she was there. I got close to her cousins and her friends so that I would be invited into her life.” She then said, “And it worked!”

Richardson laughed as she explained to Kimmel how “I showed up to her birthday party. I was uninvited.” 

She went on, “She saw me from across the bar, and she just went ‘you,’ and walked away,” Richardson recalled. “It was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Apparently, the two getting to work together after this was just a coincidence. But when she got the part of Portia, Richardson got a text from an unfamiliar number which was just an emoji of a knife dripping blood. “I knew it was Aubrey!” she exclaimed.

Did ‘Ingrid Goes West’ influence Haley Lu Richardson?

Oddly enough, all of this sounds a bit like the plot of one of Plaza’s films. The actor starred as the titular Ingrid in the 2017 movie Ingrid Goes West. The dark comedy is about a mentally unstable woman who becomes obsessed with Taylor Stone (Elizabeth Olsen), a social media influencer. Ingrid moves to LA just to befriend her obsession. 

The film had a limited release but received positive reviews. It can now be seen on Hulu. 

While on TODAY, Richardson acknowledged the connection. She told the hosts, “I literally Ingrid Goes West-ed Aubrey.” Though her actions weren’t exactly like the movie (and certainly didn’t turn out the same), it’s an interesting coincidence, to say the least.

Aubrey Plaza and Haley Lu Richardson are friends now

aubrey plaza haley lu richardson
(L-R): Aubrey Plaza and Haley Lu Richardson attend the Los Angeles Season 2 Premiere of HBO Original Series “The White Lotus” at Goya Studios on October 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. | JC Olivera/FilmMagic
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Richardson’s “stalking” worked out for the best. Though Portia and Harper didn’t interact in The White Lotus, the pair got along well behind the scenes. In fact, they became so close that Plaza interviewed Richardson for a November 2022 Interview Magazine piece. And naturally, the “stalking” came up.

“But there was something deep down inside all along that was like, ‘Even though she’s stalking me, and maybe eventually she’ll cut me up into a million pieces and eat me, I like her. In fact, I love her,'” Plaza shared of their first encounter. “And so when I heard that you were cast on The White Lotus, I was like, ‘This is some f****** witchy karmic s***.”

The two continued their shtick into the end of the interview, where Plaza turned things around on her. “I’m really excited to continue to be stalked by you in my everyday life and then to secretly stalk you myself,” she joked. “I think I’m the best stalker in the world,” Richardson replied. “Somehow my stalking was so beautiful and subtle and well thought-out that I’m now your friend.”

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