Haley Lu Richardson Wants Justice for Portia's Bucket Hat

The second season of HBO's The White Lotus didn't just rack up awards — Jennifer Coolidge took home a Golden Globe for her second go-round playing Tanya McQuoid for show creator Mike White — it also offered up more memes that anyone can keep track of. From McQuoid's brush with death at the hands of a gaggle of gays to her assistant Portia's questionable wardrobe, the show cemented itself as a pop-culture phenomenon last fall. And Haley Lu Richardson, who played Portia, is well aware of the meme-ification of it all.

Even Richardson can't resist saying, "these gays, they're trying to murder me!" as she thinks about the most viral moments from the show. Her favorite, however, is another phrase that took over the internet: "I really liked Bert's line: 'It's a penis! It's not a sunset.' I'm sure there were memes made out of that.'"

It wasn't just the masterful script that made the internet buzz with every episode. It was also Portia's wardrobe, which Ricardson brushes off with a wave of her hand and an eye-roll, "Everyone has their opinion on Portia's outfits."

And as for antics that happened while the cameras weren't rolling — co-star Meghann Fahy made everyone wish they were soaking up the Italian sun when she mentioned the cast's hangouts — Richardson says she definitely joined in on the group's now-infamous karaoke sessions.

"I did a lot of Spice Girls. I did duet songs from Grease with Adam [DiMarco], like 'Summer Lovin','" she shared.

Adding one more accolade to her already stellar year, Richardson was announced as this year's SAG Awards ambassador alongside Antonia Gentry from Netflix's Ginny & Georgia. The Guild celebrated the news with a dinner hosted by Campari at L.A.'s Michelin-starred Gwen, where Chef Curtis Stone offered a preview of what the attendees would be enjoying the night of the awards on Feb. 26.

"I'm figuring that out every day," she says of exactly what she'll be doing as an ambassador (she follows in the footsteps of fellow White Lotus alum Alexandra Daddario, who held the mantle last year). "Every time they ask me if I want to do something, I learn. I got to announce all the nominees, which was pretty cool — and terrifying because I was scared I was going to butcher everyone's name. I get to present an award!"

Richardson added that she's not only nervous about having to pronounce everyone's name correctly, but she'll also be among actors and actresses she's idolized her whole life. 

"It's obviously the most special for an actor because it celebrates its actors, and the people who vote for you are your peers," she says of how the SAGs stand out from the other shows during awards season. "I've looked up to them my whole life, so that's pretty neat."