Credit: HBO MaxCasting superheroes might seem like an objectively easy job. But according to insiders, it’s not so simple—leading to a weeks-long, heavy commitment audition process that can take a toll on actors. This White Lotus breakout star recently shared her experience auditioning for both Marvel and DC Studios, calling the tryouts “overwhelming.”
Haley Lu Richardson has built a broad resume from Disney Channel’s Shake It Up to the critically-acclaimed horror flick Split (2016). More recently, the up-and-coming actress earned recognition for her role in the second season of HBO’s hit drama series, The White Lotus, where she played Tanya McQuoid’s (Jennifer Coolidge) awkward but easily lovable assistant, Portia.
Over the years, Richardson admits to having auditioned for “quite a few” projects of a different variety: superhero movies. Speaking with Josh Horowitz on the latest episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actress opened up about trying out for big-budget superhero films, including a significant role within the MCU.
I asked Haley Lu Richardson to summarize what she loved about the Jonas brothers in 30 seconds. An hour later…just kidding. Kinda. #happysadconfused
Our full chat: https://t.co/xOOLxb8VjA pic.twitter.com/SsLX7vqnOf
— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) April 17, 2023
During the interview, Horowitz noted how Richardson was once considered for HBO’s ill-fated Batgirl spinoff movie alongside names like Isabela Merced, Zoey Deutch, and Leslie Grace. The titular role eventually went to Grace, though, as many DC followers know, the film was shockingly canceled last year after being deemed “unwatchable” by studio heads. Batgirl was entirely complete by the time it was shelved, meaning Richardson is probably relieved that she didn’t land the role, in retrospect.
Horowitz asked if that was her first superhero audition, to which Richardson replied, “No, I’ve done quite a few, and they’re just so much, you know what I mean?”
She expanded on the process of screen testing, which involved getting into full makeup, hair, and costume, leading her to reveal that she’d auditioned for Marvel in the past:
I’ve never gotten to do that. I did test do like a big screen test for a Marvel character, and there was like real cameras there, and they did our hair, and makeup, and stuff. But they just directed us in what kind of street clothes to wear, like what colors and stuff. We didn’t actually get in a superhero costume.
Richardson added that the prospect of auditioning for a character when “you haven’t even seen a script” was daunting, especially considering Marvel’s tendency to have actors sign multi-movie deals:
But yeah, it’s just so overwhelming, because you’re just committing to something, and you haven’t even seen a script.
Though Richardson ultimately didn’t land this mystery role, she still reflects positively on the experience, calling it “exciting” despite being “a lot” in terms of commitment:
Yeah, and now it’s not even just five movies. It’s like seven years of literally whatever they want you for, which, you know… there’s something that’s so exciting about that if you meet… because hopefully you get to meet the director, and the producers that would be making it, and you get to you look up, and read all the comics on the character… So there’s something that’s really exciting if you feel like all the other things align. It’s something that you could just like trust and throw yourself into. But it is a lot.
One can only wonder who Richardson might’ve played in the MCU. Based on her recent remarks, on top of the fact that she was turned down for this particular role after a brutal tryout process, her mysterious Marvel audition seems like it might be her last. Still, both this studio and DC already have Richardson’s number, so fans shouldn’t rule out the possibility of seeing her in a superhero flick further down the line.
What do you think of Marvel’s stressful audition process? Share your thoughts in the comments below.