Lili Reinhart<\/a> doesn\u2019t want a spectacle. When it comes time to suggest a place for us to meet for this very interview, she skips over all the obvious Hollywood hot spots\u2014no-phones-allowed member\u2019s clubs, trendy restaurants, hikes in the Hills\u2014and instead, invites me to her house to paint. Which is how, on a sunny October afternoon, I end up in a quiet neighborhood a half-hour drive from the center of L.A., where Reinhart<\/a> welcomes me with a warm hug and ushers me into her Spanish-influenced home. This despite the fact I\u2019m 15 minutes too early (the perils of trying to accommodate for California traffic).<\/p>\n If at first the choice of location surprises me\u2014celebrities often loathe giving writers a glimpse into their hallowed grounds\u2014it quickly makes complete sense. Reinhart, 29, isn\u2019t interested in playing the part of Capital-C celebrity. Being an actress is a part of who she is,<\/a> not the entirety of her essence. \u201cIn another life, I’m the most domestic human being of all time,\u201d Reinhart says, serving me water in a glass decorated with tiny rainbows. \u201cI have, like, four kids, and I live on a farm, and I get to see my partner every day.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to imagine that other life while she gets us settled in her kitchen, spreading a protective layer of newspaper over a table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n In this life, though, Reinhart is enjoying a few rare days off from filming. She\u2019s been hard at work on three movies this year: the comedic thriller The Very Best People<\/a>; an adaptation of the best-selling romance novel The Love Hypothesis<\/a>; the horror movie Forbidden Fruits,<\/a> which is slated for release in 2026; and she\u2019s ramping up press for her new Mubi show Hal & Harper<\/a> which began airing in October.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The latter, Reinhart describes as her dream project. \u201cMy true bread and butter as an actor is Hal & Harper,\u201d she says, dabbing blobs of pale green and pink paint onto a well-loved palette already covered in the dried remnants of past painting sessions. \u201cI really champion indie filmmaking, and indie filmmakers, and Hal & Harper specifically is the most special thing I’ve ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n The family dramedy series, co-starring Mark Ruffalo and Betty Gilpin, was written and directed by fellow co-star Cooper Raiff. Raiff was coming off of his film Cha Cha Real Smooth with Dakota Johnson<\/a> when he approached Reinhart about the show, asking her to play the role of his sister. They met for coffee in Sherman Oaks, and while Raiff was vague about the details, she could tell that it was his passion project. When he shared the script with her, she was blown away. \u201cI just was like, why me? How do you look at my body of work and see me in such a raw and nuanced role?\u201d she wonders aloud.<\/p>\n \n Fendi jacket, shirt, and skirt; Giuseppe Zanotti heels; Swarovski earrings; Van Cleef & Arpels rings and bracelet; Cartier glasses<\/p>\n<\/div>\n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n \n Raiff later tells me, over Zoom, that casting Reinhart made perfect sense. \u201cWhen I watched her in interviews, and also when I watched her range\u2014I saw Hustlers<\/a> and I saw Chemical Hearts, and I’ve seen scenes from Riverdale\u2014it’s very clear that she’s a very deep human being, and she’s very soulful. She’s a great actress, and she’s very talented, but I think the main thing that I felt was just how much depth she has, and that she has so many different things inside of her to explore. Lili just jumps out. The camera sees all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Reinhart was ready to stretch the acting muscles she built up over the course of 137 episodes of shooting Riverdale<\/a>. Though the plot lines became increasingly wild over its seven season run, it also meant that the actors got to dabble in just about every kind of acting style there is, across genres and time periods and ages, all of it emotionally and physically challenging. \u201cI feel like I could do anything because I had this seven year runway of experience,\u201d Reinhart says.<\/p>\n \n Herm\u00e8s coat; Zadig & Voltaire blazer; Swarovski earrings and necklace; Khaite gloves; Falke tights<\/p>\n<\/div>\n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say that Reinhart wants to separate herself from Riverdale. \u201cAnyone who bashes the work that got them to where they are is doing themselves a great disservice,\u201d she says matter of factly. “Call the show crazy. It was. It gave me so much, and I’m so thankful for it. I’m not delusional to the fact that I’m sitting in my house because of Riverdale. I’m not embarrassed of it.\u201d<\/p>\n But it\u2019s undeniable that Hal & Harper gives Reinhart the chance to show a different side. She\u2019s devastating as Harper, a 24-year-old lesbian trying to work through her own emotional baggage while simultaneously figuring out what she wants her adult life to look like. A key storytelling conceit in the show is that Raiff and Reinhart also play the children versions of themselves following a traumatic rupture in their family; Harper is \u201cthe most jaded nine-year-old of all time,\u201d as Reinhart describes her. But as emotional as it is\u2014\u201cit’s not scripted to be crying as much as there is crying in the show; that\u2019s what happens when you have beautiful, human writing,\u201d Reinhart says\u2014Hal & Harper is also funny; as healing as it is heartbreaking. So much of it balances on Harper\u2019s shoulders, a weight Reinhart carries through the series with ease.<\/p>\n That Hal & Harper even got made in today\u2019s streaming landscape feels like a small miracle, but Raiff and the team had been sitting on it for the last two years trying to find a distributor. \u201cWe have Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo, but we don’t have an IP fan base that makes a studio feel secure,\u201d Reinhart says. \u201cWe were told by everyone, \u2018This show’s gorgeous, it’s just not what our platform is looking for right now.\u2019 And it’s like, it’s maybe not what you think your platform is looking for, but every consumer you talk to is looking for a show that is deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n Thankfully, after a premiere at Sundance<\/a> earlier this year, Mubi picked up Hal & Harper for streaming. \u201cI really feel like Lili’s performance is such a gift that needs to be given to people, and I’ve never felt that way about work that I’ve done,\u201d Raiff says. \u201cLili on screen is such a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n \n Talking to Reinhart\u2019s Forbidden Fruits co-star Lola Tung<\/a>, it\u2019s clear that Reinhart brings that level of passion for her skill to every project. \u201cShe’s so dedicated,\u201d Tung says to me, over Zoom, a week after my interview with Reinhart. \u201cShe has such a powerful presence on set and in a scene, she’s so captivating, and she has a confidence about her that I admire greatly and hope to take into future projects.\u201d The two bonded on set and off over late movie nights; Reinhart introduced Tung to The Love Witch, which she calls \u201clifechanging.\u201d And Reinhart was able to serve as something like a mentor to Tung, who is coming off a hit teen series of her own, The Summer I Turned Pretty<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel almost like a little puppy dog following her around, because she’s such a cool friend; she also has so much wisdom to offer and gave me so much great advice,\u201d Tung says. \u201cWe talked a lot about all the things you can do to take care of yourself and advocate for yourself when you feel like maybe your voice isn’t always heard, especially as a woman in this industry, and when things are moving really fast.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s surreal that Reinhart, who has been acting since she was 12, could be an elder statesman in her industry. But her ongoing quest to achieve inner peace has made her a kind of old soul. For almost as long as she\u2019s been famous, she\u2019s been vocal about the importance of caring for her mental and physical health. She\u2019s unafraid to talk about her depression and anxiety, and recently did an interview with Self discussing her interstitial cystitis diagnosis<\/u><\/a>. If there\u2019s potential to do something good for her nervous system, she\u2019ll try it: She became a Reiki master, gets craniosacral therapy, switched from traditional talk therapy to DBT therapy, and is looking into spinal energetic therapy. The dozens and dozens of tubes of paint scattered across a protective spread of newspaper in front of us are remnants from previous painting sessions, an act she finds therapeutic.<\/p>\n For her part, Reinhart is quick to point out that her fellow actors Ella Purnell and Selena Gomez<\/a> have been brave enough to speak up, too. Where the generation before them came of age during the tabloid era, they\u2019ve all become famous in the age of social media, where having a smart phone is the only qualification necessary for starting celebrity gossip.<\/p>\n \u201cSuddenly, everyone has a platform, so everyone feels that they need to share their opinions about everything all the time. It didn’t used to be that way; a magazine would talk about a celebrity and then you would be able to comment on it in your circle of friends and move on with your life,\u201d she says. \u201cRight now, something comes out, or some celebrity does something, and there’s an entire niche group on TikTok talking about that specific thing. That one quote where it’s like, \u2018it’s not your business what other people think of you\u2019? Yeah, well, it’s a little hard when it’s on social media and millions of other people are seeing that comment that isn’t right or true.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Sportmax coat and belt; Van Cleef & Arpels ring and necklace<\/p>\n<\/div>\n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, that means Reinhart has a complicated relationship with social media. But instead of compensating by oversharing, or by running away from it completely, she threads a careful needle establishing boundaries for herself when it comes to what she\u2019s willing to post. It\u2019s all about finding that elusive sense of balance: She\u2019ll do an interview about her overall health, but doesn\u2019t want to give day-by-day updates on what\u2019s happening with her body; she\u2019ll talk about her boyfriend Jack Martin<\/a>, but won\u2019t discuss specific details about their relationship.<\/p>\n Still, there\u2019s no hiding how happy Martin makes her. \u201cI’m in my lover girl era right now,\u201d Reinhart says with a smile. The two met on TikTok after Reinhart saw a video he made making fun of Riverdale, and slid into his DMs not long after, making it Instagram official in the summer of 2023<\/u><\/a>. There are challenges to dating a fellow actor though, especially when you\u2019re as in-demand as they both are. At the time of the interview, Martin is in New York filming Mindy Kaling\u2019s new project Not Suitable For Work, and while Reinhart is thrilled for him, she doesn\u2019t love doing long distance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s deeply hard on me to be apart from the person I love. I’m a very domestic woman, and I love to be at home and sit on my couch with my person and my dog; there’s nothing that brings me greater joy than that specifically, and when I can’t do that, my mental health suffers,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen I’m working, he visits me; when he’s working, I visit him; and if we’re both working at the same time, which happened a lot this year, we just have to put our heads down and get through it. The feeling of missing someone prolonged over eight weeks is exhausting.\u201d<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n \n Which is perhaps why Reinhart is diligent about what she takes on; on how Hollywood she wants to be. She\u2019s not a fan of the \u201cone for them, one for you\u201d mentality of committing to the kind of projects that so many actors have relied on over the years. It\u2019s not that she\u2019s completely ruling out the megastar-making superhero vehicles dominating theaters, per se, but she also isn\u2019t currently pursuing those auditions.<\/p>\n \u201cI would like to think that I can have a career where I can try to dodge those climbing ladder steps as much as possible,\u201d Reinhart says. \u201cIt\u2019s time out of my life\u2014weeks, months\u2014time away from my home, time away from my partner and my family. When someone comes in with an opportunity that’s like, \u2018Make this move in order to make the next move,\u2019 I don’t have the bandwidth.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Miu Miu top, skirt, and scarf<\/p>\n<\/div>\n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n Reinhart even passed on an opportunity to attend Paris Fashion Week<\/a> because she\u2019d been traveling and working so much; going to France for two days<\/a> felt like it would be too much on her body. \u201cI think it’s fun for people who are into it. I am not passionate enough about it to sacrifice sleep and quality time at home,\u201d she says. \u201cI’m not a fashion girl, never will be; I remember early days of Riverdale having those conversations and being like, \u2018That’s just not going to be me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n All of that stuff that seems from the outside like a perk of the job\u2014parties, red carpet premieres, big name fashion shows\u2014instead strike Reinhart as a superfluous means of acquiring more fame.<\/p>\n \u201cSuddenly you need to care about fashion, and you need to go to these fashion shows, and you’re an influencer for a brand, your goal is to get a beauty contract,\u201d she rattles off. \u201cAren’t I just making art? Aren’t I just supposed to be an actor? Why am I trying to pursue this avenue or this project so that I can actually do what I want? And it’s like, oh, well, that’s because that’s how it fucking works: it becomes about climbing this impossible ladder and staying as famous as possible and as relevant as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Louis Vuitton top and skirt; Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and rings<\/p>\n<\/div>\n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n Reinhart isn\u2019t convinced. \u201cYesterday, I watched all six episodes of the Love Is Blind <\/a>premiere. I made myself pasta and I didn’t read a script that I was supposed to read three weeks ago because I just didn’t want to, and I had a great time,\u201d she says with a smile and a shrug. \u201cThis industry is going to have its way with you if you let it, and I very much try to be like, \u2018No, I’m going to be over here enjoying my life and not letting you control my happiness.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Ultimately, she doesn\u2019t want to be A Product. That\u2019s partially why her name isn\u2019t on her skincare line Personal Day<\/a>, even though she\u2019s happy to use her face to help sell the acne-friendly formulas; she\u2019s far more rewarded by her work behind the scenes helping the company run by attending Zoom meetings or sitting in on calls than she is filming a tutorial or modeling in a shoot.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone could find the product and not know that I had anything to do with it; that, to me, is nice, because the products then speak for themselves\u2014that was the most important thing to me,\u201d she says, noting with pride how many texts she\u2019s received from people gushing about how Personal Day has transformed their skin. \u201cNot that I’m the one who formulated it, but I brought it to market with my brand, and that makes me so happy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Lenne Chai)<\/p>\n Our tiny four-by-four inch canvases are officially complete: Reinhart\u2019s is covered in delicate pastel flowers, abstract in a way that wouldn\u2019t be out of place as a print on a D\u00f4en dress<\/a>. Mine\u2014a very rudimentary crab stranded solo on an island with a coconut tree, a go-to absentminded sketch of mine for years\u2014isn\u2019t nearly as display-ready as hers, but she expresses dismay when I try to leave it behind. (I end up hand-carrying it in my Uber back to my hotel at her suggestion.)<\/p>\n As Reinhart bags up the last cheese pastry with some travel-friendly products from Personal Day for me to try, I ask what she\u2019s most excited about in the coming months. True to form, the answer is simple: being at home with Martin while they both have breaks this December, a white chicken chili recipe from his mom made with fancy ingredients from Bristol Farms cooking in the Crock-Pot. \u201cI have all the time in the world to do, hopefully, whatever I want to do,\u201d she says. \u201cMy best performance is yet to come, because I\u2019m still so young, and maybe the best thing I’ll ever do is when I’m 60. 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