Haley Lu Richardson Shocks Sam Rockwell With Headstand on Berlin Film Festival Red Carpet

Haley Lu Richardson is proving once again that she is the life of any party, bringing her signature high energy to the international stage. During the red carpet premiere of her latest project, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, at the Berlin Film Festival, the 30-year-old actress stunned onlookers with an impromptu athletic feat.

On the night of Friday, February 13, Richardson bypassed traditional posing and instead dropped into a perfect headstand directly in front of the cameras at the Berlinale Palast. The unexpected stunt left her fellow cast members visibly amused and startled.

Sam Rockwell appeared particularly shocked as he watched his co-star flip upside down in her formal attire. The moment was captured by a flurry of photographers as the rest of the ensemble—including Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, and Asim Chaudhry—looked on alongside director Gore Verbinski.

The film, which celebrated its premiere during the 76th Berlinale, features a high-concept sci-fi premise. It follows a man who arrives from the future to a classic Los Angeles diner, claiming he must recruit a very specific group of disgruntled patrons to help him prevent a global apocalypse triggered by a rogue artificial intelligence.

Richardson plays a central role in this “unlikely group of recruits” as Ingrid, a woman with a peculiar and plot-relevant allergy to technology. Aside from her acrobatic red carpet appearances, Richardson has been navigating a prolific period in her professional life.

She recently shared the screen with Game of Thrones alumna Emilia Clarke in the Peacock espionage series Ponies. Set in 1970s Moscow, the show features the two as embassy secretaries who become unlikely undercover agents for the CIA, a project Richardson described as one of her most replenishing creative experiences.

Haley Lu Richardson does a headstand at the #BerlinFilmFestival photocall for "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die." pic.twitter.com/gZCZCwXHIL

— Variety (@Variety) February 13, 2026

Fans can look forward to seeing her in Zi, a mesmerizing independent film directed by Kogonada. This project marks a reunion for the pair following their previous collaboration on the critically acclaimed Columbus. Zi recently made its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and follows a profound one-night connection in Hong Kong between two strangers exploring themes of identity and the future.

Between her new book, a hit streaming series, and a major sci-fi blockbuster, Richardson is solidifying her status as a versatile powerhouse in the industry. Whether she is tackling complex emotional roles or performing headstands in Berlin, she continues to prioritize authenticity and a sense of play in everything she does.

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