{"id":106695,"date":"2025-11-10T09:48:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=106695"},"modified":"2025-11-10T09:47:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:47:52","slug":"havana-rose-liu-grazia-fall-winter-2025-cover-story","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/havana-rose-liu-grazia-fall-winter-2025-cover-story\/","title":{"rendered":"GRAZIA USA Fall\/Winter Cover Star: Havana Rose Liu"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Havana
Dolce & Gabbana coat, top, dolcegabbana.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Words by Marshall Heyman <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In recent years, it\u2019s been harder and harder to make a splash in showbiz without a famous pedigree. Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny), Zoey Deutch (daughter of Lea Thompson), Jack Quaid (son of Dennis), Deacon Phillippe (son of Ryan), Kaia Gerber (daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber), Ella Beatty (daughter of Annette Bening and Warren Beatty), Lewis Pullman (son of Bill) and Eve Hewson (daughter of Bono) are just some of the new generation of hopeful stars crowding the red carpet and stealing roles from newbies who might have, in another time, been discovered at the famed Schwab\u2019s Pharmacy.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s even more remarkable that the 27-year-old up-and-coming actress Havana Rose Liu was discovered just walking through Washington Square Park.<\/p>\n

Now Liu didn\u2019t exactly fall off the apple cart or sprout from some cabbage patch in Nowheresville, U.S.A.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s a born-and-bred New Yorker. As a teenager, she graduated from Saint Ann\u2019s in Brooklyn, an artsy private school known for such distinguished Hollywood alumni as Jennifer Connelly, Lena Dunham, and, more recently, Lucas Hedges (son of writer\/director Peter Hedges) and Maya Hawke (daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman).<\/p>\n

After a few semesters at Skidmore University, Liu transferred to the Gallatin School at NYU. She still lives in the trendy area of Dumbo, down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, where she grew up. Of course, Dumbo was even trendier in the early aughts. But blame that location choice on Liu\u2019s mother and father, a forward-thinking couple if there ever was one.<\/p>\n

\"Havana
Giorgio Armani top, pants, earrings, armani.com; Jimmy Choo shoes, jimmychoo.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two years before Liu was born, her parents, David Liu and Carly Roney, co-founded the wedding website the Knot, which turned into one of the World Wide Web\u2019s first big success stories. In a romantic story very on brand with an Internet mecca devoted to creative nuptials, Liu and Roney named Havana after a Cuban establishment in D.C. where they had their first date.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was called Havana Central or something along those lines,\u201d says Havana Rose Liu, now. The \u201cRose\u201d comes from her grandmother. \u201cPeople think I named myself because it\u2019s such a great name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her younger brothers, Cairo and Dublin, are also named after capital cities the Lius had dreamed of visiting. On each Liu child\u2019s 18th birthday, they plan a family trip to their namesake. When Havana was 18, they all went to Cuba.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was truly the most special place I\u2019ve ever been,\u201d she says. Dublin is still on the agenda. He\u2019s only 17.<\/p>\n

It should not come as a surprise that Liu\u2019s parents have continued with their quirks. Since moving on from the Knot, they now farm oysters.<\/p>\n

\"Havana
Nina Ricci coat, ninaricci.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

“But over the next few months, Liu will be everywhere.”<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI\u2019m actually allergic to oysters, though we joke that it\u2019s not yet clear if I\u2019m allergic to marriage,\u201d says Liu, who identifies as pansexual. Her parents were initially skeptical of their daughter dipping her toes into acting. \u201cBut they\u2019ve given me a lot of room to explore my interests, which I really appreciate. Ultimately, they\u2019ve been very supportive.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They don\u2019t have much of a choice. Liu\u2019s train has left the station, and it\u2019s moving at breakneck speed. You may have missed her in her breakout role in the 2023 raunchy teen comedy <\/span>Bottoms<\/i><\/span> thanks to the over-the-top presence of co-stars Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri. Liu played Isabel, the gorgeous crush of Josie (Edebiri), who joins a high school girl\u2019s fight club.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But over the next few months, Liu will be everywhere.<\/p>\n

Late August saw the release of the very good, very creepy thriller Lurker<\/i><\/span> in which Liu plays a worldly-wise music manager protective of her client who has a tendency to increase his entourage with somewhat naive abandon. The New York<\/i><\/span> Times<\/i><\/span> described the movie as a \u201ctight and wicked little film\u201d and Liu\u2019s performance as \u201csteely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people who wish there were more of her in the movie. That\u2019s how much she pops,\u201d says Alex Russell, the writer-director of Lurker<\/i><\/span>, who was especially taken with Liu\u2019s emotional intelligence upon their first conversation about the role. \u201cShe\u2019s definitely a special actor, and Lurker<\/i><\/span> is just really scratching the surface of what she can do. There\u2019s no doubt in my mind that she\u2019ll have a lot to chew on, and I hope she gets projects that can really explore her range.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Havana
CHANEL dress, top, earrings, 800-550-0005.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In October, there\u2019s the Mubi series Hal and Harper<\/i><\/span>, with Mark Ruffalo, which premiered earlier this year at Sundance. There\u2019s the independent feature Tuner<\/i><\/span>, co-starring Dustin Hoffman, which Variety<\/i><\/span> called the \u201cdiscovery of the Telluride Film Festival.\u201d IndieWire pronounced Liu \u201ca revelation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCloseups of [Liu\u2019s] face in various states of puzzlement, affection, or frustration dazzle, and remove any doubt,\u201d continued the review. \u201cLiu is a star.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liu\u2019s family proudly sent her the IndieWire rave while she was at Telluride. \u201cIt was so flattering; I haven\u2019t really processed it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s the kindest thing I\u2019ve ever read. I\u2019m so grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some roles where the actors show up, act for a few weeks, and then leave. For Tuner<\/i><\/span> I needed someone who would first immerse in piano training for four months, then show up, act, and leave,\u201d says Tuner<\/i><\/span> director Daniel Roher. \u201cThe extra step is really hard, but Havana kicked ass. She mirrored the character she was playing in her drive, commitment, and work ethic. I thought that was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

The momentum builds this December when Liu appears with Felicity Jones, Eva Longoria, Michelle Pfeiffer and Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers<\/i><\/span>) in Oh. What. Fun.<\/i><\/span>, a Christmas comedy and her biggest film to date, directed by Michael Showalter for Amazon Prime.<\/p>\n

\"Havana
Issey Miyake dress, us.isseymiyake.com; Dinosaur Designs earrings, dinosaurdesigns.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After that, things start to get really interesting.<\/p>\n

Upcoming projects feature a who\u2019s who of some of the industry\u2019s most dynamic filmmakers and actors.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s No One Cares<\/i><\/span>, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, opposite Julianne Moore.<\/p>\n

Her Private Hell<\/i><\/span>, with Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton, marks the first full-length feature Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive<\/i><\/span>) has made since 2016\u2019s The Neon Demon<\/i><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Power Ballad<\/i><\/span>, with Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, written and directed by John Carney, the musical movie genius behind Once<\/i><\/span>, Begin Again<\/i><\/span>, and Sing Street <\/i><\/span>with a talent for spotting up-and-coming young talent.<\/p>\n

\"Havana
McQueen dress, alexandermcqueen.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just been in go-go-go mode, but I\u2019ve deeply enjoyed it, the highs and the lows,\u201d says Liu, from the couch of her Dumbo apartment. She apologizes for any noise. Her building is being fireproofed. Being back in New York after so much work away on set \u201cfeels like a vacation. I\u2019m actually in a pretty strong love affair with New York again.\u201d<\/p>\n

But being away has had plenty of upsides, she explains. \u201cIt\u2019s just been working with incredible people, the most amazing cream of the crop. I\u2019ve been really thinking about the past year. It\u2019s been so fulfilling and so intense, and I\u2019m just wrapping my head around it. I never thought I was going to be an actress, and now I\u2019m fully committed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course there have been moments of doubt, not to mention breakouts in hives, which Liu experienced for the first time from stress in college.<\/p>\n

\n

“There’s a lot of people who wish there were more of her in the movie. That’s how much she pops.”<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always hives in the mix,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it\u2019s all about \u2018Feel the hives but do it anyway.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Her \u201cimposter syndrome\u201d as she calls it, however, is slowly abating. \u201cEvery time I\u2019d be cast, I was like, \u2018Are you sure<\/i><\/span>?\u2019\u201d she says. Still, she insists, \u201cThat part really never goes away. That seems like something I have to manage. You do these jobs where you feel scared, but you have to innately let go of your bullshit and be your childlike brave self.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Havana
Roberto Cavalli dress, robertocavalli.com; Paum\u00e9 Los Angeles ring, paumelosangeles.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course it all had to begin somewhere. For Liu, it began like this: \u201cI was walking on the street,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cActually, before that even happened, Vogue <\/i><\/span>slid into my DMs,\u201d Liu recalls. \u201cWell, I don\u2019t even really remember the timeline myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

It went something like this. Liu posted a selfie, her first, on Instagram. That led to some e-commerce work with the New York fashion designer Nikki Chasin. \u201cI was fascinated about making money like that in college,\u201d Liu says. Then she was cast in a feature for Vogue<\/i><\/span>, and \u201cthat was the real start of modeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Growing up, Liu practiced a steady diet of dance and performance art. She found modeling to be a surprising extension of that study. \u201cWorking as a model was really fun, and I\u2019ve grown to appreciate it even more,\u201d she says. \u201cI see it like another art form. I like the idea of my body as a sculpture, and we\u2019re creating compositions together.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also helped her define her relationship with fashion. \u201cI think clothes impact me more than I would like them to,\u201d Liu explains. \u201cWhat I wear often dictates what I feel like. I wish I wasn\u2019t so weak! But if I feel comfortable in something, I can take on anything.\u201d She\u2019s developed a close relationship with Chanel and wears the French brand quite regularly at events. \u201cI do feel powerful in Chanel,\u201d she says. \u201cTheir clothes are incredibly well constructed and well made.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Havana
Versace coat, versace.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But back to how she became a movie star and the runaway train. Liu had done a little modeling, and then, well, she was walking near NYU. An agent specializing in street casting approached her in the park wondering if she was interested in acting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was definitely very skeptical. I didn\u2019t respond the first couple of times,\u201d says Liu. She was studying a self-created program at the intersection of arts, activism, and wellness at the time, something having to do with the \u201cculture of masochism\u201d and visual art as a \u201ctherapeutic process.\u201d But, they kept running into each other and, eventually, says Liu, of the casting agent, \u201cI felt comfortable filming auditions in her Williamsburg basement.\u201d<\/p>\n

That led to some commercials, music videos, short films, and eventually, her first movie. \u201cIt was a domino effect of small projects,\u201d Liu says. Then Bottoms <\/i><\/span>happened.\u00a0\u201cIt was clear to [co-writer] Rachel Sennot and me from the first five minutes of watching Havana\u2019s audition tape that she had to be in the movie,\u201d says Bottoms<\/i><\/span> director Emma Seligman.<\/p>\n

\n

“One hundred percent my life changed,” says Liu. “‘Bottoms’<\/em> is a movie for everyone.”<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cOne hundred percent my life changed,\u201d says Liu. \u201cBottoms<\/i><\/span> is a movie for everyone, and a powerful community circulated around it. It was such a powerful mirror of the moment we\u2019re in. People really saw it and loved it. It definitely opened up my world to more opportunities, one hundred percent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of what\u2019s been exciting for Liu is the varied projects she\u2019s gotten to work on since. \u201cI always want to stretch in new directions,\u201d she says. \u201cI love that I\u2019m really being seen from this angle, and I really love the opportunity to stretch in different ways. To show a new color or try to grow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Havana
Loewe dress, loewe.com; Marc Jacobs shoes, marcjacobs.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She didn\u2019t watch that much film or television growing up. Her cultural touchstones include the work of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and musical movies like Singin\u2019 in the Rain<\/i><\/span> and Sound of Music<\/i><\/span>, \u201cwhich I\u2019ve seen a hundred million times. That film is just so epic, it sticks with me.\u201d For Liu, the singing family of the von Trapps \u201calways sounded incredible. Art was deeply in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liu\u2019s parents took their daughter to performances at St. Ann\u2019s Warehouse and the New Victory Theater. They\u2019d gone to film school but never ended up pursuing a career in the field. \u201cThey\u2019re very well film-educated,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m playing catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Occasionally, she\u2019ll tape an audition with her dad. \u201cIt\u2019s very sweet,\u201d Liu says. \u201cHe has a perfect monotone.\u201d Her younger brothers\u2014Cairo is 21, Dublin is 17\u2014\u201cThey\u2019re little babies, and I love them\u201d\u2014are equally circumspect about Liu\u2019s impending stardom. \u201cThey think it\u2019s hilarious,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In August, after months of working nonstop, Liu and a friend went to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a few days. It\u2019s a place where hundreds of performances go on at once. It\u2019s not unusual for a man to sing and dance naked, but as a penguin. (Yes, that happened this year.) Even if Liu didn\u2019t get to see as much as she\u2019d like, \u201cI think I just love a spicy, creative swing,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was so refreshing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Going to Fringe helped Liu get back in touch with her artistic principles and her background in performance art and dance: \u201cIt was a gentle return to the roots of what I love. Performance and the body and art. Seeing people being able to vulnerably present their work. It reminded me that entertainment takes so many different forms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Havana
Nina Ricci coat, ninaricci.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It made her want to make art more, even if it\u2019s just for her. \u201cI used to keep a running sketchbook and do a lot of collage,\u201d she recalls. \u201cThat helped my creative process.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019d like to start reincorporating dance back into her daily life. She goes to dance classes in the city, particularly modern dance classes. \u201cI used to be in a modern dance student company,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s part of my core being.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the risk of sounding insane, it\u2019s also good for me to wake up every morning and dance in my apartment. Dancing can be little. It can be around one square foot. It just adds more magic back into your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The truth is, for Liu, there\u2019s likely lots and lots more magic ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re catching me in an interesting moment,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m basically surprised about every step my life has taken, but I\u2019m really reflecting on the areas I want to grow. I need to have a conversation with myself about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liu already has begun that inner talk. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to more skills, more bravery, more stretching and trying to take some steps towards things that feel hard, even if I\u2019m scared to do them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Words by Marshall Heyman, <\/strong><\/em>Photography by Jem Mitchell, <\/strong><\/em>Styling by J. Errico<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Hair by Lacy Redway, Makeup by Ralph Siciliano for Exclusive Artists, Manicure by Taku Okamura for Exclusive Artists<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Styling Assistance by Amber Rana and Remi Fischer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Read\u00a0GRAZIA USA<\/em>\u2019s Fall\/Winter Issue<\/a> featuring cover star Havana Rose Liu<\/a>:<\/strong><\/h4>\n