༊*·˚*ೃ༄

same interview, the fifth year | vanity fair

italics - previous answers

normal font - 2021 answer

2017: hi, my name is haley leneghan...

2018: my name's haley leneghan.

2019: i'm haley leneghan.

2020: HALEY LENEGHAN!

2021: hello. my name is haley leneghan, and this is absurd. billie's right. we're doing this til we're 90. sorry kids, grandma's busy!

2017: i was told it's october 18, 2017.

2018: october 18, 2018.

2019: it is october 18, 2019.

2020: october 18th, 2020.

2021: it is october 18th, 2021.

2017: i am 19.

2018: 20.

2019: i'm 21.

2020: 22.

2021: i am 23! can't believe i'd reach this age, to be honest.

2017: 7.4m.

2018: 35.9m.

2019: 69.1m.

2020: 92.1m

2021: 105m. that's... that's a lot. i can't even- nope, i won't even try to think about it.

2017: kendall jenner.

2018: the queen herself, rihanna.

2019: taylor swift.

2020: selena gomez.

2021: the rock, i think?! crazy.

2017: this is me. on the runway. closing a show. (670k likes)

2018: it's a picture of me and zendaya. (2.1m likes)

2019: a family picture with my parents... i posted it after they died like ten days after filming this same interview last year and the photo got 25.9m likes. whoa. also, there were lots of nice comments on it and those were really uplifting.

2020: same one.

2021: *laughs* it's still the same picture. *shows phone* i love how it's still been gaining traction after these years, you know? like, it's gonna be their three year anniversary soon and i'm glad that they're still remembered. i miss them.

2017: my brother. he's pretty famous, i'd say. *while scrolling* zendaya, rora and theo chase-jackson... these are all my friends man, does this count?

2021: tom holland, timothée chalamet, cole sprouse, cate blanchett, john malkovich, ummm. meryl streep, greta gerwig. lots. i can't believe it sometimes, honestly.

2017: working hard and improving my confidence, i guess.

2018: family, for sure. i don't know what i'd do without them. oh god, that so didn't age well!

2019: i really want to maintain the happiness i've been feeling right now.

2020: so many people out there are getting sick, you know? i have a physician's license, and i know i'm not specialized or anything but i've been trying to go to hospitals around the area and help them treat patients. it's really important to me, to try to help people out, even if it's just one person at a time.

2021: i think right now my main focus is to do what makes me happy, and build my confidence again. it's literally the same goal from five years ago, and it's such a bummer because that goal of mine was achieved a bit after, but someone came and broke down those walls. now i have to rebuild them all again, and i hate that. little steps, you know? we'll get there soon.

2017: i don't know how to say this without sounding like i'm bragging, but i think i am. i don't know why or how, but that's how it is.

*eye contact with camera* can i have that back? please?

2019: both yes and no. i feel like losing my parents has been kind of a big blow, and it caused me to question stuff a lot? but also, i've become more independent, i've grown into my skin. i'm not saying that it's better without them, because oh my god, it's not. i'm just saying that i've accepted it, and i'm continuing to heal with the rest of my family. it's great to have someone to lean on. i feel like that's part of the reason why i feel stronger.

look at 2019 me, all happy and cute. what ensued after this was, ugh, just awful. i can't believe i was actually happy, because it's gotten so hard for me to remember the nice parts of that relationship. like, right now, all i remember is me having second thoughts and suddenly it ended. that hurt me a lot, even though i kinda saw it coming.

2021: i don't think i'm more confident this year. honestly, this is the most un-confident i've ever been in my LIFE, and i hate it. it sucks so much. like i said earlier, building my confidence is like, the most important thing right now. i don't think i can survive if i don't have that back, like, i see people following me and i want to crawl into a hole and die already, whereas two years ago i'd actually go over to talk to them. that's how bad it's become. anyways. hi, me in two years, hopefully you're doing better!

2017: i know this sounds lame, but my parents. they always have the best advice! you know when all those middle schoolers go 'ugh, i hate my parents, they don't get me!' because they didn't allow them to wear something that day? and because they were rebels, they wore the outfit, and it actually didn't look good. like, i understood why their parents didn't want them to wear that. i just sat there thinking, mom would definitely tell me if i look frumpy, she's the expert here! so i don't question them.

2021: right now, the people i talk to a lot are my brother, and my friends, like rora, theo, zendaya. they always know what to say. like if i'm having an existential crisis or if i'm spiralling down a hole of self-hate they're all just like, 'this isn't you, i know it's not'. and they really wake me up sometimes. looking back, i think, 'what?!' because i can't imagine how i was even there to begin with. it took a lot of hauling to get me up on my feet. oh! also billie! she's great to talk to. i love her so much. we message regularly, and we just randomly check up on each other, you know? support systems are really important, and i actually only got to know her through this dual interview thing, so i'm very glad for it.

2017: i ate a banana. it was like, those ones that are on the cusp of being ripe, and they're not super mushy. i love those. i don't like mushy bananas, those are ew.

2018: i woke up at like 4:30am to pee and i didn't go back to sleep anymore.

2019: i checked my phone.

2020: i got up and put something i was proofing overnight in the oven. the cinnamon buns turned out delicious.

2021: i facetimed my brother. he's in los angeles right now, i think, so it was like 4am for him when i called.

2017: i cannot think of anything. we have a fruit as our president, so i really don't know what's gonna happen to this country. really.

2018: the #MeToo and Time's Up movement, for sure.

2019: the climate crisis is being talked about more!

2020: i really don't know. it's just the election looming, and everything looks like a blazing fire. i just really hope that the fruit doesn't win reelection. if that happens, i've lost all hope.

2021: adele's releasing a new album in a month, so... there's that? oh! and taylor's releasing red tv.

2020: i know the past years i've said losing my loved ones, but that's even more of a possibility now that we're launched into this crazy pandemic. and it's still there. number one on my list. if i'd choose something other than that... it's probably being betrayed or tricked by a person i'm close to. because it's happened before, and it wasn't a good experience.

2021: those fears are all still on the table, but sometimes i'm scared of not doing things to my full potential or putting half-hearted effort into something. i don't want that to happen.

2020: helped design a couple new releases for our socially distanced fashion show... wrote a couple of scripts for something i made up in my head but i'm not sure where i was going with that though. my year was pretty tame, honestly.

2021: all the interesting things happened years ago!! ughh, i'm trying to recall what happened this year. oh right, i recorded an album! yes, i'll be releasing that soon, but i'm not yet gonna say when. just keeping everyone on their toes. umm, i also helped write a screenplay for a movie, and that was one of the coolest experiences ever.

2017: billie eilish. i only got to know her through this, but her music is amazing.

2018: billie marten. she's so underrated, in my opinion.

2019: taylor swift. now and forever. always. she released lover earlier this year and reputation a bit after the 2017 interview, and i was obsessed. and ashe. ashe is wonderful.

2020: taylor released folklore in july and i just love it, so still her. also, lots of tiktok sounds are stuck in my head. i think billie would say that too, we were just texting about this yesterday.

2021: taylor, lyn lapid, phoebe bridgers, lorde... so many.

2017: everyday.

2018: every second i got! i love them all so much, don't know what i'd do without them...

2019: he universe had me do serious foreshadowing that year. i talk to my brother as much as i can, i think it's gotten to the point where he tells me to stop calling him all the time, but that's okay. my extended family are my friends, and yeah, i talk to them everyday too.

2020: same answer.

2021: i still talk to them everyday, but i've distanced myself a couple times when i've been in bad moods because i don't wanna infect them with it.

2017: you've got mail.

2018: you've got mail.

2019: you've got mail.

2020: you've got mail.

2021: you've got mail. love that movie.

2017: yep. i've never had a proper, official boyfriend in my life.

2018: i don't think i'm ever gonna date, honestly. i'll be single forever.

2019: ha ha! no. and i'm happy. she was not happy. she didn't know it, but she wasn't.

2020: yes.

2021: yes. all the breakups i've had just destroyed me, so i'm a bit more cautious now. i'm not looking for anyone, i'm just here, you know?

2017: my mom has a fashion line. i'd like to get more involved with that, i think. i've started a modelling career recently, and as much as i've had lots of fun, i don't think it's for me. like, i enjoy it, but not as much as i do other things, so maybe i'll stick to the behind the scenes, maybe designing a couple of stuff here and there... yeah.

2021: that really was an aspiration of mine, like, back then i wanted to take charge of alainn when my mom got old... and she actually passed it onto me when she died, but at that point, i didn't really want much to do with all the facilitating and stuff, so my godmother's in charge now. at least 19 year old me got what she wanted, i mean, i did end up designing a couple of outfits for the socially distanced fashion show last year. so that's great. right now, i want to get involved with music. i think this video is getting released late november, so it's safe to say i've already released a song by then. i also got an album coming up, which is very exciting, i really want to release it soon, but i'm not yet sure when. just keeping you all on your toes.

2020: i feel like it's... it's both a blessing and a curse. i feel really blessed to have started when i did, and i got a lot of support and advice from people around me who've went through the same thing. my transition from doing disney shows to other, more mature films is also better than some others have had it. on good days, i feel grateful, and i acknowledge that i really have been lucky, but on bad days, sometimes i just want to hide from all the cameras and people. it makes you feel like you're in the middle of a zoo, being gawked at, stalked, followed everywhere. and i know the people who do this also have families to feed, but there's a thin line between being respectful and just being downright invasive. to be here is very dehumanizing. people like us, we have emotions and we're actual human beings too! and the public may seem to forget that.

2021: i love that. i meant every word. but i think right now, it's also important to point out problems the industry itself. then, i was talking about the public eye, right? but there are also so many stories of harassment that probably haven't been aired out, just because people are scared that this powerful producer man will ruin their careers with a snap of his fingers, even if they were being honest. and that's not right. we have to hold people accountable. also, racism and sexism are still pretty prevalent, if you ask me. women directors? there are so many amazing ones out there, and how many have won or been nominated for awards? barely any! i feel like we could do better. and i believe we will, eventually.

2017: yes.

2018: yes.

2019: yes.

2020: yes.

2021: yes. same answer as always, honestly. i've been exposed to some really bad moments, and sometimes i think, 'what if i never did this? it seems like a good idea because i hate what i'm going through right now', but those are times when i take everything for granted. and i don't want to do that, because i'm very, very grateful.

2021: honestly? i feel more creative. i was in a slump earlier this year, i went through a little rough patch there-- but now i feel more energized than ever. i'm starting a couple new projects that i'm so excited for, i really want to try directing something, pitch in ideas, produce stuff, and there's a lot of time for that, so i'm not worried. i'm taking it a little at a time, definitely. but i'm not slowing down, either.

2017: my mom and dad, obviously. finn, who's my brother. my family.

2018: mom, dad, and my brother finn. they give the best advice.

2019: finn. he is always, always there for me.

2020: lots. i think quarantine's brought me closer with my other friends. let's see... there's rora, theo, their dad james, my godmother riley... zendaya of course, my bestie cole, bella, finn, his boyfriend edvin. like i said, a lot.

2021: all those people, still. and charlie. i do not know what i'd have done without him. *points at camera* CHARLIE!!

2017: not all the time. i cover up a lot, usually, so i don't think they'd recognize me. but some people do, mostly those who watch my channel.

2018: often. by children, mostly. they're like, 'oh mom this is the girl from shake it up!' so they take a picture with me. but aside from that, no.

2019: now i'm known as the five feet apart girl and get asked about cole sprouse.

2020: a lot. space force was released early this year, and i get asked a lot about steve carell now. but i stay home a lot, so i'm only asked stuff when i do go out.

2021: *shaking head* i don't know anymore, it's crazy. like i tried to get a cup of coffee in new york and i was drowning in people! sometimes i forget that they can actually tell it's me, and when i realize it i'm like, 'shit, how do i get out of this?'

2017: ... no? i'm not interesting, i literally don't know what people say about me, i don't want to know what people say about me. i just hear it from my manager.

2021: okay. yes, i do. sometimes! when i'm bored, i just google myself and read whatever crazy rumor that's on there. the articles never go away, for some reason, it's so weird! but i don't check twitter or anything. i'm on the nice side of instagram though, and there are memes there. i laugh a lot to those.

2020: i'd tell 2019 me to break off any toxic relationships. right away. it's not good for you, and it's gonna cause you a ton of pain and insecurity. so do what your gut tells you to do.

2021: see, the thing is, i did just that this year. i did what i thought my gut was telling me to do, and once i did it, i hated it. so i really don't know what to say... alright, i'd tell myself to savor the good relationships i have. keep talking with your friends and family, they're there for you, and if something feels right, don't destroy it! you deserve it and you're worthy of it, that's what i'd say. oh, and i'd also tell her not to drink alcohol all that often. not a good look for you, maam.

2017: bring in the familia! (lisa) that was fun, wasn't it? david, c'mere!

2018: meet the parents! ow dad-- (david) i am so proud of you.

2019: this is my brother, finn and i love him. (finn) BRING IN THE PARENTS! *raises two framed pictures, one of lisa, the other of david* hi mom, dad.

2020: *finn in a mask, tackling haley off the chair*

2021: finn's in california, so i got no one today... *james mclean and riley sneak up behind haley and surprise her) oh my god, you're here!! *she starts crying bc she really thought that no one would show up* this is james mclean, and this is riley, my godmother, and they are my second parents.

haley: i love you, girl.

billie: this bitch is the strongest person i've ever met.

what advice would you give each other right now?

haley: that's new.

billie: don't doubt yourself. don't do stupid stuff. *raises eyebrows suggestively*

haley, laughing: she's totally right. i'd just tell her to keep doing what she's doing, because she's amazing. yeah.

billie's mom: bye!

I MISS YOU, I'M SORRY