IN CONVERSATION WITH HAYES WARNER

interview by JANA LETONJA

Hayes Warner has already established herself as one of pop's rising voices, but this summer she's adding a new title to her résumé, actor. After building momentum with emotionally charged singles, millions of streams, and festival performances including Lollapalooza, she is making her television debut in FX's The Shards. The highly anticipated psychological thriller, directed by Ryan Murphy and adapted from Bret Easton Ellis's novel, transports viewers to 1980s Los Angeles, where a group of privileged teenagers find themselves at the center of a chilling murder mystery. Starring as Debbie Shaffer alongside Kaia Gerber, Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, and Graham Campbell, Hayes is embracing a bold new creative chapter—one that proves her talents extend well beyond the music stage.

You’re starring in the highly anticipated FX’s The Shards. What was your reaction when you found out you’d landed the role of Debbie Shaffer?
I was in the audition process for about six months by the time I was officially cast, and I wanted the role more than I had wanted anything in a very long time. I was such a fan of Ryan Murphy, Bret Easton Ellis, and Debbie Schaffer, so the opportunity felt incredibly meaningful to me.

After my screen test, I actually thought I hadn’t gotten the part. The boys had been cast, but I hadn’t heard anything, so I had already mourned the role. I ended up writing Ryan a letter telling him how much I wanted to play Debbie and how passionate I was about the character. So when I was given another chance, it was a huge deal for me.

When I found out I got the role, I was overwhelmed with relief and excitement and immediately burst into tears. About 30 minutes later, the nerves set in. I really wanted to do Debbie justice as a fan of the book, and I wanted to make Ryan feel that giving me another chance had been the right decision. I suppose you could call that imposter syndrome. I dealt with it by immediately diving into preparation. Looking back, being cast as Debbie was a truly life-changing moment for me.

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This is your acting debut. What inspired you to take the leap from music into acting?
I grew up doing musical theater, so my love of acting and music has always been deeply intertwined. I’ve spent the past few years writing music and touring, and I absolutely plan to continue doing that, but what inspired me to take this leap was the project itself. The intersection of Bret Easton Ellis and Ryan Murphy felt like a dream to me.

I’ve always thought Bret was one of the most brilliant authors and I grew up obsessed with Ryan’s work. I couldn’t imagine a more exciting person to bring Bret’s incredibly visual, detailed world to life than Ryan. He has such an extraordinary eye for detail and such a gift for creating fully realized worlds. Being given the opportunity to step into that world felt like something I couldn’t pass up.

How did you prepare to play Debbie, and what drew you to her as a character?
To prepare for Debbie, I read the book several times. it was the foundation for everything. I then dove into the script and researched the cultural world of the early 80s, particularly the rock stars, actors, and cultural figures Debbie would have been influenced by. I also watched films centered around complicated family dynamics to inform my scenes with her family.

What drew me to Debbie was how layered she is. Through Bret’s perspective, she can seem shallow or preoccupied with superficial things, but I always felt there was something much more intelligent and nuanced underneath. I constantly wondered what Debbie knew and how she used that information to navigate the people around her. Exploring that contrast between how she appears and who she really is was one of my favorite parts of playing her.

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Ryan Murphy is known for creating iconic television. What was it like working with him on your first acting project?
It was an absolute dream come true. I grew up idolizing Ryan’s work, so getting to work with him on my first acting project was surreal. He also spent so much time on set and directed several episodes, which gave me a real opportunity to see how his mind works.

What struck me immediately was how incredibly hands-on and detail-oriented he is. He notices everything, even something as small as a strand of hair being out of place, and I think that attention to detail is a huge part of what makes him such an incredible world-builder.

What was equally special was how much he invested in the cast personally. He made an effort to build genuine relationships with us, whether that was getting dinner together or talking through our characters off set. He created an environment where we felt supported enough to experiment and bring our own ideas to the characters. Many of my lines were improvised, and Ryan really encouraged that freedom. As a first-time actor, having that kind of trust and support made the experience feel much less intimidating and allowed me to really explore.

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The Shards is set in 1980s Los Angeles. How did the era influence your performance or help immerse you in the story?
The era influenced my performance enormously. I was especially interested in the cultural figures of the time - rock stars, actors, and major cultural moments - that would have shaped who Debbie admired and aspired to be. I also immersed myself in the era through films, music, and research to understand the world she was living in.

The absence of social media and cell phones completely changed the social dynamics. So much communication had to happen face-to-face, creating a different kind of intimacy, awkwardness, and tension.

At the same time, I was surprised by how much of the story felt incredibly contemporary. Even though it’s set in the 80s, these characters are dealing with things that transcend any time period - identity, insecurity, relationships, wanting to fit in, and complicated family dynamics. Those universal experiences made Debbie feel surprisingly relatable to me.

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As someone who tells stories through songwriting, how does storytelling through acting compare
I think the biggest difference is that when I’m acting, I get to completely immerse myself in someone else’s perspective, whereas when I’m songwriting, I’m authentically myself. With acting, the challenge is to understand someone else so deeply that their emotions and experiences start to feel like your own. With songwriting, I’m taking something personal and trying to turn it into something other people can see themselves in. I love that they’re almost opposite forms of storytelling, but both require you to be vulnerable and emotionally honest.

Your music often explores emotional and vulnerable themes. Do you find yourself drawn to similarly layered characters as an actor?
I’ve always been fascinated by psychology and understanding why people are the way they are, particularly how their upbringing and experiences shape the way they behave. That’s something I naturally look for in the characters I play, and Debbie is incredibly nuanced, with so much happening beneath the surface.

I love getting to unpack those layers and understand what’s motivating her, even when she isn’t saying it out loud. I also got to write music for The Shards, which gave me another way into the character. Exploring Debbie through music as well as acting was such a unique and rewarding experience.

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You’ve built a strong following in music. Have your fans reacted differently since your acting debut was announced?
Everyone has been incredibly supportive, especially because I’ve made it clear how passionate I was about this particular project. I think my fans understand that acting isn’t replacing music for me, it’s another way for me to tell stories creatively. Music has always been and will continue to be a huge priority in my life, and I have a lot more original music coming out that I’m really excited to share. Getting to incorporate my music into The Shards made the experience feel especially personal.

Are music and acting careers you hope to balance moving forward, or are you focused on one more than the other right now?
Absolutely. I’m going to balance both moving forward. Music is such a huge part of who I am, but acting has opened up a completely new creative world for me that I’m really excited to explore. Some of the artists and creatives I admire most in the world have built careers across both music and acting, so being able to do both feels incredibly exciting to me. I don’t see them as competing paths, I think they can inform and inspire each other.

What can fans expect from your music this year alongside the release of The Shards?
There’s a ton I’m really excited about. I have a new music project coming out very soon that I’m incredibly proud of, and I also have original music featured in The Shards alongside Troye Sivan. It’s been really special getting to bring both sides of my creativity into the project, and I’m excited for everything that’s coming next.

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If you could play any type of character next, regardless of genre, what would it be?
’m not sure I could pick just one, because Debbie gave me the opportunity to dip into so many different genres - comedy, psychological drama, darker material, and complex family drama. I loved getting to explore all of those different sides of a character, so I’m really open to a lot of different projects next. I think I’m most drawn to characters that have layers and allow me to surprise myself and explore something I haven’t done before.

Finally, what keeps you creatively inspired and grounded outside of music and acting?
Honestly, just living my life and being around the people I love. Spending time with people I’ve grown up with keeps me grounded, especially my friends and family. Laughing with my friends, having normal everyday experiences, and making memories outside of work are what keep me creatively inspired. I think it’s important for me to have a life beyond the things I’m creating, because those experiences ultimately give me more to draw from creatively.

TEAM CREDITS:
talent HAYES WARNER
photography JESSE VOLK
styling MARC ERAM at A-FRAME AGENCY
makeup TORI MCCONKEY at THE WALL GROUP
hair OWEN GOULD at A-FRAME AGENCY
photography assistant IAN MERZWINSKI
styling assistant KAMERON KUBICKI
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN