Talia Ryder Unpacks The Story Of Her Met Gala Selfie With Olivia Rodrigo

In Elite Daily’s I Can Explain… series, we’re asking celebrities to revisit their most memorable photos and tell us what really went down behind the scenes. In this piece, Talia Ryder talks about singing Justin Bieber at the Met Gala, being besties with Olivia Rodrigo, and reclaiming her senior year in Netflix’s Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between.

Talia Ryder knows how to make the most out of a fleeting moment. It’s something she has in common with her character Clare in the new Netflix rom-com Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between. While Clare goes all in on squeezing a full romance into one perfect day, Ryder isn’t afraid to throw on a pair of six-inch heels to try out a new dance class, or burst out singing Justin Bieber at the Met Gala.

This past year has been a wild ride for Ryder. After appearing as a supporting character in West Side Story at the end of 2021, Ryder got to play a romantic lead of her own in Netflix’s Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between. In the teen romance, a pair of high school sweethearts make the most out of their last day together before parting ways for college. Getting to live out the final days of high school came at the perfect time for Ryder. “I lost my senior year to Covid, so I was really excited about getting to relive my senior year through this film,” she tells Elite Daily.

The movie filmed during the peak of the pandemic, which actually helped Ryder bond with her castmates Jordan Fisher, Ayo Edebiri, and Nico Hiraga. “The four of us ended up getting really close and spending all of our time off set together,” Ryder says. “We would be hanging out in one of our rooms or going to the skate park or going on bike rides.”

Ryder also attended the Met Gala last year, where she caught up with her friend, Olivia Rodrigo. Below, Ryder shares everything that went down at fashion’s biggest event, as well as the key to dancing in high heels and how Jordan Fisher became her perfect movie boyfriend.

Met Gala Selfie With Olivia Rodrigo

Elite Daily: How did this selfie with Olivia Rodrigo in the Met Gala bathroom come about?

Talia Ryder: We were sitting at the same table, and obviously our outfits were looking good so we had to snap this pic on a bathroom trip together. I had to pee really bad, and we were in really intricate outfits, so I knew getting in and out of it in the bathroom was not going to be the easiest operation. There was a line because everyone else was in the same boat with their outfits. So while we were waiting to go in we just took a selfie. The lighting was just too good; I’m always here for bathroom lighting.

ED: How did you first meet Olivia?

TR: I did Olivia’s “Deja Vu” video about a year ago and we’ve stayed friends since. She’s just the coolest. We first met on Zoom when she pitched me her idea for the video, and I just remember thinking she’s so articulate and smart and professional. We got along really well, and I consider her one of my friends.

ED: How do you two keep in touch, with her being such a huge pop star?

TR: She’s just casually a living icon, no big deal. We both work with Yves Saint Laurent, so we get to go to some YSL events together. And I got to see her show when she was performing a little while ago in the city. It’s so amazing seeing everyone in the audience be so inspired by her. I’m gushing because I think the world of her. I just saw a video of her at Glastonbury speaking on the Roe v. Wade decision and I think she’s such incredible role model. She’s also so down to earth and chill.

ED: Can we pause to talk about your Met Gala outfit?

TR: As soon as I heard the theme I started brainstorming. I found this story about a socialite named Nan Kempner who lived in New York City in the ‘60s. She tried to go to a club and there was a no-pants dress code for women, so she famously just took her pants off and walked into the club. I thought that was super badass, so I wanted to wear a look without pants to reference that story.

ED: What’s something that surprised you about the Met Gala?

TR: How normal it is. I didn’t really know what to expect; I never really thought about what went on inside. It’s surprisingly normal. People are just eating food, walking around, and talking. Wait, let me rephrase that: It’s an extremely normal evening, but with everyone you’ve ever looked up to all in a room. It’s normal but also extremely weird. People are really nice and approachable; it was surprisingly chill.

ED: Who were you most starstruck to see there?

TR: Justin Bieber sang “Baby,” which is obviously iconic. Like, 10-year-old me was freaking out. I started singing along, but when I looked around nobody else was singing! I was so surprised that people were not screaming “Baby” like I was.

ED: Did Olivia sing with you at least?

TR: Yeah, thankfully she was one of the few people vibing out with me.

Dancin’ Heels

ED: These heels are incredible! What’s the story behind them?

TR: I was on my way to my very first heels class. I do all styles of dance, but I had never taken heels before. Carlos Falú, my friend from West Side Story, has been teaching heels classes over the summer, so naturally I had to cop a pair of YSL heels for the class. This photos was right before the class, and I have my headphones on because I was about to get on the train. I actually changed back into sneakers before I got on the train, but I had to snap a picture of the ‘fit first.

ED: Wait, so heels is a style of dancing?

TR: Yeah. Carlos’ choreography is very jazz and hip hop-influenced, but in heels. It’s really difficult and it requires a different level of engagement in your core and legs to be able to do everything you would normally do while your dancing, but in six-inch heels.

ED: Does this pic convey your usual sense of style?

TR: Since I’m a dancer, I really like clothes that I can move in. Like this outfit for example, I like to wear small pants with a bigger shirt for more movement, or sometimes I’ll wear a smaller shirt with bigger pants. I think fabric and movement is fun to play with.

ED: Who is your style icon?

TR: Chloë Sevigny. And my sister Mimi, she always has good outfits. I’m actually wearing her shirt in this picture — she’s annoyed I didn’t give it back to her.

Jordan Fisher, The Perfect Movie Boyfriend

ED: This pic is so sweet! What was meeting Jordan Fisher for the first time like?

TR: We met for the first time on Zoom a few weeks after I was cast. My little brother Trey actually crashed the call because he loves video games and Jordan’s a gamer, so we got to talking about video games. And after that very first meeting, Jordan had Ninja make a video for Trey, because Trey’s a huge Ninja fan. Trey literally lost his mind. It was so sweet and thoughtful. He instantly recognized how important my family was to me.

ED: What was it like working so closely with Jordan in this romantic movie?

TR: Jordan’s really kind. He knew this was vastly different from my previous movies, and he always went out of his way to make sure I was doing well and was comfortable with the scenes. It was also my first time living alone, and he was really good about making sure that I was all good off set.

ED: Did you two bond over your shared dance background?

TR: Yeah, 100%. We both came from a Broadway background, so we talked a lot about that. And we learned plenty of TikTok dances together.

ED: You got cast in this movie right after you graduated high school. How did it feel to step into this role?

TR: It was definitely pretty relatable. I was thrilled to have a reason to put on a cap and gown and get to do the senior-year high school things that I didn’t get to do in real life.