How Haley Lohrli Became One of Vertical Drama’s Defining Leading Ladies

Haley Lohrli didn’t just rise alongside the vertical drama boom — she became one of the faces audiences now associate with its most emotional stories. From heartbreak-heavy romances to morally messy characters, her performances have helped define what the genre looks like as it continues evolving.

Whether she’s playing a grieving mother, betrayed wife, villain, or heiress, Haley Lohrli has become one of the actresses audiences most closely associate with vertical dramas.

Over the past two years, the California actress has built a growing list of emotionally intense lead roles across romance, revenge, and family-centered stories that have helped define the genre’s rapid rise.

That growing visibility recently reached another milestone when Lohrli won “Kickass Heroine of the Year” at the 2025 Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards, a fan-voted recognition that reflected just how strongly audiences have connected with her work.

Rediscovering Acting During the Pandemic

Lohrli said acting first entered her life extremely early.

“My parents put me in acting and commercial work in TV and film when I was a baby,” she explained during a 2026 interview.

After spending part of her childhood around Los Angeles, she eventually stepped away from acting for several years when her family moved farther north. She later returned to it during her late high school and college years, eventually realizing she could not stop thinking about performing.

Right before starting a graduate program, Lohrli decided to fully pursue acting instead. Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those plans almost immediately.

Still, she said one online acting class during that period reminded her exactly why she wanted to continue:

“I was happier in the 1-hour acting class once a week than I had been in years,” she said. “So I was like this is definitely what I’m supposed to be doing.”

From Indie Projects to Vertical Dramas

Lohrli studied Psychology at California State University, Bakersfield before focusing more seriously on acting and screen work.

She has also spoken about how performance remained a constant creative outlet throughout her life. Reflecting on her early years performing for family members and participating in theater productions, she said:

Alongside acting, Lohrli trained in Tae Kwon Do and earned a second-degree black belt.

Before vertical dramas became a major part of her career, she built experience through short films and independent projects including “Momma’s Boy,” “Red Flamingos,” “An Average Poet,” and “Here’s to You.”

She also explored writing and creating her own work during those earlier years.

“I have written and starred in my own film, as well,” she shared while discussing her development as an actor and creator.

Finding Her Place in Vertical Dramas

Lohrli said she initially stumbled into vertical dramas almost by accident.

She recalled auditioning for what she believed was simply another web series project before realizing the production was being filmed vertically for mobile viewing.

“I showed up on set and the screens were sideways and I was like what is this?” she said. “I don’t understand.”

At the time, she said the format was still unfamiliar to many actors. But after hearing producers describe vertical dramas as “this new thing” that was about to “pop off,” she quickly found herself becoming part of one of the fastest-growing spaces in digital entertainment.

Lohrli’s career shifted noticeably in 2024 as vertical dramas exploded in popularity. That year alone, she appeared in a string of emotionally heavy series that quickly made her familiar to audiences watching short-form mobile dramas.

Among the projects that helped define her rise were “The Arrangement,” “Infatuated with the CEO,” “The Nurse’s Secret Marriage,” “The Double Life of a Billionaire Heiress,” and “My Firefighter Ex-Husband Burns in Regret.”

The posters for "Infatuated with the CEO," "My Firefighter's Ex-Husband Burns in Regret," and "The Nurse's Secret Marriage" | Source: ReelShort

Many of those stories placed Lohrli in emotionally demanding lead roles involving betrayal, grief, revenge, motherhood, and complicated romances. In particular, “My Firefighter Ex-Husband Burns in Regret” became one of the performances audiences still frequently associate with her because of the intensity of Hazel Stone’s storyline.

During an interview in January 2026, Lohrli admitted that some of her heavier roles can be emotionally exhausting, especially when filming stories centered on grief, loss, or trauma.

“When I have heavier emotional days and stuff like that … I like to just kind of be alone and stay in whatever space I need to stay in,” she explained while describing how she prepares for difficult scenes..

She said that during especially emotional productions, she often isolates herself between takes with headphones on so she can remain emotionally connected to the character throughout the day rather than repeatedly dropping in and out of intense scenes.

“But it’s hard,” she admitted. “I feel like it’s challenging to shake it off completely until the show’s fully wrapped, at least for those heavier ones.”

Taking the Genre Seriously

Part of what has helped Lohrli stand out within vertical dramas is the seriousness with which she approaches the material, even when the stories themselves lean into heightened twists, billionaires, revenge plots, or dramatic betrayals.

In the past, she has also spoken openly about wanting the genre to continue evolving creatively.

“I'd like to see more fantasy stories ,” she said while discussing the kinds of vertical stories she hopes become more common in the future. She also mentioned wanting to see more comedy and stronger genre variety beyond traditional romance formulas.

Lohrli also emphasized that she wants female characters within vertical dramas to feel more layered and active rather than simply reacting to the chaos around them.

That perspective appears throughout many of her performances, particularly in projects like “You Divorced a Genius Heiress,” “Sadness Knows No Boundaries,” and “How to Dump a Hockey Star,” where her characters gradually reclaim agency after betrayal or loss.

Building a Strong Fan Connection

Her social media gives fans glimpses of behind-the-scenes moments, cast friendships, and updates on upcoming projects. After winning “Kickass Heroine of the Year” at the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards, she thanked supporters directly in a celebratory Instagram post.

“What a special week!!!! Thank you to all my friends, family, and the FANS!!!!” she wrote. “You are the reason I’m able to chase my dreams every day.”

Lohrli has also spoken warmly about the friendships she has built through the industry, describing many collaborators as people she genuinely enjoys working with.

Looking Beyond One Genre

Even with her growing success in vertical dramas, Lohrli does not seem interested in staying creatively limited to a single type of role.

She has repeatedly spoken about continuing to train, improve, and challenge herself as an actor while exploring different genres and storytelling styles .

“Acting is when I am happiest,” she said while discussing why she continues pushing herself creatively.

For now, however, Lohrli remains one of the clearest examples of how vertical dramas have created a new generation of recognizable screen performers.

As the format continues expanding, her performances have helped prove that even within fast-moving short-form storytelling, emotionally grounded acting can still leave a lasting impression.