Key Takeaways

• Representation in media is crucial, as plus size women currently make up only 1.7% of primetime viewing hours.
• Lauren Hyland embodies resilience and confidence, redefining the narrative for plus size characters.
• Her style journey reflects a transformation from hiding her body to embracing her individuality.
• Music plays a significant role in building confidence and self-acceptance.

From thrifting in San Diego to stealing scenes in Private Lessons, Lauren Hyland is proof that confidence isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you build, one bold choice at a time.

Let’s talk about Private Lessons. If you haven’t binged it yet, where have you been? This TikTok vertical has all the romance book lovers of the internet hooked, and at the center of it all is Lauren Hyland, playing Riley Adams with the kind of confidence that makes you want to stand up and cheer.

She’s sassy, she’s smart and she doesn’t let anyone dim her light. In other words, she’s exactly the kind of plus size lead actress we’ve been craving.

In our conversation, she pulled back the curtain on what that journey really looked like.

When Representation Actually Means Something

Let’s get real for a second. In the research we found in The Representation Project, plus size women account for only 1.7% of primetime viewing hours. One point seven percent. That’s not representation. That’s erasure with a side of tokenism.

So when a character like Riley shows up, written with actual depth and played with real range, it hits different. Lauren Hyland knew exactly what she was doing as she prepared for her role in Private Lessons.

“What I loved about when I read for Riley is that there was a word that stuck out that was different from any of the auditions that I had read for plus size girls, and it was resilient,” she shared. “A lot of it is about being timid, being shy, being scared, being weak. And that is not how I would describe myself, nor would I describe a lot of plus size women like that.”

That word, resilient, became Lauren’s North Star for the role. She wanted Riley to be strong, to stand up for herself, to give it back when someone tried to tear her down. “I wanted to give her the confidence I have now as an adult that I wish I had at her age,” Lauren explained. And honestly? Mission accomplished.

The Style Journey We All Recognize

Before Lauren was commanding the screen, she was a flip-flop girlie in San Diego. Beach town casual, lots of thrifting and a wardrobe built around one key piece: the jacket. “I really just wanted to hide my body, and so that meant covering up with the jackets,” she admitted. “I would just think, you can’t see my body if I cover it up with a jacket. You have no idea what I look like.”

Sound familiar? So many of us have been there, using clothes as camouflage instead of celebration. But here’s where Lauren’s story gets good. She didn’t stay stuck in that place. Moving to LA at 19 to pursue acting meant more than just a change of scenery. It meant stepping into a new version of herself.

“Once I moved to LA and started to grow up and stop living with the idea of the old me and the old way I had to dress, I really started to flourish,” she said. “I started to take the jacket off and I started to show my arms a little bit more. And now I can walk outside and wear a tank top or I can celebrate on my birthday wearing a really short, beautiful little dolly dress.”

Lauren talking about embracing her style

That evolution didn’t happen overnight. It happened because Lauren started paying attention to women who dressed for joy, not permission. Ashley Graham showed her what confidence looked like.

Lizzo taught her that she was allowed to feel hot.

Megan Thee Stallion’s music became a whole mood. “I was like, wait, we can talk like that? We can say I’m a hottie?” Lauren laughed. “It was like giving myself permission. Yes, you can.”

And now? She’s pulling inspiration from everywhere. Sabrina Carpenter’s whimsical feminine energy. Drew Barrymore’s effortless cool in Charlie’s Angels. Even the skinny girls get a spot on her mood board because Lauren learned something crucial: style doesn’t have a size limit. It’s all about making it your own.

The Soundtrack to Self-Love

Before we talk clothes, we need to talk about the playlist. Because for Lauren, confidence didn’t just come from what she wore. It came from what she listened to.

“Girls in the Hood by Megan Thee Stallion. That is the song,” Lauren said without hesitation. “I was like, wait, we can talk like that? We can say I’m a hottie? I just was always raised to be very modest and very like, not to say I’m not pretty, but like, I wouldn’t say I’m pretty, you know what I mean?”

That’s the power of the right song at the right moment. Lizzo’s Truth Hurts gave her permission to just exist unapologetically. SZA, especially tracks like Kitchen, made her feel like “an ethereal fairy that can just exist.” It’s not about the lyrics being explicitly body positive. It’s about the vibe and the way certain songs make you stand a little taller.

“All of these women were like granting me permission to act how I want to act. They’re like, it’s okay, baby. Just do it. Just act however you want to act,” Lauren explained.

Building Confidence One Outfit at a Time

Here’s what’s wild about confidence in plus size fashion: it’s not a switch you flip. It’s a practice you build. Body positivity isn’t a permanent emotional state but a practice with highs, lows and everything in between.

For Lauren, that practice looked like wearing that orange swimsuit in the pool scene from Private Lessons. “That scene was like last minute too. They added the pool party last minute and they’re like, do you have a swimsuit and a cover up? And I said, I’ve been waiting for this moment guys! I’ve been waiting to show y’all this one.” The confidence radiates through the screen because it’s real. She chose that moment.

Her fashion formula these days? Statement pieces first. “I love a jacket. That’s my first thing,” she said. “Or if it’s the jeans where I’m like; the jeans are going to do the talking today; then I mostly do a jean or jacket person.”

High-waisted baggy jeans have become her go-to; a style choice that would have terrified her younger self. “I used to never want them because I thought; the baggier I look; the bigger I’m going to look; and now I’m like; I don’t care! You don’t need to worry about my shape! If I feel comfortable in this and I love the way it looks on me; then that’s it.”

The Legacy Lauren Hyland is Building

When I asked Lauren about the legacy she wants to leave behind; she got emotional. “I guess the legacy I want to leave behind is that you can just do what scares you,” she said; “I’m scared all the time! I’m scared of how I’m being perceived! But if I don’t do it; who will?”

She’s building that legacy right now! Every comment from a viewer who sees themselves in Riley! Every message from someone who felt seen for the first time! Every young plus size girl who watches Private Lessons and thinks; “Maybe I can do that too!”

@imdbrigette We need more mini series with this level of acting ! @LOLO can’t wait to see you in more ! #privatelessons #laurenhyland #josephpurcell #mileycyrus #romance ♬ original sound – IMDBrigette

“I never wanted to be that girl! I just thought by the time I’m acting; there will be so many women who look like me! I didn’t think I would still kind of be representation,” Lauren shared; “So it’s really nice to still be representation for people and for them to feel seen by me.”

The response to Private Lessons has been overwhelming! Fans are demanding a movie! They’re rewatching episodes on repeat! They’re finally seeing a plus-size character who’s more than just punchline or sob story! Riley is complex; confident; and completely herself!

Lauren Hyland is doing something revolutionary quietly: she’s being herself! A plus-size woman who’s talented; confident; complex; and worthy of being lead! Not best friend! Not comic relief! The star!

Private Lessons gave us Riley! But more importantly; it gave us Lauren! And we’re here for everything she does next!