I dislike writing about Hailee Steinfeld for the same reason I dislike writing about people like Kaia Gerber. I always think, “Aw, So-and-So is just a kid, they shouldn’t even be in the media right now.” I felt that way about Hailee for years after her star turn in True Grit, when she would show up on red carpets and at events, and I wanted to yell “cover up and go home, you’re just a baby!” But she hung around, and she ended up transitioning into a teen/adult star with a variety of film and television projects, not to mention her move into pop music. She’s now 21 years old – look at that babyface!! – and on the cover of Marie Claire to talk about her music and her everything else. You can see the MC package here. Some highlights:
On pursuing her music career: “As an actor, I’m masked by characters, protected by them. But as a musician, it’s my story, my voice, my face. It’s me on that stage talking about that horrible experience I went through and [saying,] ‘Here, I’m going to sing about it.’ It’s such a different kind of vulnerable. To connect with fans, there’s pressure in feeling like I have to do things that I’m uncomfortable with, in terms of opening up enough about myself.”
On finding love: “I’m trying to protect myself and have a bit of a guard up, but I also want to fall in love and know why love hurts.”
Advice she’d give to her younger self: “Listen to yourself. So many people will try and steer you in a certain direction— not saying that that’s the wrong direction at all—but you have to know what’s right for you. Trust yourself, follow your heart, and do what makes you happy. Don’t forget to live for yourself.”
On using her platform for good: “I’ve worked hard and gotten to a place where I have a voice: How can I use it? What can I, as a human, as an artist, do?”
She seems… fine. Sort of boring, but not in a programmed-child-actor sort of way, like everything is too glossy and professional. She managed to grow her acting career, start her music career and keep her sanity all at once. It’s sort of remarkable. What do you think about this though? “I’m trying to protect myself and have a bit of a guard up, but I also want to fall in love and know why love hurts.” For some reason, it made me think of Selena Gomez. Like, love is a trap at that age. Love hurts, all love causes psychic pain at that age. But you grow out of it… usually.
Photos courtesy of Kai Z Keng for Marie Claire.
Irritating to me to read “as an artist”. Shut it with the artist talk already. It’s so pretentious and actor-roundtable-self-congratulatory.
Who is she the child of? Someone famous?
Her regular parents. She’s a very talented young woman (at both acting and singing) in her own right.
Great management. She got a big break with that Damon movie. And she got great coverage with her story of that audition and meeting that girl from glee. Got a few more jobs.
She launched a music career fairly easily by working with top artists. Management and connections. Talent almost doesn’t matter. Loads get equally great careers with no talent. She had help.
oh STFU seriously
“i want to know why love hurts.” u gunna regret that statement girl
thank god i wasn’t famous and didn’t have social media when i was that age. this is the stuff you say at her age that mortifies you when you grow up
“I’m trying to protect myself and have a bit of a guard up, but I also want to fall in love and know why love hurts.” Ugh. I like her a whole lot, but I really hope she think twice about that very last bit. Unfortunately, this idea of romantic love is still very much alive amongst young people, and young women specifically. Hell, I know I’m still trying to get it through my head, and I’m only two years older than her. What I’m trying to say is: if it hurts, then get the f*ck outta there.
It reminds me of the quote “All great love stories end in tragedy.” I someone attributed the original quote to Hemingway, but I’m not sure. Whether the love is that of a mother/child, husband/wife, best friends – at some point, one of them will die, hence the tragedy.
I don’t think that’s what Hailee meant by her interview though. To that I say, “Love should not hurt, Hailee. If it does, you’re with the wrong person.”
amen sister
Whenever I see her the first thought in my head is ‘pantsless’.
She was great in the Edge of Seventeen movie, esp. her scenes with Woody Harrelson.
I actually really loved that movie n for all intents n purposes I am way out of its demographic. I thought she was great in it, as well as woody, n her best friend, brother, etc.
I think she’s extremely talented.
She is a great actress. That Edge of Seventeen movie was so good.
And she can sing (even though they feel the need to auto tune even the nicest voices these days).
I am not interested in reading any interview by a 20 something starlet because well I can’t relate and if I do I end up rolling my eyes the whole time and then disliking them which I really shouldn’t because they are just young.
I hope that Hailee continues on the acting path she has chosen and stays sane in Hollyweird.
Oh yes and she is lovely, such a pretty girl. I am fairly certain she had a great nose job somewhere on the way and I hope she leaves the surgery at that.