For an actress who came to the spotlight at the age of 13-years-old, following her critically-acclaimed performance in the Coen brothers’ film True Grit, Steinfeld has gone onto to carve out a stellar acting resumé – from roles in female-heavy comedy franchise Pitch Perfect to a lovesick teen in Romeo and Juliet opposite Douglas Booth – as well as a promising singing career with her recent US top 30 single, Starving.
But success at such a young age has meant finding her own voice hasn’t exactly been an overnight success for Steinfeld.
‘When you’re young and naïve, you listen to a lot of people around you suggesting different things. I’ve recently learnt to stick up for myself and figure out what I want. It’s important to say when it’s too much,’ she admits.
Something Hailee is proud to stand up against is the unrealistic expectation on women to act and look a certain way.
Following the release of her 2015 EP Love Myself, the star received criticism over the song’s lyrics that included lines such as ‘I’m gonna touch the pain away/ I know how to scream my own name’ along with a music video that saw Steinfeld wearing a T-shirt with the slogan ‘Self Service’, leading many to believe she was promoting masturbation.
At the time, Hailee came out in defence of the song admitting it was a song about female empowerment, both physically and mentally.
Looking back, Hailee admits: ‘The song was an anthem that makes you feel like you can walk out the door and conquer the world. That song been a constant reminder for self-love and confidence for me over the last year.’
It’s therefore unsurprising that feminism is a big talking point for the Californian native. A self-proclaimed proud member of feminism, Hailee says:
‘There was a time when [feminism] was the elephant in the room. It was weird people felt they couldn’t talk about feminism freely and openly say they’re a feminist. I believe in equal rights for everybody.’
One icon paving the way for feminism is Emma Watson – a fellow child actress who Steinfeld holds in high esteem, especially given her work on the campaign for the advancement of women initiated by UN Women, HeForShe.
‘She’s such a profound woman. There’s so much to learn from her, her passion, her drive and commitment to anything she works on. You only have to listen to her and you’ll be captivated,’ she says.