Critics have been hailing “Bumblebee” as the best Transformers movie and they point out Hailee Steinfeld’s emotionally resonant performance as one of the big reasons why it works.
“There was quite a bit that I found I could relate to with this character. I love first of all how driven and passionate she is just about life in general, what she loves about the people around her. I definitely think we share that,” said the Filipino-American actress in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
When she was just 14, Steinfeld became one of the youngest ever nominees for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “True Grit.”
When asked how she found out what she really wanted to do in life, she said: “When I was younger, I jumped around to so many different hobbies so quickly. It was dance one day, basketball the next day. It was another type of dance the next day… it was all these random bits that my parents would fully invest themselves in because they knew that it was something that I wanted. And then I would do it and decide that it wasn’t for me.”
“It wasn’t until I got the idea of performing is what was of interest to me. I didn’t necessarily know what that meant until I really got into it. I guess I have my parents, my family for supporting me fully,” she added.
Steinfeld, whose grandfather is Filipino, has played many memorable characters but there’s something close to home that she hasn’t done yet.
“I have not [come across a story where there’s a Filipino character] but if I did, I absolutely would love to. It’s something I am very proud of. I’ve been only once, I have to go again. To this day, going to the Philippines, one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had in my career, so I would love to go back. So yeah, if there was ever a part, I would love to play it,” she said.
The movie also stars Angela Bassett as the voice of the villain Shatter while Dylan O’Brien voices Bumblebee.
It’s now out in US cinemas and will be shown in the Philippines starting January 8.