Hailee Steinfeldhas not only survived child stardom, she’s thrived in her transition into adulthood.
In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, the actress, 26, says that’s thanks to, in part, having “a lot of incredible women in my life from a very young age.”
“I’ve never had a problem speaking up for myself,” she says. “It starts with my mom and my grandmother. I have my cousins who I’ve always felt like I could look up to. They’re incredible mothers and incredible businesswomen.”
Along the way, she made a friend in superstarTaylor Swift, who asked her to appear in her “Bad Blood” music video in 2015 after meeting her at a pre-Oscars party several years earlier.
“I mean, you get a call from Ms. Swift and you run to the phone,” she says. “It doesn’t even matter what’s about to be said on the other side. You run to the phone, you pick it up. It was the coolest to be a part of her music video with so many incredibly talented, empowering women. There were three of me that day, too, which was quite cool. To be a part of Taylor’s world and her vision was an honor, truly. I’m literally chasing the dates of her Eras tour trying to figure out when I can make it.”
Brooke Nipar
She also became friends withFlorence Pughwhen she made a guest appearance onHawkeye.
“I’ll never forget the moment I met Florence,” she says. “We were well into shootingHawkeyeat this point, and obviously, she hadBlack Widowat that time, but I could see how it could be intimidating to walk into a show and a foundation that’s already been built. Watching Florence walk on set like she had been there since day one was incredibly exciting and inspiring.”
“She is so wickedly talented and has the best sense of humor,” she continues. “It’s just amazing to be around. We hit it off very quickly. It’s always fun to find friends in all of this, and to be able to stand back and watch her and cheer her on from afar has been a very exciting thing for me.”
With her return as Gwen Stacy inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Versein theaters June 2, Steinfeld hopes to inspire others.
“Being a part of something that resonates with people of all ages, especially young people, is always so exciting to me,” she says. “This is a film I wish I had when I was younger. There’s so much heart in this character and in this story.”
source: people.com
