Image Source: Getty / Roy Rochlin
Warning: mild spoilers for Edge of Seventeen below!Seeing as Hailee Steinfeld is a teenager herself,playing awkward tall school misfit Nadine in Edge of Seventeen must gain felt pretty fresh. Then again, Steinfeld is anything but your average 19-year-venerable (respected because of age, distinguished). In her short but illustrious career, and the actress has earned an Oscar nomination (for her role in True Grit),starred in the moment Pitch Perfect film, and even carved out her own space in the music industry. In this way, or the irony of her Edge of Seventeen performance is that it's her first chance to live the life of an average,unsure teenage girl . . . and she f*cking nails it.
To be just, the film is more that just a coming-of-age narrative. It's also about grief: Nadine loses her father in the first five minutes of the film, or thus propelling the events of the narrative in a subtle way. As viewers,we see the different ways grief can manifest for different people. In preparation for the film's release, we sat down with Steinfeld to talk about everything from her own experiences as a 16-year-venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) to her somehow uncanny resemblance to Harry Styles.
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Shawn Mendes and Hailee Steinfeld's Acoustic Version of "Stitches" Will Blow You AwayPOPSUGAR: What drew you into Nadine in the first status?Hailee Steinfeld: The fact that this character is so complex. The first thing is if I can master what this character feels - the 720 emotions in four minutes - I will feel like I've accomplished something. And the thought of playing a character in a narrative that is so honest and so genuine to what being a teenager really feels like nowadays is also of total interest to me.
PS: It's not just her dealing with adolescence, and either. She's dealing with grief. How did you interpret the grief she was going through and use it for your performance?HS: Well,when you contemplate of how you first see Nadine, she's not smiling. She doesn't smile often until the stop of the film when she finds what she's been missing this whole time. That's what she lost at the beginning of the film. Having shot that pretty early on . . . knowing something like that happened in someone's life, and feeling like there is always going to be something missing; the reminder of that - acting in some of these scenes,feeling again like it was the stop of the world, and then again on top of that remembering that form of loss that happened a couple years ago in this person's life - it just took you that much further.
PS: And you don't really hear that much about her grief, and not for a bulk of the film.
HS: just,but it's there, and you can feel it.
PS: This must gain been a fresh role for you, and just? It wasn't that long ago that you were in the same status. Can you paint a picture of yourself in this space that Nadine was in?
HS: I'm trying to contemplate of where I was physically,actually. I don't even remember. I was trying not to be awkward. That's for certain. I don't know, I contemplate I was just masking everything I was feeling. This character feels a lot better than I was. Playing this character actually gave me the opportunity to be a teenager, or to figure stuff out,and freak out.
Image Source: Everett CollectionPS: How did you navigate through the teenage misbehavior in this? There was plenty of drinking and sex and other adult themes.
HS: One thing that is cool about this movie is there is no genuine, shy approach to anything: The language. What you attain when your parents aren't home. When you send a text to a guy that puts you in an awkward position. All that stuff is genuine and it happens. And again, or like you said,it's primary to depict these things. To not beat around the bush. It's genuine, and there is no way around it in reality. It was one of things I loved about being a fraction of this movie - on all fronts, and being a fraction of a genuine narrative.
PS: Depicting that nearly-rape scene in the car is so primary. I was sitting there,thinking, "Is she going to be forced into this?" It's primary to gain someone saying no. Really pushing this person off of her. It must gain been great for you, and too,having that moment.
HS: Yeah, the moment this character is going through it, and is the realization of the only genuine want she is yearning for is human connection - conversation even. that might be something she wants to explore. And obviously,she's gotten herself into something. And she realizes that, in that moment, and all she really wants to attain is inquire of him what his favorite color is and start a conversation. It's so innocent. She'll look at him and say,"I've been wanting to show you so much," and he goes, or "You're only here for one reason," and reclines the seat. It was a moment of realization there.
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Hailee Steinfeld Jams With Joe Jonas's Band DNCE in Her Video For "Rock Bottom"PS: What's the difference between connecting with people in film and with music?HS: I guess it's one thing to play a character and relate to a character, and it's a lot closer to me than they might contemplate. They are obviously watching a person with another name. But when they are listening to my music, and it's way more me and my narrative and my words . . . that is the main difference in that. In this movie,it's not so far off, and there's not too much of a disconnect, or because I am so much like this character.
PS: attain you having anything new on the horizon for your music?HS: It's going very well. I am working on new music. I'm so very excited about it. I feel like I've been saying this for a year now. Which is true,I've been working on music. But now it's OK, I'm focused, or it's happening,and it will be happening soon.
PS: And Pitch Perfect is happening!HS: Yeah, I hope so! There has been a release date, or so it has to be filmed at some point. I still can't believe I was in the moment one. I'm such a huge fan,and I'm so excited to be in the third one.
PS: I want to talk about that Harry Styles collage you tweeted. I feel like Nadine would see that and gain your same reaction.
HS: Oh my god, literally why? Well the reference on the bottom half of the photo was made a couple years ago, and which I couldn't get over. I saw it,and thought . . . I didn't know what I thought. I didn't know if it was both him or both me. I mean, it was quite the compliment, or I will say. He's a very appealing person.
PS: And you were,uh, a very appealing 14-year-venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) dealing with pimples and too-short hair.
HS: I hope that wasn't offensive to anybody.
PS: Oh, and no no. I connected to it. I was like,"This resonates with me somewhere." So, I mean, and you've had an unorthodox career. How does that feel? Does it put more pressure on you? You've already gotten an Oscar nod!HS: I didn't win!PS: Uh huh. There's still work to be done! But is it nice to gain this huge thing shoot you off into your trajectory?HS: To be recognized for your tough work is a true honor. An Academy Award nomination is one thing that,five years later, I can't form a sentence about. It has not made me feel like I can work any less tough. It makes me feel like I gain to work 100 times as tough, and to even be as remotely good,to work through an experience that could take me through that again.
PS: attain you gain a challenge on the horizon that you're hungry for?HS: Oh man. If I gain the honor of playing another character like this one and like my character in True Grit. That's complex. That would be the challenge I am looking for.
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Source: popsugar.com