Actress, singer, and songwriter, Hailee Steinfeld established herself as a future household name back in 2010, when she was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting role in the hugely successful ‘True Grit’ at just 14-years old. In light of her rise to fame, many have explored the actress’s background and asked the question – is Hailee Steinfeld related to showbiz A-lister, Jerry Seinfeld?
Hailee Steinfeld is not related to Jerry Seinfeld. Despite the two sharing similarities in their names and vocations, the two celebrities are not bonded on a familial level.
Yet, although the two stars aren’t actually related, the similarities in their names have been a source of amusement and confusion for the California-born Steinfeld and her family over the years, and the actress has regaled stories relating to the confusion in the past.
Past Confusion
In a number of interviews on a range of different talk-shows, including The Late Late Show with James Cordon, Steinfeld details hilarious episodes in the past when her mother, Cheri Steinfeld, has been confused with Jerry Seinfeld when making reservations over the phone. Steinfeld suggests that the result of this mistaken identity almost landed them with reservations far grander than what they’d expected!
How Did Hailee Steinfeld Become Famous?
Born in Los Angeles, in the city’s affluent Tarzana area, Steinfeld started acting at a very early age and her acting career was formally launched at just the age of eight. Before her breakout role in ‘True Grit’, which would prove to be her most significant project, Steinfeld was a child actor featuring in TV series’ and a number of short movies.
Prior to her big break in 2010, Steinfeld featured in short movies such as ‘She’s a Fox’ and ‘Heather: A Fairy Tale’.
During the casting process for ‘True Grit’, seminal directors, Joel and Ethan Coen, are believed to have penned in around 15,000 auditions with young actresses eager to take on the role of Mattie Ross.
Talking about the casting process, Joel Cohen said: “Ninety percent of the kids just get eliminated for one very obvious reason: They’re not actors in any sort of natural way… Beyond that, the screenplay, as a reflection of the novel, is written in a very particular kind of language, so it’s almost like casting a verse player.”
Around two months prior to shooting, the directors sat down with Steinfeld and watched the talented actress do a reading with industry heavyweight, Jeff Bridges. Following the reading, the directors came to a decision and agreed to cast Steinfeld.
Reflecting on the audition, Steinfeld once said: “Just the thought of it was kind of intimidating… But the minute I met [Bridges], I realized that he was just there to do a job — and I’m there for the same reason, and I kind of clicked with him and the Coen brothers.”
In frank terms, the rest was history. Not only did Steinfeld go on to pick up an Oscar nomination for her role in the movie, but she also won a number of smaller awards and was nominated for a BAFTA too.
What Films Has Hailee Steinfeld Acted In?
After her emergence in the big-time, Steinfeld went from strength-to-strength, landing a series of big roles on the back of her early-career exploits. In 2013, Steinfeld landed the starring role of Juliet in Carlo Carlei’s adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, and in the same year, the award-winning actress took on the role of Petra Arkanian in the sci-fi blockbuster ‘Ender’s Game’.
In 2015, Steinfeld joined the likes of Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson in the Pitch Perfect cast for the film’s sequel, Pitch Perfect 2. Her role in the film would prove to be the actress’s first big foray into a big franchise, and two years later, in 2017, Steinfeld once again starred in Pitch Perfect 3.
Reflecting on her last outing in the Pitch Perfect franchise, Steinfeld said: “I felt like I had it down and knew what I was doing… I didn’t have to prove myself and the process was a little bit easier that time round… We showed up to aca boot camp and went right to work as if no time had passed. It’s always so awesome because you get into a dance rehearsal or a recording session, and you fall right back into the groove.”
Steinfeld also went on to star in Transformers spin-off ‘Bumblebee’ in 2018, where she took on the role of Charlie, the film’s female lead.
Where Next?
At such a young age, Steinfeld has already proven her showbiz credentials and has developed a promising music career too, having launched her debut single ‘Love Myself’ in 2015. In terms of her career trajectory, the sky’s the limit, but will her fame ever surpass the level of Jerry Seinfeld? That is yet to be seen…