Before Hailee Steinfeld belted her heart out on your screens in Pitch Perfect 2, she started in the film industry by outshining 15,000 other teenagers for her role as Mattie Ross in The Coen brother’s 2009 novel adaptation of “True Grit.” Hailee went through a whirlwind audition process that proved, even though she was only 14 years old, she had the talent to “wow” Joel and Ethan Coen during their search across six states for their Mattie Ross. But before she auditioned for the role, thanks to a tip from her cousin about the casting call, there was quite a deal of work that went into it for Hailee. Years of acting classes, a last-minute costume design session with her mom, and practicing that left her feeling 110% ready for the audition was all that Hailee put in to land the role. We’re getting into precisely what she did to beat out thousands of 12–17-year-olds across the US to land her first Academy Award nomination for her “True Grit” role. Even after all the success she’s seen since “True Grit” hit the silver screen, Hailee has gained some perspective on the industry and shares her advice for other aspiring actors who may be facing the same amount of rejection she’s faced. Above all, despite her success, staying grounded and keeping her family and inner circle close is what has kept her the same Hailee Steinfeld, who first auditioned for the Coen brothers and acted alongside Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon in her first movie role.
