Hailee, Happily Ever After

A few years ago, Hailee Steinfeld, the avid pinner she is, created a Pinterest mood board titled "28." There wasn't a rhyme or reason to it other than the fact that, at the time, 28 felt like an ideal age to usher in change and accomplish certain life milestones. As she tells me, the slightly embarrassing hodgepodge of images only decipherable to her was effectively a representation of what she hoped her life would look like.

Coincidentally and cosmically speaking, 28 can be a year of great significance in one's life. It's at this time that you are said to be entering your Saturn return—an astrological event that takes place when Saturn, the planet of responsibility and maturity, returns to the position in space that it occupied when a person was born—which happens approximately every 29.5 years. Your Saturn return is a period often defined by the self-reflection, growth, and transformative challenges that can be felt between 27 and 30.

For Steinfeld, who turned 28 in December, this couldn't be more accurate.

A career-changing role. A major haircut. New entrepreneurial endeavors. An engagement. Both professionally and personally, the actress has reached a thrilling turning point, and whether it was always written in the stars or the result of a good old-fashioned Pinterest manifestation, you can't help but feel she was destined for this major moment.

"I'm so excited to continue feeling like I am confidently and unapologetically stepping into my own more and more," Steinfeld says. Speaking on Zoom, the actress, multiplatinum musician, and producer is comfortably seated on a couch in what she calls her "creative den" in the Buffalo, New York, home she shares with Bills quarterback and fiancé Josh Allen. Wearing a mauve quarter-zip jacket with matching pants, her sleek brunette bob tucked behind her ears, she adds, "I feel like I've been given some wonderful opportunities throughout my life to do that, but I've never done it like I'm doing it now. I think that has to do with my age and where I'm at."

Since she landed her first major role at 13 in the Coen brothers' Western True Grit, for which she earned an Oscar nomination, Steinfeld's career can be marked by a series of high notes. There was her leading role in the critically acclaimed 2016 coming-of-age drama The Edge of Seventeen. This was followed by her turn in Pitch Perfect 2 and Pitch Perfect 3, which introduced the world to her superior vocal abilities and prompted her seismic shift into pop stardom with hits like "Love Myself" and "Starving." Then there was her TV debut in the 2019 Apple TV+ series Dickinson, for which she also served as executive producer, and that earned her a coveted Peabody Award. She then made her foray into voice acting in the Academy Award–nominated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Netflix's Arcane. The list is expansive and impressive.

Still, Steinfeld was ready for a new challenge. After a nearly five-year hiatus from film (her last movie was 2018's Bumblebee) followed by the 2023 actors' strike, she was eager to get back to work and show herself in a new light. As if the universe was listening, rumors of a new Ryan Coogler project started swirling.

"You hear that, and your ears perk up instantly," she says. "I always have this conversation with my agents where it's like, 'Even if there's not a part for me, let me take a meeting.' You just want the chance." Coogler had been on Steinfeld's radar ever since her Spider-Man co-star Daniel Kaluuya shared a glowing review of the director. She was left feeling that if she ever had the opportunity to work with him, it would be a "run—don't walk" situation.

The conversation with Kaluuya kept replaying in her head when she finally did get that meeting with Coogler. At the time, Steinfeld hadn't seen a script for his new project called Sinners, nor did she have any details, but while listening to the writer and director share his vision for the horror thriller and how he wanted to tell the story, she knew it was going to be something incredible.

At the time of writing this article, much of the film, starring frequent Coogler collaborator Michael B. Jordan, is still shrouded in secrecy. We do know that Jordan plays twins Stack and Smoke, that it's set deep in the rural South during the Jim Crow era, and that there are vampires, but that's apparently not the only supernatural element to it. Coogler stated in an interview that the film is "genre fluid."

We also know that Steinfeld plays a character named Mary, but that's about it. As I haven't seen the film myself (the studio wasn't screening for press yet), Steinfeld had to do a bit of mental gymnastics to ensure she wasn't revealing too much. But all of the mystery has piqued my interest. Plot details aside, it's clear in talking to her what a life-changing experience making the film has been, one she hopes will push her career into an exhilarating new direction.

"When I read the script, it was one of those things where it's just a feeling. It's a feeling I've only got a handful of times, and that's a privilege and a blessing. But it's a feeling that, once you have felt it, you crave nothing but that feeling," Steinfeld says of Sinners. The role of Mary was unlike anything Steinfeld had ever read before. For a period of time, the actress felt like she had fallen into a familiar pattern with the scripts she was reading and the characters she had played—always someone coming of age with some kind of estranged parent or sibling and feeling very alone. Mary felt like brand-new, more mature territory. Steinfeld was immediately taken with how Mary spoke, how she carried herself, and the way she made her presence known in a room full of people.

Steinfeld knew she'd be devastated if she didn't get the part, but just going through the audition process and being on the doorstep of something really exciting was extremely fulfilling for the actress. It assured her that great material and filmmakers were still out there. "I remember getting the call [that I got the part]. It felt like the call that I got when I booked True Grit. My whole world just stopped, and it was like, 'What do we do?! We've got to celebrate!'" she says.

The actress talks about her experience filming Sinners fondly. She had the support of Coogler and Jordan, who created an environment for everyone to be able to show up and deliver their best performances. She formed a tight bond with the group of badass women—including Wunmi Mosaku, Li Jun Li, Jayme Lawson, and Zinzi Coogler, to name a few—and now considers them lifelong friends. Then there was the incredible work of costume designer Ruth Carter that allowed her to step outside of her comfort zone with a new haircut and new silhouette. "I think there was a part of this experience that forced me to grow and left me no choice," Steinfeld says.

The more she talks about it, I get the sense this is a performance that is going to blow people away, and I'm not alone. I reached out to Jordan, who had this to say about his Sinners co-star:

"Hailee's performance in Sinners is very, very versatile and honestly fun. I think it's gonna make people lean in and get a chance to see her in a way they haven't had an opportunity to see her in before. As you know, it's tough to grow up in this industry where people get a chance to see you every step of the way, and they kinda have an idea of who you are and what you can do. I think this is one of those roles that's gonna show Hailee in a new light. I'm really excited for people's reaction to the depth that she went to for this role, and without giving away too much, the way she portrayed the complexity of the character and the layered relationships with Stack and Smoke was so nuanced and amazing to watch. Look, I had so much fun working with her. She's extremely talented, an extremely hard worker, and a great scene partner. When you're on a project like this, in the midst of hard scenes to navigate, [and] balancing the emotional aspects and long days, you really get a chance to become a family. I'm extremely proud of her, and I can't wait for the world to see her performance, and I truly can't wait to see what she does next."

Steinfeld adds, "[Sinners] was truly something that will stay with me for the rest of my life for so many reasons, but one being that this was a role that I had been waiting for, and I hope and pray that I get to do a million more of these because I do think that's part of this next phase of life."

As acting seems to be Steinfeld's main focus, I can't help but wonder about the status of her music career and what role it plays in her life right now. Having amassed eight billion streams globally with a list of certified bops and tours with the likes of Katy Perry and Charlie Puth, Steinfeld has more than earned her spot in the pop-star echelon. Her last single "SunKissing" came out in 2023.

"Some of the greatest moments and highlights of my life have been because of my music and through music," Steinfeld shares. Putting out her own music was a lifelong dream realized for Steinfeld, who grew up spending hours in front of the mirror singing Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey. She got to work with some of the best writers and producers in the business and had the time of her life doing it. It wasn't just a creative outlet. It was also a way to connect with people around the world.

I ask her if that chapter has ended or if we can expect more music.

"I'm not done," she assures me.

That's not to say, though, that a new single or album is on the way anytime soon. Steinfeld has talked openly about the difficult decision to take a step back from her music, as her creative vision didn't align with the vision of others. She hopes to one day come back to it, saying she has a completed project that she's holding on to for whenever the time is right. For now, the dream is to have another opportunity to be in a film with a musical component. "To the saying of 'one door closes and another one opens,' it's given me the opportunity to put that creative effort into something else that I'm really proud of and excited about," she says.

This brings us to Beau Society, the weekly newsletter Steinfeld launched in August of 2024. After stepping away from music, the actress quickly felt a sense of isolation and was looking for a new way to connect with her fans. Despite amassing over 24 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, she says she's never been great with social media. "I find it hard to go on there and cut through the noise," she tells me.

The idea of a newsletter came from a desire to create a two-way conversation with her community, something that felt more like a casual discussion or a personal note from a friend. Steinfeld has now published over 20 issues and has covered a range of topics—from mental health and how to curb holiday stress to her favorite recipes and how to find the perfect archival designer finds, like an amazing fringe Dior suit she scored on eBay. It has proven to be an amazing outlet for the actress; she gets visibly excited thinking about its future and the goals and ambitions she has for it over the next year. "It feels like a space in which I feel safe and comfortable sharing more than I generally would," Steinfeld says. "It has pushed me into embracing change and embracing the fact that, as an actor, you're protected by the character that you play, and it's a really great feeling to have that. … I get to be as vulnerable as possible, and I don't have to tell you anything else."

Now's when I get into a topic Steinfeld is particularly private about: her relationship with Allen. The two had been dating for roughly two years when he proposed in November, a truly unexpected and perfect day she is more than happy to talk about with me. When I ask if she had any inkling it was coming, she's quick to respond. "Oh my God, no!" she says. "You talk to your girlfriends about that, right, where you're like, 'I just don't want to know.'" Fortunately, Allen had the foresight (and sneaky ability) to ensure Steinfeld dressed up a little bit for their date that day. "I'm so grateful that he did it the way he did so that I looked good, and we have these photos that we'll have and cherish for the rest of our lives that I'm not looking at being like, 'What was I wearing?'" she adds. Though she fully blacked out in the moment, she describes the day as simply the greatest of her life. "We were in Malibu, which is my happy place, and it was magical. That's the word," she says.

Despite both having high-profile jobs, the couple has managed to keep their relationship mostly out of the spotlight, sharing only small snippets through Beau Society and on social media. "When you realize that so much is already out there in every other aspect of your life, you really learn to cherish the little that isn't. It just makes things extra special, and it's just for you," Steinfeld says of protecting their relationship.

It's all part of the wild ride that is Steinfeld's life right now. I'm catching her before what will surely be an eventful few months, starting with the release of Angel Margarita, her new ready-to-drink canned margarita line with Premium Beers Group. The venture started a few years ago when Steinfeld created a list of entrepreneurial avenues she wanted to explore, and an alcohol brand was one of them.

I'm quick to ask if a margarita was on her "28" vision board. "You know what? I bet you if I go down that board, there's something in there. I bet you," she laughs.

She's also gearing up for what will hopefully be an expansive global press tour for Sinners. She and longtime stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn have been plotting looks for well over a year, and she's excited to get back on the red carpet and do a totally different kind of tour than we've seen in the past.

There's a theme developing. We're seeing the actress like never before. Steinfeld is boldly entering a new era, and we're seated for it.

Talent: Hailee Steinfeld

Photographer: Myrthe Giesbers

Stylist: Lauren Eggertsen

Hairstylist: Jake Gallagher

Makeup Artist: Kristine Studden

Manicurist: Tom Bachik

Creative Director: Jeanie Mordukhay

Production Designer: Carlos Laszlo

Copy Editor: Jaree Campbell