Hailee Steinfeld is one of the most talented young actors in the entire world. It has kind of been that way since she made her feature film debut in 2010, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award as a teenager. Since then, she has continued to wow audiences with every opportunity.
The 2010s partially belonged to Steinfeld, as she acted in several well-received films, launched a successful music career, and now has the lead role in a television series. It just seems like she can do no wrong these days and there's no stopping this star, whether it's with her music career, her film roles, or her TV shows.
Updated on December 29th, 2021 by Kevin Pantoja: Hailee Steinfeld continues to be one of the hottest young stars in Hollywood. An already impressive career that featured an Oscar nomination and some tremendous other works has only grown in 2021. Most recently, she wrapped the final season of her Apple TV+ series, voiced a major character on a Netflix show, and landed a huge role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No matter which way you slice it, Hailee Steinfeld movies and TV shows are almost always met with strong acclaim from both casual audiences and critics.
Hateship Loveship (2013) - 6.1
Rent On Apple TV
Along with Hailee Steinfeld, one of the most notable and successful actors of the 2010s was Kristen Wiig. Among her many well-received films was Hateship Loveship, which sees Wiig play a shy caretaker who comes to find that the son-in-law of the man she's working for is falling in love with her.
That son-in-law is played by Guy Pearce and his daughter Sabitha is portrayed by Steinfeld. It's not one of her most famous roles but Steinfeld showcased her quality acting chops in this role. In fact, the main thing the movie got praised for was the performances of the cast.
Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) - 6.1
Stream On Netflix
Zach Galifianakis became a major name in comedy after his breakout performance in 2009's The Hangover. Since then, he has continued to find steady work, which included being the host of Between Two Ferns, a web series where he awkwardly interviews celebrities, often trading insults with them.
In 2019, Netflix released a film version of it that saw Galifianakis interview over a dozen stars from Awkwafina to Benedict Cumberbatch to Tessa Thompson to Hailee Steinfeld. A case could be made that Steinfeld has one of the best segments, hanging in there with Gaifianakais at every turn.
3 Days To Kill (2014) - 6.2
Stream On Starz
It always seems like Hailee Steinfeld is blessed with working alongside some of the top names in Hollywood. In 2014's 3 Days to Kill, she got to star as the daughter (Zooey Renner) of Kevin Costner (Ethan Renner). CIA agent Ethan spends the film trying to reconnect with her.
After learning he is going to die, he takes one final mission to save himself and grow closer to Zooey. The relationship between Steinfeld and Costner's characters is actually one of the highlights of the story as it's the emotional aspect that grounds the story, which is otherwise filled with action.
Pitch Perfect 2 (2012) - 6.4
Stream On HBO Max
The original Pitch Perfect was something of a surprise hit, grossing $115.4 million on a $17 million budget. That meant a sequel was obvious and 2015's Pitch Perfect 2 added onto the things fans loved about the first film, with fun characters and great musical numbers.
Hailee Steinfeld joined the sequel was a freshman named Emily Junk who becomes a member of the Barden Bellas. While it wasn't considered an improvement on the original, audiences still liked it. Steinfeld gets to perform one of the film's signature songs and she reprised her role for the third installment.
The Homesman (2014) - 6.6
Stream On Vudu, Tubi, & IMDb TV
The first of two movies tied with a 6.6 rating is The Homesman, released in 2014. It took Steinfeld back to the western genre for the first time since her debut. Once again, she was with impressive performers like Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, and Meryl Streep.
This is one of Steinfeld's smaller roles as she plays a young maid named Tabitha Hutchinson who mostly shows up near the end of the film. The Homesman is about a group of women who are transported across the country after being driven mad by the pioneer life.
Ender's Game (2013) - 6.6
Stream On AMC+ & IMDb TV
There was hope that this film would really further Hailee Steinfeld's career because it had such a strong following coming into it. Ender's Game, released in 2013, is based on a popular 1985 novel of the same name. It's a sci-fi flick where a gifted youngster is sent to space to lead the fight against aliens.
The protagonist of this was played by Asa Butterfield, while other actors included Harrison Ford and Sir Ben Kinglsey. Steinfeld portrayed Petra Arkanian, a tough female recruit who helps to train the hero. The film bombed at the box office but received mixed reviews.
Bumblebee (2018) - 6.7
Stream On Paramount+
The Transformers franchise made a ton of money during its run. However, a vast majority of the films, helmed by Michael Bay, were poorly received. That all changed with the prequel/partial reboot that was 2018's Bumblebee. Steinfeld took on the lead role of a girl named Charlie who was grieving the loss of her father.
Charlie befriends Bumblebee, an Autobot, and helps him fight off the Decepticons who come to Earth. The action was enjoyable but the heart of the movie was the bond between Bumblebee and Charlie. Steinfeld did a great job acting across from no one to make you believe it all.=
The Edge Of Seventeen (2016) - 7.3
Stream On Netflix
In a decade that saw films like Booksmart and Lady Bird, there's a good chance that 2016's The Edge of Seventeen is the best coming-of-age tale of them all. Hailee Steinfeld may give her best performance ever as Nadine Franklin, a teen who struggles when her best friend starts dating her brother.
Along with the outstanding work of Steinfeld, the film was lauded for pretty much every aspect. Woody Harrelson is a blast in a supporting role, the writing was incredibly sharp, and there are plenty of awkward yet hilarious moments. There's a reason this won so many awards.
Begin Again (2013) - 7.4
Stream On Netflix
Once again, Steinfeld gets to be part of an impressive cast. James Corden, Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, and Adam LeVine round out this group with her. 2013's Begin Again centers on a singer (Knightley) and music exec (Ruffalo) who meet and choose to collaborate.
Ruffalo's character has a daughter named Violet, portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld. She gets taken under Knightley's character's wing in an endearing subplot. The little indie film became something of a hit and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Dickinson (2019-2021) - 7.5
Stream On Apple TV+
One of Steinfeld's most recent projects, Dickinson arrived in 2019 on the Apple TV+ streaming service. It is one of their flagship shows and for good reason. The series follows the life of poet Emily Dickinson but does so in a comedic and exaggerated fashion with music and dialogue fitting of today. Steinfeld plays Emily and her performance was met with tons of praise.
The show was also well-received for the way it likened issues of the past to today, the soundtrack, the fantastical dream sequences, and more. Seasons 2 and 3 were released in 2021, wrapping up the show in a satisfying way and arguably going down as Steinfeld's greatest performance. Plus, everyone loved seeing her showcase the incredible romance with Sue Gilbert.
True Grit (2010) - 7.6
Stream On Max Go
This is where it all began for young Hailee Steinfeld. She was just 13-years-old when she filmed True Grit in 2010. The film, based on a 1968 novel of the same name, saw her star as Mattie Ross alongside the incredible Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn.
When Mattie's dad is murdered, she goes with the marshal (Cogburn) to hunt down the man who did it. The chemistry of the two as they bicker throughout the film was beloved. Supporting work from Matt Damon and Josh Brolin only added to this Coen Brothers movie.
When Marnie Was There (2014) - 7.7
Stream On HBO Max
These days, most audience members are aware that if a film comes out from Studio Ghibli, there's a good chance it'll be great. The Japanese filmmakers are known for putting out quality movies and one of the best in recent memory was 2014's When Marnie Was There.
Obviously, the film was originally voiced by Japanese actors but when it was dubbed in English, Hailee Steinfeld took on the role of Anna Sasaki, the film's protagonist. The story follows the friendship between Anna and the mysterious Marnie (Kiernan Shipka) during one summer.
Hawkeye (2021) - 7.8
Stream On Disney+
Hailee Steinfeld landed the role of a lifetime when she became Kate Bishop in the MCU. The character is mentored by Clint Barton and goes on to become the next iteration of the heroic archer after him. She made her long-awaited debut in this year's Hawkeye.
This show worked due to the smaller scale, street-level crime it focused on and mainly due to the work of the cast. Steinfeld had great chemistry with Jeremy Renner and was even better when working alongside Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova. The show has fans everywhere excited for more of Steinfeld as Kate Bishop.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018) - 8.4
Stream On FXNow
In an age where the MCU is a thing, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse still has a strong case for being the best superhero film ever made. The 2018 film also just so happened to earn the Academy Award for Best Animated Featured. It was loved for how it was true to the comics and featured a unique animation style.
The voice cast was impeccable, as well, with Steinfeld shining as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman. She is joined by Shameik Moore, Nicolas Cage, Jake Johnson, Mahershala Ali, and more. The story centered around Miles Morales as he comes into his own as Spider-Man, with help of various Spider-People from other dimensions.
Arcane (2021-Present) - 9.2
Stream On Netflix
It wasn't expected but Netflix's Arcane became a huge hit for the streaming service. Since it is based on the League of Legends video game, most people didn't think it would be great but it went on to become one of the most well-received Netflix originals to ever be released.
Although the lore of the series does pretty deep, the main crux of the show is the relationship between sisters Vi and Powder/Jinx. Steinfeld plays Vi, giving her another tremendous voice acting credit to her name, and her performance was seen as one of many highlights on the series.