The one role Hailee Steinfeld knew she needed to play: “I was ready to do whatever it took”
Ryan Coogler might just be the most in-demand filmmaker in Hollywood after the stellar success of Sinners, a twist on the vampire genre that mixes everything the director most loves into one melting pot. There are action sequences, romance, gore, vampires and a weighty subtext that explores fascinating ideas relating to Black history and the appropriation of Black culture, leading to a blockbuster hit for the ages that ticks all the boxes.
With an incredible ensemble cast, including a pair of twins both played by Michael B Jordan, the film is bursting at the seams with life and electricity, building a momentum that drives the story and doesn’t stop until the very end. It was for this reason that Hailee Steinfeld was sold on the project and intent on working with Coogler from day one, describing her journey to reach the role of Mary.
There are many twists and turns that take the audience by surprise throughout the film, whether it be the slow-burning start as each character is introduced to the sudden escalation into violence and complete chaos. It’s a feast of riches for any actor to be a part of, with dance sequences, heartfelt confessions of love and lots of fake blood.
For Steinfeld, these were some of the many reasons why she was drawn towards working with Coogler, describing the other actor who encouraged her to work with the director and how she eventually booked the part.
The actor worked alongside Daniel Kaluuya when filming the Into The Spider-Verse films, describing a discussion they had about their favourite filmmakers and his love for Coogler. Steinfeld said, “I actually had a conversation with my friend Danile Kaluuya while we were doing press for Spider-Verse, and we got to talking about filmmakers and we started talking about Ryan and he was like, ‘If you ever get the opportunity to work with him, don’t walk, run;’. And the first conversation I had with Ryan, it was everything he had said and more. He just has such an incredible presence and wisdom and so much heart”.
These high words of praise only affirmed Steinfeld’s determination to make this collaboration happen, leading to her booking the coveted role of Mary, with the actor saying, “The role of Mary was so special for so many reasons. One thing I love so much about her was that it pushed me, playing this role, to understand my own family history a lot better. And I was able to take that into this role and I don’t know that I’ve ever done that before. And so that was challenging but so meaningful to me”.
The film is a beautiful concoction of history and fantasy, something that allows people to feel seen and certainly allowed Steinfeld to better understand her own personal background and how this infused into the central themes of the film, leading to a personal and deeply powerful story that unites the best elements of the genres that inspired it and creates something that Steinfeld couldn’t miss the chance to be a part of.
