‘I didn’t even know what that was’: Hailee Steinfeld reveals the role she was completely unprepared for

These days, Kate Bishop is not the only comic book character that you should watch out for as far as Hailee Steinfeld is concerned. The actress has returned to the big screen to voiceover Gwen Stacy from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and with the amount of acclaim the movie is receiving, Steinfeld is reflecting on her unexpected career path in Hollywood.

Chatting with Josh Horowitz in an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hailee revealed that she wasn’t prepared for a lot of the roles she’s taken on, but her first feature film, True Grit, stands out the most.

“I think back to my first film, being True Grit, a western,” she said. “I’d never seen a Western before. I didn’t even know what that was. I went from that to doing Shakespeare, and then a sci-fi. Again, I could’ve never planned it. But I find myself so fortunate to have the privilege of being trusted to play the roles that I’ve played.”

Well, it’s one thing to not know your place in an ambitious western by the Coen brothers, and a completely different thing to have not seen a single western movie in your life. It’s baffling how Steinfeld managed to pull it off so seamlessly at the time, but I think that’s just a testament to her natural aptitude.

Steinfeld also goes over a lot of different things, both in terms of acting chops and the projects she’s appeared in, so be sure to check out the full interview:

It’s a shame that the MCU has already cast the actress in another role because she would’ve made an amazing Gwen Stacy in live-action opposite Tom Holland. Even Steinfeld isn’t opposed to the idea, but alas, the rules of canon will force the producers’ hands when it comes down to it.

For now, let’s savor the thespian’s brilliant voice-acting talent in Across the Spider-Verse, which, as of tomorrow, will be opening in theaters throughout the United States.