Hailee Steinfeld was born on December 11, 1996, in Tarzana, California, to Cheri Domasin, an interior designer, and Peter Steinfeld, a personal fitness trainer. Her family consists of her younger brother, Griffin, and her uncle, Jake Steinfeld, a fitness trainer, as well as her great-uncle, Larry Domasin, an actor. Her father's ancestry is Ashkenazi Jewish, while her mother's ancestry is a mix of Filipino, African-American, British Isles, and German.
At a young age, Hailee began appearing in short films to gain experience. She played the role of Talia Alden in the award-winning film She's a Fox (2009). Her breakthrough role came when she played Mattie Ross in the feature film True Grit (2010),opposite Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, and Matt Damon. Her performance earned her a nomination for the 'Best Supporting Actress' Academy Award.
After a brief hiatus, Hailee appeared in several films released in 2013. She played the role of Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (2013),alongside Douglas Booth, and starred as Petra Arkanian in Ender's Game (2013),alongside Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford. She also appeared in the short film The Magic Bracelet (2013),alongside Bailee Madison.
In 2014, Hailee starred in 3 Days to Kill (2014),playing the role of Zoey Renner, the daughter of Kevin Costner. She also appeared in Hateship Loveship (2014),alongside Kristen Wiig, and performed the role of Emily Junk in Pitch Perfect 2 (2015). Additionally, she starred in Barely Lethal (2015) with Jessica Alba and filmed the movie Ten Thousand Saints (2015),opposite Asa Butterfield once again.
In 2016, Hailee starred in the teen dramedy The Edge of Seventeen (2016),for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.
Hailee has been home-schooled since 2008 and has expressed her interest in moving behind the camera, eventually wanting to produce and direct films.
