Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2011

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When Hailee Steinfeld was growing up in California, she dreamed of entering the glitzy world of acting. Last year, the 14-year-old got her wish when she made her movie debut in the Coen brothers’ Western True Grit. “It was so funny,” said Steinfeld during a recent trip to Tokyo. “I had been dreaming of glamour, and here I was wearing old Western clothes and with dirt all over my face.”

More than 15,000 hopefuls auditioned for the role of Mattie Ross, the headstrong girl who hires an overweight, hard-drinking one-eyed US marshal named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to catch her father’s killer. Determined to see that he gets the job done, she joins the pursuit with him and a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon). Based on a novel by Charles Portis, True Grit was made into a 1968 movie staring John Wayne (in his Oscar-winning role), Glen Campbell (as the Texas Ranger) and Kim Darby (as Mattie).

“I never really found out why the Coens chose me,” said Steinfeld. “They don’t really talk much off set, and when they do, they’re very much in tune, sometimes finishing each other’s sentences.”

On the other hand, Steinfeld said she had a fantastic time with Bridges and Damon. “They were so much fun to be with and full of surprises. They made me feel at ease by telling me stories about what it was like when they made their first movies. The thing that most impressed me about Bridges is that he loves acting just as much today as he did when he first started. That is a real inspiration for me. I learned so much from just watching him act and taking it all in.”

Steinfeld, who is in almost every scene of the film, earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. “A year ago, I hadn’t even been cast in my first movie. It’s so crazy. I just feel so honored to be in it and to have been nominated.” She added that she doesn’t have any expectations. “I’m just looking forward to seeing what opportunities come my way in the future.”

Of course, that includes finishing her education. “My mom is very strict about that,” she said. “Sometimes, when I am spending too much time on the computer or cellphone, she reminds me to get back to my study—even when I am traveling to promote the film. But I have to say that my parents have been great and since day one, have always encouraged me to do what I love.”

Chris Betros is the editor of Japan Today (www.japantoday.com)