Hailee Steinfeld says role in Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ pushed her to reflect on family history

Hailee Steinfeld said her role as Mary in Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners pushed her to "truly live in myself," she said during a call in December. The film is described as a vampire tale set in the Jim Crow South and, the outlet said, a deeper exploration of race and American history through the lens of blues music.

Steinfeld plays Mary, a mixed‑race woman who passes for white, and thought often of her grandfather, who was Filipino and Black, while preparing for the part. Reviewers have praised her performance as "a revelation" (The Guardian) and "never better" (Slate). The film features the Smokestack twins, both played by Michael B.

Jordan, and Steinfeld said Daniel Kaluuya had advised her that working with Coogler was not to be missed. She described the auditioning process as still difficult after early roles and said Sinners went into preproduction in New Orleans when they needed someone for the part. Steinfeld said she was struck by audience reactions — viewers returning to the film and finding deeper meanings — and that some scenes, including a train station sequence, were especially intense for her; she also noted she could not call her grandfather to ask him questions about his experiences.

Key Topics

Culture, Hailee Steinfeld, Ryan Coogler, Sinners, Michael B. Jordan, Jim Crow South