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Hailee Steinfeld: 'Hollywood is creating better female characters'

Written by . Published: October 05 2016

Actress Hailee Steinfeld is confident she will benefit from the current push to create better roles for women in the movie industry.


Hailee, 19, who was nominated for an Oscar at the tender age of 13 for her role in the Coen Brothers' film True Grit, and stars in hotly anticipated coming of age drama The Edge of Seventeen.


Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, The Edge of Seventeen has earned rave early reviews since debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival last month (Sep16).


And the star believes she gets more opportunities to play meaty roles than previous generations of actresses as movies are beginning to feature more integral female parts.


"Female characters are beginning to have more of a say in the meaning of the film," she tells the BBC. "They're not just a love interest or a sidekick or a best friend.


"It feels like these female characters are more empowering and they're more meaningful and they have important things to say that need to be heard.


"For me, anyway, it's a movement that's been happening for a while and I'm lucky to be a part of it."


A number of major female Hollywood stars have spoken out about equality in film in recent years including Jennifer Lawrence, Reese Witherspoon and Emily Blunt.


Reese has even gone so far as to take control of her own production company, Pacific Standard, in order to promote more female-led movie projects.


The Edge of Seventeen, in which Hailee stars as a troubled teenager, goes on general release next month (Nov16).

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