WOMEN WE LOVE: Alana Haim

Alana Haim is the new cool girl on the block. From performing at the 2021 Grammys to landing her first film role in the Oscar-nominated Licorice Pizza, she’s had quite the year already.

Here are some fun facts about this breakout star that will make you understand why she is so refreshing! 

1. She is in a band with her sisters

Haim is a band of sisters – Alana, Danielle, and Este — who perform rock-based music including hits "Want You Back", "Summer Girl", "The Steps", and "The Wire". They have received four Grammy nominations including Album of the Year and Best New Artist. Haim is set to go on a world tour this spring starting on April 24 in Las Vegas. 

2. Alana and her sisters are besties with Taylor Swift

Haim opened up for Taylor during her 1989 World Tour and the group became inseparable. Since then, the foursome have collaborated on music including ”No Body, No Crime” from Taylor’s recent album evermore. (The eldest sibling, Este, was actually mentioned in the song as being one of Taylor’s friends.) Taylor returned the favor by featuring on Haim's song "Gasoline". In December 2021, Alana and Taylor had a joint birthday party that included many celebrity guests such as Sadie Sink, Gracie Abrams, and Diana Silvers. 

3. Licorice Pizza was her first solo project

The Oscar-nominated film Licorice Pizza was Alana’s acting debut and she didn’t disappoint. Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was a family friend of the Haim family for many years and actually directed many of the band's music videos. Anderson asked Haim on a phone call one night about the role and she immediately said yes. She started to doubt herself because she had never acted beforehand, but she needn't have worried -- her character, Alana Kane, captured the audience’s attention with her spastic and energetic personality and retro look. Licorice Pizza is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay at the 94th Academy Awards. Alana herself has received a slew of nominations and even some wins for her performance, including nods from the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes.

4. She grew up with Jewish heritage 

Her dad, Mordecai Haim, played for Israel’s Maccabi Jaffa soccer team before moving to Los Angeles in 1980. The name Haim means “life” in Hebrew, which was important for the name of their band. The group grew up listening to Israeli music including artist Ofra Haza, who was named the “Israeli Madonna”. Their first-ever concert was at Canter’s, a Jewish deli in Los Angeles, and they were paid for their efforts in matzah ball soup. Both her parents and her sisters played her family in Licorice Pizza.

5. Alana considers herself a “Valley Girl”

Alana and her sisters were born and raised in Los Angeles – the San Fernando Valley, to be exact. Paul Thomas Anderson stated, “Alana looks like a girl from the Valley; she talks like a girl from the Valley; she is a girl from the Valley.” Alana has made this a big part of her identity by telling sources “I am a Valley Girl through and through, all day every day.”  

​​

Alana has no new acting projects in development at this time, but given her success with Licorice Pizza, it's only a matter of time before we see her on the big screen again!