If you’re searching for Hailee Steinfeld’s age, here’s the quick answer: Hailee Steinfeld is 29 years old as of September 2026. She was born on December 11, 1996, in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, which means she will turn 30 on December 11, 2026.
That date also makes it easy to understand her career timeline. Steinfeld was still a teenager when True Grit turned her into an Oscar-nominated actor, 18 when Pitch Perfect 2 was released, and 19 when The Edge of Seventeen arrived in theaters.
Here’s a closer look at her age, birthday, early career, and the ages behind some of her best-known roles.
Hailee Steinfeld Age in 2026
As of September 13, 2026, Hailee Steinfeld is 29 years old.
Her date of birth is December 11, 1996. Because her 30th birthday hasn’t arrived yet in 2026, her current age remains 29.
Hailee Steinfeld age at a glance
- Full name: Hailee Puring Steinfeld
- Date of birth: December 11, 1996
- Birth year: 1996
- Current age: 29
- 30th birthday: December 11, 2026
- Birthplace: Tarzana, Los Angeles, California
- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Biography.com and IMDb both list December 11, 1996, as her birth date.
When Is Hailee Steinfeld’s Birthday?
Hailee Steinfeld’s birthday is December 11.
That means fans looking up “Hailee Steinfeld birthday” or “when was Hailee Steinfeld born?” can use December 11, 1996, as the answer.
Her birthday also makes age calculations straightforward. For example, she was 28 throughout most of 2025 and turned 29 on December 11, 2025. She will remain 29 until December 11, 2026, when she turns 30.
How Old Was Hailee Steinfeld When She Started Acting?
One of the more interesting parts of Hailee Steinfeld’s biography is how young she was when she entered the entertainment business.
Biography.com reports that Steinfeld began modeling and acting at 8 years old. She was inspired in part by watching her cousin, Emmy-winning actor True O’Brien, appear in television commercials. Her mother encouraged her to take acting lessons before she began auditioning.
She eventually landed an agent at age 9 and appeared in commercials and short films.
IMDb similarly notes that Steinfeld appeared in short films at an early age before making her feature-film debut in True Grit.
So there’s an important distinction:
- Age 8: Began acting and modeling
- Age 9: Reportedly obtained her first agent
- Age 13–14: Became widely known through True Grit
- Age 14: Received an Academy Award nomination
That timeline tells a much more interesting story than simply saying she was a “child actor.”
How Old Was Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit?
Hailee Steinfeld was 13 when she was cast in True Grit and was 14 around the film’s release and awards season.
The 2010 Western, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, became the major breakthrough of her early career. Steinfeld played Mattie Ross alongside Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin. IMDb records that she auditioned eight times for the role.
Her performance was a major success, and she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
This is one reason searches for “how old was Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit?” are so common. Viewers often remember how young she looked in the movie and want to compare that with her age today.
The contrast is striking: the actor who played Mattie Ross is now a 29-year-old performer with credits spanning film, television, music, and voice acting.
How Old Was Hailee Steinfeld in Pitch Perfect 2?
Hailee Steinfeld was 18 years old when Pitch Perfect 2 was released in 2015.
She played Emily Junk, a new member of the Barden Bellas. The movie gave Steinfeld a very different kind of role from the serious young character she played in True Grit.
The film also helped demonstrate how quickly her career had expanded.
Within roughly five years of her breakout, she had moved from an Oscar-nominated child performer to a young adult actor appearing in a major musical comedy franchise.
How Old Was Hailee Steinfeld in The Edge of Seventeen?
Steinfeld was 19 when The Edge of Seventeen was released in 2016.
She played Nadine Franklin, a high-school student dealing with friendship, family tension, romance, and the awkwardness of adolescence.
The role is another good example of the difference between an actor’s real age and a character’s age.
Steinfeld was already an adult when she played Nadine, but her performance was convincing enough that many viewers naturally associate her with the teenage character.
The film earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, according to Biography.com.
Hailee Steinfeld’s Age Timeline
Looking at Steinfeld’s age alongside her career milestones gives a clearer picture of just how early her success began.
| Year | Hailee Steinfeld’s approximate age | Career milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 7–8 | Began acting/modeling around this period |
| 2005 | 8–9 | Pursued auditions and professional opportunities |
| 2009 | 12–13 | Appeared in short-film work |
| 2010 | 13–14 | Starred in True Grit |
| 2011 | 14 | Received an Oscar nomination |
| 2015 | 18 | Appeared in Pitch Perfect 2 |
| 2016 | 19 | Starred in The Edge of Seventeen |
| 2018 | 21 | Appeared in Bumblebee |
| 2021 | 24 | Joined the Marvel universe as Kate Bishop |
| 2023 | 26 | Voiced Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse |
| 2025 | 28 | Appeared in Sinners |
| 2026 | 29 | Continues her film career and prepares for Hexed |
The early dates vary slightly depending on whether we’re talking about filming, casting, release dates, or the point when a project became widely known. That’s why age timelines should always specify what event the age refers to.
How Old Was Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop?
Steinfeld was 24 when Hawkeye premiered in 2021, when she took on the role of Kate Bishop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The role introduced her to a new generation of viewers who may have known her less for True Grit or Pitch Perfect and more for Marvel and superhero projects.
Her career therefore has an unusual age progression:
child actor → Oscar nominee → young adult movie star → singer → Marvel superhero performer.
That range is a big part of what makes her age timeline worth examining.
How Old Is Hailee Steinfeld Compared With Her Career?
At 29, Steinfeld has already spent more than two decades working in entertainment.
That’s worth emphasizing because “Hailee Steinfeld age” can sound like a simple celebrity fact, but her age becomes much more meaningful when placed alongside her career.
She started performing as a child, earned major recognition before turning 15, moved into music and mainstream film as a teenager, and later took on major franchise roles.
IMDb currently lists her as an actress, producer, and composer, with credits including True Grit, The Edge of Seventeen, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Sinners.
Hailee Steinfeld’s Age in 2026: The Short Answer
So, how old is Hailee Steinfeld?
Hailee Steinfeld is 29 years old in 2026.
She was born on December 11, 1996, and will turn 30 on December 11, 2026.
Her age is especially interesting when viewed against her career: she began acting around age 8, broke through with True Grit as a young teenager, became an Oscar nominee at 14, and continued expanding into music, comedy, drama, animation, and the Marvel universe.
