'It challenged me': The role that turned Hailee Steinfeld into a risk taker

Hailee Steinfeld has opened up about her career and the role that turned her into a risk taker.

While speaking with People, the star explained that despite being a girl who likes comfort, risk taking and bravery became more appealing than ever after taking on the role of American poet Emily Dickinson on the Apple TV+ show Dickinson.

"That character challenged me in a lot of ways, emotionally, professionally, personally," she said of the role she starred in for over two years.

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Having to step into the shoes of Dickinson, a woman whose passion for writing made her an outcast in a patriarchal society where women were expected to tend to the home, "was incredibly inspiring," she added.

"She broke out against all of the constraints that she was faced with," the Pitch Perfect star continued. "If a woman could do that in her time, then we sure as hell should be able to do it in ours."

Steinfeld took on other roles while starring in and producing Dickinson such as heroine-in-training Kate Bishop in the 2021 Disney+ miniseries Hawkeye, a role that required the actress to learn archery and perform some of her own stunts.

"Archery is a skill I never thought I'd pick up," she said. "It was a blast."

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The 26-year-old actress is expected to be seen back on screen as strong-willed Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on June 2, and explained how her experience has made her more "conscious" about what roles she takes.

"I want to feel like I'm constantly being challenged and taken out of my comfort zone," she told the outlet.

"I think it's easy to feel like, 'Okay, you've nailed something. I can totally do that again. I can do it five more times!' But I want to do something that feels new and different and fulfilling in a way that I haven't quite felt before."