Movie TalkTwo Young Movie Stars Move the Web
Remember the days when being a kid meant going through an awkward stage? Two young stars in two new movies are so beyond that.
Both Elle Fanning and Hailee Steinfeld hold their own with their adult co-stars, and we expect to see much more of them in the future. Word of the young stars' phenomenal performances have caused plenty of award buzz -- and buzz on the Web.
Elle Fanning: from nowhere to "Somewhere"
The younger sister of Dakota, this 12-year-old made her first appearance on film at the age of two (playing her older sister's younger self in "I Am Sam"). While her film experience goes on for the past decade (most recently in the critical dud "The Nutcracker in 3D"), her starring role in Sofia Coppola's homage to the Chateau Marmont with co-star Stephen Dorff will surely put her squarely on the map. In a New York Times profile, she was dubbed "the next golden child."
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The pre-teen has also made a name for herself on the red carpet. The budding fashionista turned heads when she attended the New York premiere of "Somewhere" dressed head to toe in Rodarte. (Fetching in a gold dress with matching gold wedge shoes, paired with ankle socks.)
Searches were fawning on Fanning this last week. Lookups on "elle fanning biography" soared 1,000% on Yahoo!. Fans of Fanning also wanted to know about "elle fanning fansites", "elle fanning movies," and "dakota and elle fanning."
More of precocious Elle Fanning >>
Hailee Steinfeld: breakout star
It's not every day that a 14-year-old is in every scene of a movie made for adults -- and delivers a stand-out performance. But Hailee Steinfeld, who makes her debut in "True Grit," starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin, does just that.
The home-schooled actress from Thousand Oaks, California, beat out 15,000 hopefuls to snag the part. If that isn't "true grit," we're not sure what is. The L.A. girl plays Mattie, who pays the U.S. Marshall (Jeff Bridges) to hunt down the man (Josh Brolin) who killed her father.
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The Coen brothers gambled on a young unknown with no acting experience, but Steinfeld stunned them all. Matt Damon, who plays Texas Ranger LaBoeuf in the film, calls Steinfeld "remarkably poised and confident for a kid that age."
Roger Ebert wrote about her performance, "Steinfeld is good the whole way through," and adds that he expects her to receive an Oscar nod for her role.
Searches on Yahoo! are just as positive, gaining 1,000% on Steinfeld in the last seven days. Fans want to know "bio hailee steinfeld," "hailee steinfeld true grit," and "hailee steinfeld age."
See Hallie Steinfeld talk about 'True Grit':
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