I think I'm gonna try and invent a well
I guess there you're just done you're
done with that basic that apparatus yes
don't mind me okay Haley it's a pretty
good time for you I would say it's not
bad I mean how many seasons are always
fun but when you have two beloved
ginormous blockbuster movies about to
open yes
that's icing on the cake it sure is okay
so we've been talking for years and I
did the math the scary math is know that
I've been talking to you I think since
you were 13 years old oh boy
clearly I started when I was 18 so like
but the thing I remember like when I
first started talking to you and of
course that was for True Grit you seemed
to like have it all together to a degree
that most thirteen year olds did not I
didn't okay were you just faking it till
you made it like what do you remember
about your state of mind way back when
when we had the first big break I think
I think I did have it all together then
now now I'd look at my 13 year old self
and laugh because I'm not quite sure how
I did it but yeah I know I think I I
guess everything I was doing was so
surreal and and just insane and amazing
and it was a first for everything every
interview I did every place I traveled
to was all new so I just was a little 13
year old bopping around what was the
insane high point I mean obviously it
culminated in the Oscar nomination which
has to be probably one of the high
points it's not a high point but do you
remember like a surreal was at a
specific talk show or celebrity or
moment that really like knocked you back
at the time there I mean there's a lot
just came to mind um of course the
Oscars being at the Oscars was enough
let alone being nominated I just I mean
I remember finding out I got the part
that was one thing filming the movie was
its own thing I mean I won right then
right then and there that was that was
everything I could have ever asked for
it but um I remember the premiere for
the movie in LA I met Justin Timberlake
and that was that was a high point Oh is
this real no I that was a high point and
I let him know that that was it was a
very strange conversation I literally it
was this moment of it wasn't really it
wasn't any like crazy kind of premiere
it was more of a screening a will and I
just watched the movie with my family
was there and we were walking out of
this theater and Justin Timberlake sir
he's wearing a beanie and and looks
great but he's kind of like funny and
I'm flying under and so he walks out and
it was like kind of there was there was
this staircase and then this room that
was kind of like a I don't know people
were just chatting and mingling exactly
so I'm freaking out that Justin
Timberlake's there there's no way I
can't do it i how am i what am I gonna
say where am I gonna start and then I
was like he did just watching our movie
that I was in so he'll know it's me
there's a reference point exactly yes so
I see him across the room and I'm like I
gotta do it I'm gonna do it mom hold my
back a beeline to Justin Timberlake and
he sees me and before I could say
anything he was like you were so great
in the movie and I literally was like oh
thanks so much thanks that so Coolio
thanks you know and he goes so what do
you are you so excited I mean this is
insane and he's that and for whatever
reason don't know where this came from
but out of my mouth flew I don't really
care about the movie I'm just more
excited that you're here and that was my
first time maybe doesn't really so and
since then have you had classy
interactions with him since you guys
okay yeah no we're good so know that he
fully recalls that moment as much as I
do
I'm just because that was like yes to be
fair he probably has like a dozen more
embarrassing interactions than that
every day fair enough
so I don't hopefully this won't
embarrass you but I did go through the
archives so he went all the way back
this wasn't a child I had with you but
this was a chat I think it happened the
day after you were nominated for the
Oscars by my friends at Mt so let's take
a look at them Hailee Steinfeld in True
Grit I went from being dead asleep oh my
god like it was all so surreal first of
all I'm wearing my Invisalign which is a
bad thing to do in interviews
I need to check with my parents but
being nominated for an Oscar is my
homeboy
I saw buddy tours I still to go home and
clean my room and do all the typical you
know teenage stuff I guess it's not no
I'm watching the Oscars for the red
carpet you know to see what everybody's
wearing and and I just I always wish
that I would be on the red carpet harami
we had oh my god about what I'm gonna
wear I don't really have a specific idea
I think you know once I see a bunch of
options and you know I'll be able to
kind of pick still there one of my
friends actually told me that Justin
Bieber tweeted yeah you had another
Twitter that so Bieber I apparently
inspired your Twitter at the time then
so that's a little traumatic clearly
yeah but so what strikes you watching
that you mention the Invisalign is
what's what's the first thing that comes
to mind when you watch 13 or I guess you
were 14 by then yeah first the
Invisalign right I think maybe at one
point I thought I sounded cool with it
in turns out that's not the case okay
second um what was I talking about like
what am I gonna wear to the Oscars oh my
god okay and also keeping it real what
are you gonna still let's have to do the
household chores
sure enough right um well funny thing is
no but I'm never home therefore that's
an easy way out
smart last time I felt my dog's water
bowl been a while but yeah that's that's
funny
you also of course credited back then
bieber was trying to get you on twitter
of course you were very much on social
media now so we can thank Justin for
that hey in the intermittent years I
mean everybody's had their ups and downs
of social media have you ever been
tempted to just delete your social media
account has it ever been like whatever
though they everybody gets some hate
everybody gets something yeah I mean I
think not not entirely like deleting the
app off my phone every now and then
something I find right just a little too
wet to it yeah yeah but no not
altogether yeah let's not go crazy I
mean I noticed actually funnily enough
after True Grit there was a bit of a gap
for you like you took a like a second
and was that a conscious decision like
this is such an opportunity I need to
kind of steer my career in the right way
or were you overwhelmed or just give me
a sense of where you were at them it was
definitely a conscious decision it was
all about you know where do I where do I
go from here yeah we go from here that
that makes sense how how do I find up
and and without comparing obviously but
how do I find another part that's going
to challenge me if this the way this
does so yeah a year went by maybe a
little bit more than that until I did
Romeo and Juliet that was my second film
right and of course that was that was
the perfect challenge then of course
probably would be now but um yeah
conscious decision and definitely took
that time to really figure it out and
jumping ahead talking about challenges
congratulations again on bumblebee
because it's it's such a fun movie and I
know you're hearing so often people like
you know people want to Transformers
movies a lot of people are saying this
is the most entertaining and and I think
I might vote that way as well this one
just works in a different way than the
other Transformers movies do biggest
challenge for something like this
because I mean you were in Ender's Game
which is like huge effects right late in
movies right is it a different kind of
level different kind of thing on this
much different in fact I kind of at the
beginning of making bumblebee I was kind
of trying to figure out what was harder
with Ender's Game it was all in front of
a green screen but I had an amazing
ensemble cast right with this one it's
all real world very little green screen
but just nothing no person or you know
but for that matter so it was kind of
that debate I had with myself where I
was like what's harder being you know in
front of a green screen with people or
in the real world with nothing no people
they're both difficult for their own
specific reasons but you know being with
transformers being in the real world
having every element except the one that
actually might matter the most um is
quite difficult one of the cool things
about this and I'm sure something you
take pride in is the first female
protagonist of a Transformers film and
you know there's like a storied history
I mean they're obviously you know go
back to the you know Megan Fox and Rosie
huntington-whiteley etc like you know
actors with great presences but
different
of choices for that those characters
tell me about sort of the pride you take
or sort of like what that evolution
means to you means to living in
2018-2019 for young actresses today
absolutely I mean it's it's an honor to
be a part of a franchise that is so huge
and that means so much to so many people
around the world but to play this
particular role and to be able to tell
our own kind of transformer story is
really what is so special I remember
reading the script and feeling like this
is yet another what feels like an honest
portrayal of a young female growing up
and regardless of the era we all go
through the struggles of feeling
misunderstood and unseen and unaccepted
and and that's what that's what this
character is and she overcomes every
obstacle she's faced with by the end of
the movie and it's just amazing to see a
young girl who is normal no no special
powers overcome overcome everything
she's faced with your character turns 18
in the film what was the biggest
birthday for you thus far in your life
was there one that meant a lot to you 21
actually so funny because I was in New
York right after my birthday and the
date my birthday was like on a Monday or
something we were right in the middle of
the or no right at the end the very end
of the pitch perfect press recording so
um all my actual birthday we we were
junk eating in LA or something and that
night my my family like surprised me
with this beautiful dinner and it was
really special and really sweet and
afterwards I was kind of like you know
it was so I mean I was so tired and I
was like all I really wanted to just be
with my family and maybe like not do
anything but at the same time I was like
oh that's my 21st birthday just 21 again
it was look at the dinner that was fine
yeah thanks mom and dad really come on
guys actually I mean so I came to New
York finished up went back to LA and my
my brother my family through this crazy
surprise party that I literally had no
idea and for somebody that like I mean
it's hard to surprise you yes you're in
that you're yeah totally but like but in
think even thinking back on it now like
everyone in my life was like
this surprise and somehow managed to
pull it off and by the way like there
were people that blew it along the way
and it still went right over my head so
there's that distracted by press stores
to be fair one of the things I love
about this movie is it's an ode to the
80s it's you know I grew up in the 80s
so like I love all the stuff it's got an
amazing soundtrack with your part of you
contributed a song to which I know
you're excited about so I know you've
now probably have a new appreciation
about 80s culture yeah of course I do I
think you know obviously there's the 80s
that they feel maybe my generation knows
them to be the high-waisted jeans and
the scrunchies leg warmers and the neon
and that kind of right that there's that
eighties image that that I think a lot
of us have but being able to really dive
in and explore the world of the 80s and
immerse myself into that world having
the soundtrack as my sort of direct
connection into it and having a world
that Travis and I created that felt so
real and authentic that I never felt
weird I never felt out of place I never
felt confused everything just felt so
authentic um and you know he was a child
of the 80s he was a fan of the toys the
transformer toy so he was really truly
bringing a story to life that he has
like dreamed of forever and was so
passionate about it so so it meant so
much to him for everything to feel real
yeah um and thankfully it did for me do
you have a favorite 80s film now when
you look back is there something that
like personifies the 80s for you oh man
there's so many I mean it's referenced
in this film The Breakfast Club is one
of them yeah there's literally I don't
even know it me that's a good one that's
good one with John Hughes is always a
good ones are always alright so I want
to test your knowledge of 80s film okay
I'm gonna give you some summaries of
films that could or could not be real
you tell me if it's an actual ad okay
all right this is really an 80s film or
not a man meets and falls in love with
them are made
ladies film did I just make it up I
don't know what it is splash okay you're
gonna walk out of here with a whole list
of movies
by the way my list is very long that's
okay it's okay
a group of teenagers attacks a robot
monkey from evil government agents was
that an 80s film or did I just make that
up
movie though
a teenager starts a prostitution
business in his own house when his
parents are away Oh
oh my god you got it it's there oh my
god Tom Cruise is running its underwear
[Music]
okay let's move on this is your first
time as like the true face of like the
ginormous franchise that's again do you
just put that out of your mind once
you're doing the work or um it doesn't
yeah it doesn't really cross my mind
when I'm doing it honestly it'sit's now
when you drive through Times Square and
there's a billboard the size of my house
I mean not even it's much larger than
that um it's just it's kind of those
moments that kind of put it into
perspective I mean I remember what the
funny thing is way back when if you'll
get a lot of like our early
conversations you were in the middle of
the whole Hunger Games thing at the time
oh that was the weird thing that was
going on I mean you I'm sure you
remember it during that Oscar stuff was
you were in the mix and you know it
clearly almost could have been you to me
was it hard for you at the time I'm just
curious like it's hard for any young
person to go through teenage years when
you're seeing like a movie you want it
to be in on the big screen with somebody
else was that weird or tough for you at
the time that sort of things always a
bit weird because this is a strange
thing to compare to but it's almost like
the idea or the the thought of wanting
to remake one of your favorite movies
it's like you know you could never do
that because watching Jennifer Lawrence
in The Hunger Games it's like come on
yeah there was I'm a very firm believer
and everything happens for a reason
that was a whole experience for me yeah
you know in in itself just auditioning
for that getting very close and you know
falling in love with something and and
you know realizing that not everything
is not everything is there to stay you
got it you got to continue to prove
yourself and work for work for what you
love but by the
not only is she like one of my favorite
people on the planet one of my favorite
movies ever right and I watched that and
nobody could have done what she did in
that film so I mean and who knows being
wed to that I don't know if that
pitch-perfect
opportunities would have time for that
music and all of it like she said it's
like you know starting with like even
just genre wise starting at 13 with a
Western like never ever thought I'd be
in a Western right let alone then
Shakespeare and then sci-fi and then
pitch perfect
oops then led to the singing and yeah I
mean who knows that's what's so crazy
about thinking back from this and
animated films we need to mention Spider
Man which everybody is obsessed with
rightfully so it's amazing your Gwen
Stacy and that one spider-gwen again
when you get involved in that one did it
hit you sort of like the significance of
that because this movie means a lots of
people beyond just being entertaining
film the fact that it's Miles Morales
the fact that it's going Stacey in this
kind of a role absolutely were you aware
of that kind of power at the time it's
again one of those things where of
course I had I had an idea I knew that
the the creators the producers directors
and the other cast members
I knew they were involved I knew it was
something special but that's something
that has taken place over the last two
years I was on tour when I was recording
for the film I was working on bumblebee
even this show I'm working on now I mean
this thing it's been so much has
happened in between the sessions and
it's just kind of like you do 30 40
takes of one line and that's over the
course of two years so it's like you
come back to something and you're like
guys I've already done this and it's
just like this sort of world that you're
living in and it's not until you see the
final product that you you realize what
it is I have yet to see the the final
final oh well um you know properly seen
you know right you know but you need to
see that yeah it's the the animation
itself is just art it's fantastic and
sounds we're gonna get to see you maybe
and not one but two more because we're
saying the next sequel to this is miles
and your character needs but then
there's also like a female ensemble wet
film that's yeah I mean you know it's
one of those things - looking back on
the experience I would love another
opportunity to really fully just devote
everything I've got to it again you know
no distractions but it's an honor to be
a part of
something that is so visually stunning
but a story that I think a lot of people
I mean this story is so relevant and so
timely and so real to so many people and
I'm really feel lucky to be a part of it
a couple other quick things I want hit
before I let you go we haven't even
barely talked about music at all but
like it's obviously such an important
part of your life we mentioned the fact
that you have a song on the soundtrack
here like do you feel like you have
almost like two different lives to like
are you two in two different modes when
you go into music mode and acting mode
yeah you know it's kind of it's kind of
crazy because when it happened it just
sort of happened there was no real plan
set in place because I was
simultaneously making movies and putting
on singles obviously an album has always
been the end goal but it's one of those
things that can't put a date on it keeps
kind of getting pushed I make a movie
and put it on hold and I have to say
that I finished this TV show that I'm
working on in January and I will then be
devoting my time to music um with with
no nothing else lined up so I'm excited
to really finish what I started and
consider myself in that mode excellent
2019 we'll talk again that's gonna be
the music year that's gonna be the year
to focus on music yeah that's right
excellent and I can't wait to see to
consumed by the way which I know you're
working thanks so much me too i've got
no idea what it looks like so should be
interesting thanks as always for
stopping by
thank you