Hailee Steinfeld has been inspired to direct by her experience on Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners'.
The 28-year-old actress portrays Mary in Coogler's period horror movie which is set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta and also stars Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell and Delroy Lindo.
Steinfeld learned so much from Coogler, 38, on set and his talent and passion for filmmaking made her think that she would like to sit in the director's chair.
When asked if working with Coogler had inspired to direct a movie, she said: "Absolutely.
"Directing has always been something I've been intrigued by, and you work with someone like Ryan, and it’s impossible not to feel like you have to do that ... I'm like, ‘Yeah, there's no question.’ But then I think to myself, ‘There's Ryan Coogler, so why would I?’ I’d just have to call him for everything — to have him do it all.’”
When quizzed in an interview with Collider.com on what genre she would like to tackle, she added: "It’d be tough to pinpoint one. With 'Sinners' fresh on my brain, it's been made possible in my eyes … that you can have a million things in one and have it feel so cohesive and grounded.
"I'm inspired at the thought of not feeling like it has to be one thing.”
Steinfeld says 'Creed' helmer Coogler's gift as a director is that he understands how actors work and wants to be as collaborative as possible.
She said: "What I loved so much about working with him was it’s like he was an actor in another life.
"The way that he speaks to actors, the way that he works with them, the way that he writes for them - there's a difference.
"He also makes it look incredibly easy.
"I loved so much what a collaboration working on the role of Mary felt like with Ryan. The conversations were endless, the questions were flowing constantly both ways and every time I felt like I couldn't have a clearer understanding of a particular scene, Ryan would come and throw something in there that just broke the whole thing open all over again, whether it was a blocking thing or a line.
"The process of developing this character didn't end.”
