A decade after the release of The Edge of Seventeen, Hailee Steinfeld is looking back at one of the most emotionally formative periods of her life with a clarity she didn’t have at the time. In 2016, as she stepped into the role of Nadine—a sharp, volatile teenager navigating insecurity and isolation—those feelings were not just part of the script. They mirrored a very real внутренний turbulence she was experiencing off-screen.
At the time, the emotional weight of adolescence felt overwhelming. Like many teenagers, Steinfeld found herself caught in moments that seemed all-consuming—where anxiety, embarrassment, or fear felt permanent, as if they would define her forever. Playing Nadine only intensified that mindset, immersing her in a character who lived in constant emotional extremes. The lines between performance and reality blurred, making those feelings even harder to separate.
It was during that period that her mother offered her a simple yet powerful piece of advice: “It is only a matter of time.” Seven words that, according to Steinfeld, completely shattered her perspective. What once felt endless suddenly became temporary. The idea that even the most intense emotional storms would eventually pass gave her a sense of grounding she had been missing.
At the time, the words didn’t magically erase the anxiety—but they planted something more important: perspective. They reminded her that feelings, no matter how overwhelming, are not permanent states. They move, shift, and fade. That realization helped her step outside of the moment, even if only slightly, and see a future beyond it.
Now, in 2026, at 30 years old, Steinfeld finds herself in a completely different phase of life. Married to Josh Allen and navigating the realities of new motherhood, she faces a different kind of intensity—one defined by sleepless nights, constant responsibility, and the unpredictable rhythm of caring for a newborn. Yet, despite how different this chapter is, the emotional core remains familiar.
In those exhausting, overwhelming moments, she returns to the same seven words her mother once gave her. The chaos of early parenthood, much like teenage angst, can feel endless when you’re in the middle of it. But the reminder that this, too, will pass allows her to breathe through it, to find patience, and to stay present rather than consumed.
What makes this reflection so powerful is how it reframes anxiety itself. Instead of something that defines who you are, it becomes something you move through. Steinfeld’s experience highlights a universal truth: the intensity of a moment does not determine its permanence. Emotions can be loud, messy, and overwhelming—but they are not fixed.
Her journey from a teenager overwhelmed by emotion to a mother guiding herself through new challenges illustrates a quiet kind of growth—one rooted not in eliminating difficult feelings, but in understanding them. The same advice that once helped her survive adolescence now helps her navigate adulthood.
In the end, those seven words endure not because they are complex, but because they are true. Time changes everything. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do in a difficult moment is simply remember that it won’t last forever.