At age 19, Hailee Steinfeld is a prolific Academy award-nominated actress whose credits include True Grit, Begin Again and the Pitch Perfect series.

As if that’s not enough, she’s also an accomplished musician putting most other teenagers to shame. It makes sense that her latest film plays to her strengths as a young adult and that title is the new coming-of-age comedy The Edge of Seventeen.

It’s rare to see a film speak to its young audience without condescension, but The Edge of Seventeen pulls it off and a lot of the movie’s charm comes from Steinfeld. She plays Nadine, an awkward and book smart high-schooler more interested in navigating life and meeting boys than obsessing over what to wear to the senior prom. Steinfeld recently traveled to San Francisco to promote The Edge of Seventeen and we talked about awkward teenage phases and making movies. This is a transcription of that conversation.

Q: It’s good to meet you.

Hailee Steinfeld: You too. San Francisco is such a beautiful city.

Q: Have you seen much of it since you got here for this press tour?

Steinfeld: Unfortunately not. With these press tours, I do love the traveling, but it’s hard when you’re going from city to city and you don’t get to see much of the place you’re in.

Q: I’m sure you get to see a lot of hotel rooms, but they all look the same.

Steinfeld: Exactly!

Q: Since you’re close to your character’s age in the film, did you end up relating to some of the things she goes through in the movie?

Steinfeld: There were many similarities. The idea that this character is trying to answer so many questions on her own is something I’ve done daily for the last few years of my life. Who am I? What’s my place in the world? Where am I going? Those are all things I’ve asked myself and really connected strongly with.

Q: What about the opposite of that? What were some of the biggest differences between your character and your actual personality?

Steinfeld: The way she handles certain situations is very extreme, and I wouldn’t do things that way. She really goes above and beyond with her emotions and has no fear of holding anything back.

Q: Do you feel more comfortable playing characters in films that are aimed toward a younger or older audience?

Steinfeld: I don’t feel any less comfortable either way. It’s always nice to play someone closer to my age in this time period where I hope my friends and my generation will watch and hopefully connect with. I’ve also made films in the past for a different demographic, but it’s just a different experience.

Q: Do you have a film you’ve made that you feel is underrated and are proud of?

Steinfeld: Begin Again for sure.

Q: That’s a really good one and obviously music is a huge part of that movie.

Steinfeld: Yes, it is, and I love music very much.

Q: Were you always musically inclined or did you only gravitate toward it after you became an actress?

Steinfeld: Making music is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to learn how to sing and perform. It’s naturally evolved over the last few years, but it’s always been part of the plan.

Q: When you’re choosing film projects, do you actively look for things that have musical elements to them?

Steinfeld: Not necessarily. Obviously I love both as separate projects and when they happen simultaneously, I’m very happy.

Q: Have you started prepping for Pitch Perfect 3 yet?

Steinfeld: Not yet, but there is a release date (December 22, 2017), so that means it needs to be made. So hopefully I’ll hear soon about rehearsal dates and an actual start date to shoot it.

Q: That’s crazy. As an actor, how do you feel about working on a project that essentially has a finish line set up before you even start to make it?

Steinfeld: The great thing about it is there’s so many great people involved that I know we’re in good hands and we’re in for something good. There’s definitely the unwanted sense of urgency, but it will all fall into place. We’ve pulled it off twice before, so I’m sure we can do it a third time because that franchise is great.

Q: Speaking of franchises, you auditioned and came very close to getting the lead in the Hunger Games series. Looking back on things now, are there any memories that stand out to you and have you seen the movies?

Steinfeld: Any time you have the honor of reading the script in front of the writer and the film’s director is very cool. I’m a huge fan of the series and the way it turned out, but I’m also a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and nobody could have done it like Jennifer Lawrence.

Q: Did you get to try on the costume and play with Katniss’ bow and arrows?

Steinfeld: (laughs) No, I didn’t get that far.

The Edge of Seventeen is now playing in theatres nationwide.