How Hailee Steinfeld reinvented herself during Hollywood’s 2023 strike

The 2023 Hollywood strike, one of the longest and most disruptive in the industry’s history, brought production to a standstill from July to November and left thousands of actors out of work.

Among those affected was Hailee Steinfeld, who was forced to find a new creative outlet during the months of uncertainty.

Steinfeld, who began acting at age 10 with roles in She’s a Fox, True Grit, and Romeo and Juliet, has long been recognised as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and talented performers.

Over the years, she’s earned critical acclaim and numerous awards for her powerful on-screen portrayals. But when the strike halted the entertainment world, she, like many of her peers, suddenly found herself without projects or a creative purpose.

In a recent interview with Bustle magazine, Steinfeld opened up about that difficult time. “I felt so lost and so creatively stunted. I needed something, a form of connection. What do I do?” she recalled.

Out of that uncertainty, she created Beau Society, a personal newsletter that quickly evolved from a passion project into a major success.

What began as a creative experiment has now turned into a thriving publication on Substack, attracting nearly 87,000 weekly readers. “My creative drive is through my newsletter,” Steinfeld told Bustle, reflecting on how the project reignited her artistic spirit.

One of Beau Society’s most popular features was a playful Q&A with her husband, NFL star Josh Allen.

During the conversation, Allen recounted how Steinfeld nearly spoiled his proposal when she excitedly asked, “Can we get married already?! What are you waiting for?!” only moments before he planned to propose. Allen laughed as he recalled saying, “Little did you know I was about to propose to you?”

The couple, who became engaged on November 22, 2024, tied the knot on May 31, 2025, in an intimate ceremony in California, with Beau Society giving fans a heartfelt peek into their love story.