The last couple of years have treated rising star Beanie Feldstein well. Her roles have helped redefine good girl, best friend characters, especially her part as studious and cautious Molly in Booksmart, and clueless newbie vampire in the What We Do in the Shadows series. Beanie Feldstein made her film debut in 2016’s Zac Efron and Seth Rogen comedy Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. However, her role as best friend Julie in Lady Bird is what really made people start to take notice.
In 2019, Beanie Feldstein made an even bigger impression on the film world with her co-lead role in the critically acclaimed comedy Booksmart. Only four years after her film debut, Feldstein’s upcoming film gives her the lead role as Johanna in the movie adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s book How to Build a Girl. The movie made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2019, but How to Build a Girl receives wider release in May 2020. Beanie Feldstein is a name that you will constantly hear in the next few years, so it’s time to get to know your new favorite actress.
She’ll Take On The Role Of Monica Lewinsky
The latest season of Ryan Murphy’s crime anthology, American Crime Story focuses on the Bill Clinton impeachment trials and his sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky. Beanie Feldstein has been cast in the Monica Lewinsky role, with Clive Owen playing Bill Clinton. American Crime Story: Impeachment’s cast also includes Sarah Paulson, Anthony Green, Betty Gilpin, Annaleigh Ashford, and Billy Eichner. The Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal was one of the most talked about events of the late-90s, so we’re excited and intrigued to see how Beanie Feldstein adds her own spin to Lewinsky. American Crime Story Impeachment was originally scheduled for a September 27, 2020 premiere, but, due to a production delay, it likely won’t premiere until late 2020 or early 2021.
She’ll Spend The Next 20 Years With Her High School Best Friend
Richard Linklater famously shot Boyhood over a 12-year span. He plans to undertake an even bigger challenge by filming Merrily We Roll Along over the course of the next 20 years. Merrily We Roll Along is the Stephen Sondheim musical that failed during its initial run, but underwent numerous revivals and changes. Linklater cast Beanie Feldstein, Ben Platt, and Blake Jenner for the three lead roles.
Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein are real life best friends. They met at a bat mitzvah and spend the whole event talking to each other, but they lost touch because cellphones didn’t exist yet. They reunited in high school, since they attended the same one. The duo spent the next four years forming an unbreakable bond and being inseparable, until they went off to different colleges. However, they remained close and best friends over the years. Feldstein even gifted Ben Platt a pair of cufflinks on his sixteenth birthday with a note to wear it when he goes to the Tony awards. Years later when Ben Platt actually won his Tony award for Dear Evan Hansen, he wore those cufflinks.
She Appeared On Broadway With Bette Midler
Bette Midler starred in the Hello, Dolly revival from April 2017 to January 2018. Beanie Feldstein also made her Broadway debut in this production, and she played shop girl Minnie Fay. Minnie Fay is a naïve young girl who works in a hat shop. Bette Midler and Beanie Feldstein seemed to have developed a close bond while working together. During a 2017 interview with Vogue, Feldstein claimed that she was “truly in love with her,” and that “she makes me laugh so hard, I snort.” In 2019, Midler also had Feldstein and Ben Platt perform with her during her annual charity Halloween party, the New York Restoration Project’s Hulaween. They sang a parody version of the “Monster Mash” called the “Monster Cash.”
She Is Jonah Hill’s Sister
Beanie Feldstein is the youngest in a trio of famous siblings. Her eldest brother, Jordan Feldstein was Maroon 5’s manager. He tragically died in 2017 at age 40 from a heart attack. Her other famous brother is Academy Award nominated actor Jonah Hill. Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein are very close. She even called him her best friend and he shared the sentiment by calling her his hero and best friend on social media. The siblings often post pictures of each other on their social media pages, and share their admiration and love for one another. They have a very un-sibling rivalry relationship.
Jonah Hill even goes to extreme methods to show his support for his little sister. During her Hello, Dolly run, he got a seemingly real tattoo that said “Hello, Beanie” on his arm. He also sported a “Beanie’s Brother” sweatshirt during her Booksmart premiere. She gave him this present on his 35th birthday. The two show each other support whenever possible.
She Got Her Nickname Beanie From An Unexpected Source
Beanie Feldstein’s real name is Elizabeth Feldstein, but she hasn’t used that name since she was two years old. She had a British nanny for the first five years of her life. The child that the nanny previously took care of was also named Elizabeth, but she called her Elizabeanie. Elizabeth is a common name in Britain, so her nanny decided to add some more character to the name Elizabeth with Elizabeanie. After Beanie’s brothers heard the name Elizabeanie, they decided to drop the Eliza, and just call her Beanie. From that day forward, she only went by Beanie.
She Doesn’t Consider Her Queer Identity A Defining Feature
Beanie Feldstein is in a happy loving relationship with movie producer Bonnie Chance Roberts. The two met and started dating in 2018 when they worked together on the movie How to Build a Girl. In an interview with People, she gushed about how happy she was that Booksmart didn’t make a big deal about Kaitlyn Dever’s character Amy being gay. She then related it to her own queer identity.
For me in my life, it is a part of who I am but it is not at all my defining feature. It doesn’t mean I don’t love my girlfriend, it’s just part of who I am. And [the character]’s the same way. To see that in Amy and how beautifully Kaitlyn plays her and how beautifully Katie [Silberman, screenwriter] and Olivia [Wilde, director] crafted her, it’s gonna change a lot of people’s lives.
Beanie Feldstein is clearly out and proud of her sexuality. She just seems not to want it to be the only thing that people see about her. Bonnie Chance Roberts and Beanie Feldstein often share adorable pictures of their relationship on their Instagram pages.
How to Build a Girl is set to get a wider release on May 8, 2020. Beanie Feldstein also has a guest appearance on Episode 15 of Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 as intern Tess Desmond. Stream her hit movie Booksmart on Hulu.
