Beanie Feldstein Bio
Elizabeth Greer Feldstein, known professionally as Beanie Feldstein, is an American actress and singer whose work spans film, television and the Broadway stage. She first gained public recognition for supporting and starring roles in the comedy Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) and the comedy-drama Lady Bird (2017), and received broad critical notice for her starring turn in the coming-of-age comedy Booksmart (2019). Feldstein has also established a stage profile with a Broadway debut in Hello, Dolly! and a later leading casting in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl.
Early Life and Background
Beanie Feldstein was born Elizabeth Greer Feldstein on June 24, 1993, in Los Angeles, California. She is the youngest of three children; her older brothers are actor Jonah Hill and music industry manager Jordan Feldstein. Her family background included entertainment-industry work: her mother worked as a costume designer and fashion stylist and her father worked as a tour accountant. Feldstein was raised in Los Angeles and brought up in a household familiar with creative and performance work.
Her childhood nickname, Beanie, was given by a longtime family nanny and remained the name she uses professionally. Feldstein attended the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles and trained at Stagedoor Manor, a recognized performing arts camp in New York. She continued formal education at Wesleyan University, graduating in 2015 with a degree in sociology while steadily pursuing acting opportunities.
Path to Celebrity
Feldstein’s credited acting debut occurred in 2002 with a guest appearance on the ABC comedy series My Wife and Kids, marking an early entry into television. She continued working in television and independent film through her teen years and early twenties, accruing guest and supporting parts on series and smaller features. These early parts built on her stage training and prepared her for more prominent screen roles.
Her stage experience and college work overlapped with professional auditions that led to casting in larger studio projects. Feldstein’s network within the theatre community and friendships established at Stagedoor Manor and Harvard-Westlake—alongside connections formed at Wesleyan—contributed to a steady trajectory from small television roles to higher-profile film and Broadway casting in the mid-2010s.
Beanie Feldstein Career
Early Career (2002–2015)
Between her 2002 debut and the mid-2010s Feldstein built a resume of guest and supporting roles that showcased versatility across comedy and drama. She appeared in television pilots and series guest spots and took parts in independent films, including an appearance in the 2015 feature Fan Girl. These years included training and stage work that culminated in her Broadway casting the following year, reflecting a gradual but consistent professional development from child and young adult roles toward mainstream film and theatre opportunities.
While attending Wesleyan University Feldstein continued to audition and take roles, balancing education with professional commitments. The combination of on-camera experience and stage training positioned her for a breakout period beginning around 2016 when she moved into higher-visibility studio projects and Broadway work.
Breakthrough (2016–2019)
Feldstein’s profile rose significantly with a supporting role in the 2016 comedy Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, where she worked alongside established comedic actors in a broad-release studio film. The following year she appeared in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird (2017), a film that earned wide critical praise and Academy Award recognition for its ensemble. Feldstein’s work in Lady Bird increased industry attention and contributed to subsequent casting opportunities.
Her Broadway debut came in 2017 when she was cast as Minnie Fay in the revival of Hello, Dolly!, a high-profile production led by Bette Midler. Feldstein’s transition to Broadway drew notice from theatre critics and solidified her presence in both stage and screen arenas. In 2019 she starred in Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut Booksmart, a coming-of-age comedy that earned Feldstein broad critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture–Comedy or Musical.
Notable Works and Milestones
Booksmart stands as a signature screen role for Feldstein, widely regarded as a career-defining lead that showcased her comic timing and emotional range. Other milestones include her Broadway debut in Hello, Dolly! and casting as the lead in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl, a significant theatrical assignment that marked a high-profile extension of her stage career. Feldstein has also taken recurring and guest television roles, voiced animated characters and appeared in ensemble dramatic adaptations, demonstrating range across mediums.
Later Projects and Stage Leadership (2020–2022)
In 2020 and beyond Feldstein expanded her television work with guest turns such as an appearance on Grey’s Anatomy and a recurring role in the first season of What We Do in the Shadows. She appeared in filmed theatre adaptations and television specials, and she took on leading dramatic material in the film adaptation of Stephen Karam’s play The Humans. In 2021 she was cast as Fanny Brice for the 2022 Broadway revival of Funny Girl, a high-profile role that drew intense critical attention and public scrutiny during its run.
Feldstein’s 2022 stage tenure produced mixed critical responses to her vocal performance in Funny Girl; she subsequently left the production and was replaced later that year. During this period she was also announced for film projects including a long-term collaboration in Richard Linklater’s Merrily We Roll Along and casting in Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls, indicating continued film commitments alongside stage work.
Beanie Feldstein Award Nominations
Across her career Feldstein has received several verified nominations that reflect recognition in both film and theatre. Her lead performance in Booksmart earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture–Comedy or Musical. Earlier ensemble work in Lady Bird contributed to a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Her casting in Funny Girl also yielded a nomination for the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance for that production.
Beanie Feldstein Family
Feldstein was raised in Los Angeles in a family with close ties to entertainment and music. Her mother worked in costume design and fashion styling and her father worked as a tour accountant. She is the youngest sibling of Jonah Hill, an established film actor, and the late Jordan Feldstein, who worked as a manager in the music industry. Feldstein has described a family environment that combined creative professions and industry experience.
Personal Life
Beanie Feldstein is publicly out as queer. She met English film producer Bonnie-Chance Roberts while working on the 2019 film How to Build a Girl; the couple became engaged in June 2022 and married on May 19, 2023. Feldstein maintains a public profile focused on her professional work and has discussed the importance of theatre training and creative community to her development as an actor and performer.