A natural talent, with a striking presence, Haley Bennett is quickly establishing herself as one of Hollywood's most dynamic actresses. She is poised to become the breakthrough talent of 2016 as she stars in two highly anticipated films this season – Columbia Pictures' “The Magnificent Seven” (in cinemas Sept. 21) and “The Girl on the Train” (opens Oct. 05) from Universal Pictures.
In “The Magnificent Seven,” she plays Emma Cullen, wife of a murdered farmer, and who takes charge in finding the righteuos mercenary Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) and convincing him to defend her town from a greedy industrialist. Bennett had worked before with director Antoine Fuqua and Washington on the hit film, “The Equalizer.”
“Emma suffers a great loss and takes matters into her own hands to ensure that she stops this man, Bartholomew Bogue, from victimizing her town,” says Bennett. “Emma defies all of the stereotypes – she’s not objectified or submissive or victimized. The film is set at a time when women didn’t have equal rights, so it’s inspiring for me to portray her as complex, a person with a voice who can evoke change. That’s another way that this telling of the story is different.”