Although she's been acting since the age of 12, Winstead wasn't a natural — by her own admission. She told Interview, in relation to her guest spot on Touched By An Angel, "I specifically remember being terrible. Not even good on a child actor's scale." The Scott Pilgrim breakout grew up idolizing Sigourney Weaver and wanting to star in movies like West Side Story, Gypsy and Working Girl. "There's just such an energy and personality to those films and those roles. That's what I want to do," Winstead revealed. 

Her career kicked into high gear in the latter half of the 2010s thanks, by her estimation, to the actress's desire to take more jobs. "I think my drive to work has gone up a bit since I've gotten older. The more I work the happier I am," she acknowledged. Winstead added, "I'm also finding a lot more roles that are exciting and challenging for me on a more regular basis."