Last year I couldn’t land a Shailene Woodley interview when The Spectacular Now premiered at Sundance. This year I got her for the new Gregg Araki film, White Bird in a Blizzard. Based on the novel by Laura Kasischke, White Bird stars Woodley as Kat Connor, a teenager in 1988 whose mother Eve (Eva Green) disappears on her and her father (Christopher Meloni). We see the influence of both Eve’s disapproval and her absence on Kat, as Kat explores her first relationship with a high school boyfriend (Shiloh Fernandez) and later, with the detective (Thomas Jane) investigating Eve’s disappearance.
When we were introduced, she offered me a great big hug right away. She had no reason to do that. I wasn’t one of her regular interviewers but she was totally genuine. Her hair is all short now, though it’s long and flowing in White Bird. She also referred to last year’s film as Spec Now, which is what all the buzz last Sundance called it. We also discussed her upcoming franchise starter Divergent and her role in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, since her scenes as Mary Jane were cut from Amazing Spider-Man 2.
CraveOnline: You’ve been a number of coming of age stories: “Secret Life of the American Teenager,” The Spectacular Now and I imagine Divergent will be too. How different is each one?
Shailene Woodley: Oh, so incredibly different. The fun thing about coming of age films is that you can kind of make as many as possible because every single childhood is different. Every single adulthood is different, so you will never really run out of possibilities. Comparing and contrasting, Spectacular Now was about the high school experience and about falling in love for the first time. White Bird is about a woman’s personal journey through the consequences of her mother disappearing. Divergent is about a girl who has to get herself together very quickly so that she can save a society. So they’re all different but they all still do deal with the vulnerability of being a young woman and not knowing who you are just yet. There’s no definite personality set.
Did you grow up on Gregg Araki films?
I didn’t grow up with them but about 7-8 years ago I saw Mysterious Skin and I was blown away. Since then I’ve just been like, “I will do anything to be in one of his films.” I think nobody makes films like Gregg Araki, nobody.
When you’re in all white in the white snow, was that a continuity nightmare with people picking every little spot off the white outfit?
I don’t remember. I actually don’t think so. Gregg is so good with continuity, he’ll just come up himself and he’ll do it for a second, then he’ll bounce out. I don’t recall that being too crazy continuity wise.
Did you need to stay away from any food or drink, lest you spill something?
I think I probably had to put a robe on at lunch.
Oh duh, you can easily cover up. I feel like there are very few movies about women who like sex. Was that appealing to explore in White Bird in a Blizzard?
God, that’s so interesting that you say that. Yeah, it is. There’s a difference between sex being exploitive in a film and it being truthful and lending to a character development and to the storyline. Another thing I love about Gregg’s films is that he’s daring with sexuality and he doesn’t hide from it and he doesn’t mask it. I love how you put that. I think it is cool. You really don’t see a lot of women in films exploring their own sexuality and going after the male. Usually it’s the male going after the woman so I think it’s cool that Kat felt empowered enough to be able to do that at such a young age.
There are so many movies about the horny guys looking for sex or the woman who regrets it. That concerns me.
Totally. It’s so true. You’re so right about that.
So how drastically different were the “first time” scene and the later seduction scene with Thomas Jane?
I mean, they’re completely different. Every time in this movie, I felt comfortable because Gregg just creates such a comfortable, sacred sort of environment. Shiloh’s incredible and very gentlemanlike as is Thomas Jane. The Thomas scene was really fun because it’s really sexy and creepy at the same time. I’ve never seen a scene like that in a movie, nor have I ever done anything like that so it was really fun to just explore what that would be like as a 16-year-old going over to this older man’s house.
And the tasteful scene when you’re looking at yourself in the bathroom mirror, was that a nice way to explore a young woman appreciating her own body?
Yeah, that’s one of my favorite scenes in the film actually because that happens in real life. When you’re that age, you’re so aware of yourself physically. Every single day something changes when you’re a teenager because your hormones are raging. You wake up in the morning, your face a little bit puffier, a little bit skinnier. Your body’s a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I recall so many moments throughout my life of just staring at yourself in the mirror and analyzing every single part of your body.
Did using corded landline phones help you get into the character of the era?
Yes, everything about that movie. The set dec. was just amazing and the clothing, the music. Gregg would send us music throughout the film. The cord phones were great. They’re great. There’s no radiation. Everybody should have a cord phone.
Was there ever anyone on the other line for you, or was it just off-camera dialogue?
I think all of my phone scenes were with Shiloh so when I would do mine, he would sit behind the camera and he would come in for work. When he would do his, I would come in for him.
When did you do White Bird in a Blizzard between The Descendants and Spectacular Now?
Spectacular Now was in August. I did this in December of 2012.
In the Q&A they said this came to you right after The Descendants when you were saying no to everything.
I know, it’s so funny that he said that. There was a different draft with a different director attached and I don’t remember who it was. I read that four years ago, five years ago and I wasn’t really drawn to it. Then I don’t actually recall when exactly I read it with Gregg. I think it was probably a year before we started filming and it was completely different than the other draft I had read and I was like, “I have to do this movie. It’s so good.”
What were you saying no to? Were there a lot of big films?
No, not really. I love acting because I love how fun and creative it can be, and unless there’s a script that really calls to me, I’m not going to do the character justice and the character’s not going to do me any justice so there’s no point in doing it. That’s kind of the way I look at choices as far as what to do next. I just didn’t read anything that I was passionate about until Spectacular Now and this.
What have your last few years been like? Was The Descendants as drastic a turning point as it seemed for us?
In a way it definitely was because I’ve booked a lot of movies I think because of Descendants, but I didn’t do anything right away. I didn’t make another movie for two years after we did The Descendants. Spectacular Now was the next movie after I filmed that one because I wanted to wait for the right thing to come along.
Did the whole year of The Descendants take a while doing all the awards shows?
Yeah, a bit. The awards circuit is pretty intense as I’m sure you know.
When you do get a script that connects with you, what work do you do when you start breaking it down?
Honestly, I’m not really one of those actors who breaks down the script. I don’t know how to. I’ve never gone to acting school per se. My biggest thing is just being truthful in films because I love feeling in life. As human beings we’re gifted to be able to feel and I think a lot of us through childhood or through adulthood and through society, it’s just go, go, go nature. We don’t allow ourselves to feel and to express, so when I go to see a movie and it makes me laugh or it makes me cry, those emotions feel good. The serotonin that’s released, it’s true, the endorphins. So when I make a movie, I want to be able to feel and I want people who see the movie to be able to feel. That’s why I choose to do certain films.
What I like so much about The Spectacular Now was that Miles Teller’s character, Sutter, didn’t know how to accept love. He could play the role everyone liked, but when someone like Aimee actually wanted to give him love, it was weird and scary to him. What do you think of that interpretation?
I think that’s huge and I think a lot of people in our society maybe have that problem or that thing to work through and to transcend. I know somebody very dearly who doesn’t have enough self-love to be able to accept others’ loves. Really it’s sad to watch. It’s heart-breaking actually because there is so much love to give to someone, but unless they have their own self-respect and their own self-comfort, it’s impossible to know something that you’re not able to internally feel.
It’s hard to put in a tagline too, that’s why I was so impressed with the movie.
That’s so true.
I’ve wondered just as a business deal, do you have the option still of being in Amazing Spider-Man 3?
I am contracted still but I don’t know. Dude, Divergent, if the movie does well, we’re taking off right away. We’re already slated to film the second one.
That’s good. I just thought it would be shitty if they completely recast you just because.
Oh yeah, no. I don’t think that they would do that.
If it’s because you’re busy, that’s good. So what can we expect from Divergent?
It’s a young adult film that, actually, I wouldn’t even call it a young adult film. It’s a film that deals with incredibly dark, rough situations. It’s basically, in my opinion, a futuristic metaphor for what’s going on in today’s society. It’s about becoming a sovereign human, it’s about fighting for what you believe in and it’s also about fighting for justice and fighting for the community, really bringing the community together because there’s not a lot of that right now. I feel like everybody sort of lives their own lives and I think it’s vitally important for us to come together and find our voices again and build bridges to keep this world going. We have a responsibility as citizens of the planet to help progression and evolution and that’s what Divergent symbolizes in my opinion.
There’s been a little bit of fatigue on the teen sci-fi love stories. Can Divergent reinvigorate this genre?
I hope so. I don’t really see it as a love story at all or a teen heart drama. My character and the other lead do fall in love but it’s based on respect and it’s based on eternal partnership and pride in one another. And that, to me, is the best concept and the best message to be sending out to young adults right now. So many other franchises, people fall in love with each other based on attraction and based on surface level ideals. For young people to feel empowered enough to fall in love with someone based on their heart and based on who they are as a human regardless of their physical situation is unique and rare.
You’ve still been able to play young characters and Kat graduates to college. Are there certain types of young roles you still want to play before you outgrow them?
I’m at a point right now where I would love to explore my age. White Bird is the closest to my age that I’ve ever really been able to play, or at least maturity-wise. I would love to dabble in that more. I’ve been loving doing these young adult films but I’m excited for the new chapter.
What sort of roles do you hope to play in the future?
I don’t know. I would love to do a comedy. I’ve never done a comedy and I think that would be really fun.
So you don’t consider Spectacular Now comedic? Dramedy I guess.
No, no. I mean, I think there’s humor in it obviously because there’s humor in life. Even when something’s hard, you can always find humor. I’m talking about, I guess Little Miss Sunshine is pretty dramatic as well but I just find it so funny. I really love dry humor, dry wit.
Like a romp.
Yeah, totally.
I love your hair by the way.
Thank you.
Is this for any role?
I cut it for The Fault In Our Stars.
What do you get to play in that?
I play a young girl who has cancer. It’s a cancer story that’s not about cancer.
One of my favorite types of movies are movies that explore grief because I think it’s such a healthy, constructive thing. Is The Fault in Our Stars along those lines?
It explores life, not death, which I think is very unique in a film that’s about two young adults with cancer.
Did you cut all your hair and this is how it’s grown back?
It’s grown a little bit. It was a little bit shorter for the film.
But not the full bald chemo look?
No, she was a few years after chemo.
What other movies or artists inspire you?
Oh my God, I think actor-wise, Rosemarie DeWitt can do no wrong. Marion Cotillard can do no wrong, Melanie Laurent. You know who I’ve been recently really obsessed with is Julianne Moore. God, she is so good.
Did you get to see anything at Sundance?
I haven’t really seen anything. I haven’t had time. I come every year regardless of whether I have a movie or not because I love seeing films here, so it just depends. Last year I didn’t see any films, this year I’m probably not going to see any films but maybe next year I won’t have a film so I’ll be able to support other filmmakers.
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Best Episode Ever and The Shelf Space Awards. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
