Raw, real and wild at heart, Shailene Woodley is Hollywood’s freshest face, and here’s why we wouldn’t change her for the world.
Raw, real and wild at heart, Shailene Woodley is Hollywood’s freshest face, and here’s why we wouldn’t change her for the world.
When it comes to Hollywood’s bright young things, few are hotter than Shailene Woodley. We aren’t just talking about her physical beauty – although, of course, there’s that elfin face, punctuated by those expressive, Bambi eyes, which were just made for emoting on film. And then there’s the athletic, statuesque frame, honed by months of working on the action-packed Divergent series. There’s also that pixie cut, which inspired short-hair lust all over the world when Shailene debuted the cropped style in 2014. Nope. On top of all that, Shailene possesses the one quality every working actress covets – she’s in demand.
In case you don’t already know why, it’s because 2014 was a watershed year for the native Californian, who’s been acting since she was five. In the span of two months, she appeared in Divergent, the first instalment of a Hunger Games-esque franchise that has so far raked in almost US$600 million in box office receipts. Then, she chopped off her long hair and appeared in a very different young adult movie (albeit one that was also about love and imminent death) – The Fault in Our Stars. As for Shailene’s star? Far from faulty, its ascent was meteoric.
Super-stardom quickly came calling, but – possibly due to having spent her early years in the industry as a relative unknown – Shailene’s built a reputation around being refreshingly candid, very hippie, slightly eccentric and down-toearth in every possible way.
EARTH CHILD
In fact, apart from her tendency to star in huge, blockbuster movies, Shailene Woodley is most famous for her commitment to green living. Far from your typical eco-conscious celeb, Shailene’s take on being earth-friendly isn’t about spending her downtime volunteering or becoming an ambassador for nonprofit organisations – instead, she’s committed to a little-known cause called re-wilding.
“The whole concept of re-wilding came about through some really good friends of mine, and it’s basically about adapting to your current situation,” she tells Emma Stone, for Interview magazine. “We want to continue to live on this planet, and I think we need to break down the associations that we have that we’re different from nature – that we need to protect the Earth and save the Earth – when we are, in fact, part of the Earth. So it all starts with us. If we want to save the planet, then I think we need to start saving ourselves in order to do that. I believe that organic farming, among many other practices, can really start that shift.”
On top of that, Shailene advocates a diet where you know where your food comes from, and listening to your body. Some of her quirkier habits include gathering her own fresh spring water from a natural source – a practice that’s part of the re-wilding lifestyle – as well as making her own herbal remedies, toothpaste, beauty treatments and even cheeses. If you think Shailene lets herself go at the craft services table when she’s filming, you’d also be wrong. Even while she was filming Insurgent, the actress found the time to make her own meals and brought them to set every day. Yup, that’s what we call commitment.
THE GIVER
But the famous star isn’t just committed to taking care of herself, she’s also noted for her refreshingly open-hearted approach to just about everything on the planet. “I’m all-loving,” she says, in an interview with the US edition of Elle. “Heart-centered, like, ‘This is who I am! And I love you if you love me for who this person is. And if not, I’ll still love you, but I ain’t fallin’ in love with you!’ When you’re truly in love, for me, it’s... you’re my lighthouse! You’re somebody who holds me high, keeps me safe, you’ve got my f—in’ back... You also love me whole, wild and free. You let me do me, and I’m gonna let you do you! And I’ll be the home that you return to.”
That whole-hearted commitment shines through in other places as well. There was the time when – just before cutting her hair off for The Fault in Our Stars – she teamed up with its author John Green, producer Wyck Godfrey, and the non-profit organisation Children With Hair Loss to kickstart #HairforHazel, a social media initiative that encouraged girls with long hair to take the chop with Shailene and donate their locks to children in need.
“After much thought and curiosity surrounding the subject, I finally came to the conclusion that hair, for me, was a symbol of strength,” writes Shailene on her personal Tumblr page. “It was a symbol of commitment to my power. Of connection to my ancestry. Of recognising my natural beauty… a symbol of my sovereignty. Of my humble desire to feel grounded within my own skin. And for the longest time, I was committed to never chopping it off .”
But after making the decision to cut her hair and step into the skin of Hazel Grace Lancaster, “I did a complete 180,” continues Shailene. “I went from sacralising the length of my hair, to appreciating the spontaneity of chopping it off . And also recognising the beauty of freedom. I think there is something so exceptionally admirable about one’s commitment to allowing their face to shine without hair blocking it… There was a time when growing my hair out symbolised something for me, but the power of sharing that choice, sharing the ability to have long hair with someone feels far more powerful right now.”
LIVING DAUNTLESSLY
Meanwhile, if you’re hungry to see Shailene give her all on screen, you’ll definitely not be left wanting this year, with the star headlining two big projects in the first half of 2016. First up (if you weren’t already aware), is the hugely anticipated Allegiant – Part 1, which premieres in March. Sporting a slightly longer, grown-out bob, some time seems to have passed as Tris teams up again with Four and her fellow Dauntless – Peter, Lori and Christina – to discover what lies beyond the walls.
While Jeanine might no longer be a threat, it’s clear that Tris and her allies aren’t in the free and clear. Veteran actor Jeff Daniels appears in a new role – one that book-readers might recognise as David, the leader of a mysterious agency outside the wall known as The Bureau. But seeing as the second movie already departed from the narrative of the books, it will be interesting to see how far the fi lm deviates from the source.
A few months later, Shailene also takes on her first properly adult role in Snowden. Directed by acclaimed American filmmaker Oliver Stone, the drama is a true-to-life biopic of one of the modern world’s most controversial figures – Edward Snowden, the infamous US government contractor who blew the whistle on the US government’s global surveillance program, and became the source of one of the largest intelligence leaks in history.
Co-starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the title role, Shailene picked up pole-dancing to get into the character of Lindsay Mills, Edward’s long-time girlfriend. And while there are many who would decry Edward Snowden as a traitor, Shailene’s not afraid to share her character’s views on the real-life man. “I define a hero as somebody who, against the judgment of other people, if they believe something will positively impact the world and they choose to do it and honour their integrity, that’s what I sort of consider a hero, no matter how big or small a feat they create,” she said to E!. “And in that light, absolutely, I think that Edward Snowden is a hero.”
In the grand scheme of things, staying honest, authentic and freespirited while navigating the murky waters of show business might not be a big feat, but by continuing to remain fearlessly and unapologetically committed to her personal values, Shailene definitely continues to inspire us. And in that light, we absolutely think she’s a hero too.
Snip Happy
How to take it all off with zero fear? Just follow Shailene’s guide to growing out your pixie cut.
