How Did Shailene Woodley Get Into Acting?

Shailene Woodley has certainly made a name for herself in the acting world. Despite not having traditional training, the actor has starred in wildly popular TV shows like Big Little Lies. She’s also starred in blockbuster films like the Divergent movies. But just how did Woodley get into acting in the first place, and how does she approach her work?

Shailene Woodley started acting at a very young age

Many of Woodley’s fans don’t realize that she was technically a child actor. She started acting professionally at the tender age of 5. After she accompanied her cousin to a theater class, she found herself completely enamored with acting. When she arrived home, she pleaded with her parents to enroll her in her cousin’s program.

Eventually, Woodley’s begging paid off, and her parents paid $700 for her to enroll in the theatre program. Turns out the return on their investment was huge. Shortly after joining the program, Woodley got her first agent. It wasn’t long before she began booking commercials, and after just six years, she’d made 60 commercials.

Woodley’s parents insisted that she stayed normal if she wanted to act in movies and TV shows

Over the years, Woodley’s commercial successes trickled over into the theatrical world. Soon she was auditioning for movies like I Am Sam and TV shows like The O.C. However, Woodley’s parents were determined to keep her down to earth. They agreed to let her continue to pursue acting as long as she abided by a set of rules, which provided the actor with normalcy.

“I had three rules when I was growing up: I had to stay who I was, have fun and do well in school,” Woodley explained to the Associated Press. “And if I constantly abided by all three of those, then I could continue to act.” Woodley managed to follow her parents’ rules as she continued to stack her resume. She even attended regular high school whilst guest-starring on popular TV shows.

Woodley’s success continued to build, and after she graduated high school, her consistent bookings made her fame skyrocket. And while she was no longer beholden to her parents’ rules, she still seems to keep a similar ethos as an adult actor. The Endings, Beginnings star picks projects that she’s passionate about and leads a relatively normal life when she isn’t filming or promoting work.

Does Woodley follow a specific acting technique?

But what of the Woodley’s training? Interestingly enough, The Fallout actor never formally studied acting in school or a conservatory. In fact, she doesn’t even watch too many movies or TV shows. Instead, she seems to utilize her professional gigs as a training ground to develop her skills as an actor. She also explains that being present and a good listener allows her to connect with her characters.

“I’m not one of those actors who feels like they need to get in character, to do any sort of method acting situations,” Woodley revealed to Flaunt Magazine. “For me, it’s all about learning my lines, showing up on time, and professionally listening to what others are saying, and then authentically and truthfully reacting off of their expressions. So, it’s easy to drop roles, because I don’t feel like I acquire them to begin with.”

Woodley’s path has certainly been an interesting one. She may not have gone the traditional route, but it’s clearly worked out for her. We’re sure her loyal fans can’t wait to see what she chooses to do next.