The story behind why Shailene Woodley almost turned down Big Little Lies and why she finally signed up: “I’ll never forget it”

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

The ensemble that filled up Big little liesHBO’s hit series Based on the book of the same name by Liane Moriarty, it is arguably one of the best films on television and went far beyond the world of the original source material. Each actress is as good as the next, and it’s hard to imagine that this cast could have looked completely different. Shailene Woodley, who played the young new mother in the show’s two seasons, almost turned down the role until one of her co-stars convinced her to accept the role.

Woodley was on a press tour for the new Starz series in the 2024 TV schedule Three womenbased on the book of the same name by Lisa Taddeo. She stopped by Vanity Fair to take part in their popular “Scene Selection” segment to revisit her most popular titles and share some stories about them.

During the Big little lies In the segment, the 32-year-old revealed that she was interested in finding herself and almost turned down the hit HBO show despite wanting to work with the show’s director. Woodley shared:

I got a call. I’ll never forget it. It was November or October 2015. I was really sick at the time and not tired of acting or the art and craft of storytelling. But I was really exhausted from the Hollywood action. And I got a call about Big Little Lies because Jean-Marc Vallée – our wonderful creator and director, who has since passed away – wanted me to play Jane. And I really wanted to work with him, I thought he was such an incredible artist and filmmaker. But I was determined to find myself.

It’s no surprise that at the young age of 23, she wanted to take some time for soul searching. She already had a strong resume with roles on it The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The fault of our starsAnd The descendants to name just a few. It was no problem for Woodley to retire from Hollywood.

The Divergent Alum then informed us that she would have been in India without Laura Dern and we would have assigned someone else to do Jane Chapman. She revealed:

And then I got a call from Laura [Dern] the day before I left for India – or maybe I was actually already in India and hadn’t turned off my phone yet. And she just said, “Listen, I know where you are in your life.” I’ve been there before. It’s a lot. This world is an illusion, but what is not an illusion is what you like to do. And what I see in you, Shai, is your destiny. At least at this moment in your life, you must be a storyteller. And I think it’s a huge mistake for you to miss this opportunity that you should really take advantage of.” Because of that call, I decided to leave India and return to the United States, and it changed my life forever.

I think it’s safe to say: thank God for Laura Dern! If Woodley wasn’t part of the coastal drama, it would have completely changed the tone of the show. The relationship between the ensemble was crucial in both seasons, and of course the ensemble only became stronger with the addition of Meryl Streep.

It’s great to see that the friendships between these women existed from the beginning. The Spectacular now Star praised Dern for her honesty and bravery at the crucial moment:

And so I’m grateful to Laura in many ways, but it was a huge moment of courageous friendship to say, “I think you’re making a mistake, and I’m going to be brave enough to tell you why.” Because I see you really. And I see something that you can’t see in your own life right now.’

Honestly, this piece BLL The behind-the-scenes information only makes me hope that Season 3 comes one day, especially with the cast gushing about why it took so long. The death of Jean-Marc Vallée may have had something to do with this, as it was heartbreaking for everyone involved and many honored his memory.

I’m very glad Woodley ultimately listened to Dern because it wouldn’t have been the same if that had happened Three women Star had refused. You can watch Big little lies with a Max subscription and Catch Three women on Fridays with a Starz subscription.

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