Shailene Woodley has shown that she can play any character thrown her way.
Her most recent role as Hazel Lancaster, a 16-year-old cancer patient who falls in love with a 17-year-old amputee in The Fault in Our Stars , proves that she is a very diverse actress, and can take on any role given to her.
While most actresses say they draw from their personal experiences to help them get into character, Woodley says that she doesn’t do that at all. “Not at all,” Woodley told E! News. “I don’t work like that as an actor.”
If you haven’t read John Green’s young adult novel, or seen the movie adaptation, you are really missing out.
“Hazel and Gus are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them — and us – on an unforgettable journey,” the synopsis reads. “Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.
The storyline may seem a little dark, but Woodley explains that it is anything but that. “The subject matter is tough, but it’s real, right? Cancer’s a reality. One in three people in America have cancer. That’s a pretty intense statistic to grapple with. But also, it’s a cancer movie that’s not about cancer,” Woodley said.
“It’s about falling in love for the first time, and the trials and the tribulations and the beauty and the grief and the excitement of those feelings that everyone can relate to, whether you’re in your 80s or whether you’re 14 and haven’t fallen in love yet,” she added.
The Fault in Our Stars is now in theaters. If you plan on going to see it, make sure you bring a box of tissues.
Image via Wikimedia Commons