Remember the Divergent movies? It was a decade ago this year when the dystopian franchise got its start on the big screen. At the time, Shailene Woodley had only been in a few films, and while working opposite Academy Award winner Kate Winslet, she received some very invaluable advice that she’ll never forget, even though in the movie itself, the two become sworn enemies.
Being a young woman in Hollywood isn’t necessarily the easiest thing, especially when it comes to tons of people sharing their opinions when one is still growing into themselves and their confidence. So, when Woodley met Winslet early in her career, it meant the world to her. In her words when asked if she was a good sounding board for her at the time:
I mean, beyond that. She's so — not to overuse the word real — but she's just real. She is who she is, and she's not afraid to be who she is. And she's done the hard work.
Shailene Woodley spoke about Kate Winslet while talking to Drew Barrymore on her daytime show. During their sweet conversation, Barrymore quoted recent words from Winslet where the actress spoke about her early days post-Titanic where her sudden whirlwind fame meant a lot of people started commenting on her body and calling her fat.
Winslet has shared that she did not stand up for herself at the time because she was “grateful” just to be able to afford her own apartment. Looking back now, as she told Variety earlier this year, she would say “Don’t you dare treat me like this. I’m a young woman, my body is changing, I’m figuring it out, I’m deeply insecure, I’m terrified, don’t make this any harder than it already is.’ That’s bullying”. Here’s how Woodley responded to Winslet’s commentary on her start with fame:
But you know what's cool about that is she maybe didn't do that for herself, but she did do it for me. She absolutely did… Because we worked together. I was 21. I had all the influx of public life and being told you should look a certain way, or you should be a certain thing or don't eat that or do this or dye your hair a different color. And she absolutely sat me down, held my shoulders, did this [grabs Barrymore’s hands], and was like, ‘Uh, uh, uh. That's not who you are. This is the truth.’ And she gave me that moment and I would not be who I am today without her.
As Woodley shared during the interview, Winslet actually protected her and made sure she had the message she wished she heard at her age by sitting her down and giving her this advice. Check out the moment on YouTube:
The moment on the Divergent set in turn really affected Shailene Woodley, and it made sure she was in touch with herself rather than falling privy to what everyone else’s opinions were.
Following the Divergent movies, Woodley even took a break from acting to focus more on herself. Now, she's back on screen with her latest project, the STARZ miniseries called Three Women, based on the book of the same name.
And oddly enough, Kate Winslet can be seen in one of the 2024 movies currently out in theaters, Lee. You can check out CinemaBlend’s interview with Winslet about how portraying the war photojournalist affected her life next.
