Actress Shailene Woodley is known for her talent, especially by those who've seen her in The Descendants, but on physical appearance, her long hair is one of the things that stands out most. But not for long. The actress has announced that this weekend she's chopping off her hair ahead of shooting the feature adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars, which will have her playing Hazel, a girl with terminal cancer. She says that as of this Saturday, her hair will be the shortest it's ever been. Woodley wrote a lengthy blog entry talking about her decision to cut her hair and how she's decided to turn it into a positive thing, which will benefit a charity.
Just the other day, I referenced the Locks of Love charity in a story about hair thieves in Venezuela. Maybe I just have hair on the brain these days, as I've actually been growing my own hair out to donate it, but Woodley's story caught my attention today. The actress - known on the small screen for her lead role in ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager and on the big screen for The Descendants, The Spectacular Now and coming soon, Divergent - has announced that she's going to cut off her long brown hair and donate it to charity.
Via Yahoo, Woodley stated on her Tumblr that donating her hair is something she discussed with John Green, the author of The Fault In Our Stars and the feature adaptation's producer Wyck Godfrey as a way to encourage people to contribute to a worthy cause:
john green (author of T.F.I.O.S.), wyck godfrey (producer of the ?lm), and i all decided that this could be a beautiful opportunity to rally the troops of mankind and ask for some warriors to help contribute to the cause. any of you have 8 inches of hair to spare? or maybe know a friend or family member that does? if so, consider JOINING THE #hairforhazel TEAM!
Woodley goes on to encourage people to consider chopping off their locks and donating the hair to Children With Hair Loss.
Woodley presumably needs to cut her hair for The Fault In Our Stars, which begins production later this month, however it's inspiring to see that she's found a way to turn the decision into something that can benefit kids in need and perhaps inspire other people to do the same.
The actor doesn't leave it at that, either. She goes into a lengthy but interesting commentary on her choice to grow her hair long to begin with. Here's part of the explanation:
After much thought and curiosity surrounding the subject, i ?nally came to the conclusion that hair, for me, was a symbol of strength. it was a symbol of commitment to my power. of connection to my ancestry. of recognizing my natural beauty. that which exists without chemical dyes, or hairspray, or scissors. a symbol of my sovereignty. of my humble desire to feel grounded within my own skin. not the image magazines and reality shows desperately try to throw in our faces, but the image of authentic beauty.
It sounds like her brother played a role in motivating her to let it go, however, as she says he played her a song by Regina Spektor called "Ghost of Corporate Future," which includes the line "Maybe you should just cut your own hair, 'cause that can be so funny. It doesn't cost any money and it always grows back. It even grows after you're dead."
…. upon hearing these words, i was immediately inspired to cut my own hair off with abandon. shed old layers and practice the art of playfulness. out of nowhere, i did a complete 360. i went from sacralizing the length of my hair, to appreciating the spontaneity of chopping it off. and also recognizing 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. it’s all about balance i suppose. about knowing what’s right for you on your own personal journey. there was a time when growing my hair out symbolized 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. i know what it feels like to have wind blow through my wavy locks, and i am over-the-top grateful i get to share that gift with another.
Here the song for yourself below:
I haven't read The Fault in our Stars yet, and I'm kind of dragging my feet with this one as it sounds like it could be a very sad story. Beautiful, probably, but sad, as it centers on a terminally ill patient named Hazel whose life is turned upside down when she meets Augustus Waters at Cancer Kid Support Group. But if you're up for a good read, it sounds like it's worth a look. With over four thousand reviews submitted, Amazon readers have it ranked at four and a half stars, and it's only $3.99 for the Kindle version. In the meantime, here's that link for the hair donation charity.
