The Story Behind Why Shailene Woodley Nearly Turned Down Big Little Lies And Why She Ultimately Signed On: ‘I’ll Never Forget It’
Cue 'Cold Little Heart' by Michael Kiwanuka.
The ensemble that filled out Big Little Lies, HBO's hit series based on Liane Moriarty’s book of the same name, is arguably one of TV's best and went far beyond the world of the original source material. Each actress is as good as the last, and it’s hard to imagine that this cast could have looked quite different. Shailene Woodley, who played the young new mother in the two seasons of the series, nearly turned down the role until one of her costars convinced her to accept the part.
Woodley has been on a press tour for the new Starz series in the 2024 TV schedule, called Three Women, based on Lisa Taddeo’s book of the same name. She stopped in at Vanity Fair to participate in their popular "Scene Selection" segment to rewatch and share some stories of her most popular titles.
During the Big Little Lies segment, the 32-year-old revealed she was interested in finding herself and nearly turned down the hit HBO show even though she wanted to work with the show’s director. Woodley shared:
It’s no surprise that she wanted to take some time to soul search at the young age of 23. She already had a heavy-hitting resume with parts in The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Descendants to name just a few. Woodley was fine to step away from Hollywood.
The Divergent alum then shared that if it weren’t for Laura Dern she would’ve been in India and we would’ve had someone else take on Jane Chapman. She revealed:
I think it’s safe to say, thank goodness for Laura Dern! If Woodley wasn’t a part of the coastal drama, it would have changed the tone of the show entirely. The relationship amongst the ensemble was key to both seasons, and the ensemble of course only got stronger with the addition of Meryl Streep.
It’s great to see the friendships among these women were there from the start. The Spectacular Now star praised Dern for her honesty and bravery in the pivotal moment:
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Honestly, this bit of BLL behind-the-scenes information just makes me hope that Season 3 is coming someday, especially with the cast buzzing about why it's been taking so long. The passing of Jean-Marc Vallée may have something to do with it since it was heartbreaking for all involved, with many honoring his memory.
I’m very glad that Woodley ultimately listened to Dern, as it wouldn’t have been the same if the Three Women star had turned it down. You can watch Big Little Lies with a Max subscription and catch Three Women on Fridays with a Starz subscription.