Shailene Woodley Is Still Down To Make The Last Divergent Movie

Anyone would envy Shailene Woodley’s resume. The actor has been in the spotlight since being cast in The Secret Life of an American Teenager at only 15 years old. Following that, she has starred in projects like the Divergent series, The Fault in Our Stars, and Big Little Lies — and almost two decades since starting in the industry, Woodley is still as busy as ever.

The L.A.-based actor, who has teamed up with the Calm app and Mars to encourage pet adoption, is gearing up for an eventful start to next year. In March, she officially joined the cast of Hulu’s Paradise for Season 2, which is expected to premiere in early 2026. Woodley picked up a recurring role in the political sci-fi thriller that explores power and manipulation in a post-apocalyptic world.

“It was a fangirl moment. I was so excited. I was such a fan of Season 1 — Sterling [K. Brown], [creator] Dan Fogelman, and everyone involved,” the 33-year-old says. “I’m such a fan of Star Wars. And for me, it felt like getting the opportunity to be in Star Wars. I felt more like a little girl getting to live out a dream than an actor doing her job.”

[The Big Little Lies cast is] all very, very close. ... It’s almost like a sisterhood.

Woodley is also reprising the role of Jane Chapman for Season 3 of Big Little Lies, which is set to come out in 2026 but is still in development. Seven years after the second season premiere, she still feels connected to the story and characters — even if she has no idea what the future holds for them.

“I would tease [what’s coming in Season 3] if I knew. I have no idea,” she says. “That is a fun thing about Big Little Lies Season 2 — none of us knew what was in store for our characters. Well, I’m sure Reese [Witherspoon] and Nicole [Kidman] did, but Laura [Dern], Zoë [Kravitz], and I didn’t get any news about our characters until we actually got the scripts.”

Although it’s been a while since they acted alongside each other, Woodley has no worries about stepping back into that world with those women when filming begins. “We’re all very, very close — as a group, but we also all have individual relationships,” she says. “A lot of times people do shows together and talk about how close they are — I’ve done that in my past with other groups of actors — but we are genuinely close.”

Woodley thinks the show’s massive success helped cement their friendship. “It’s almost like a sisterhood. Big Little Lies was such a success, and I don’t think any of us really anticipated how well it would be received,” she says. “So there’s a deep sense of camaraderie and trust there.” She’s also excited about returning to a show with such an iconic theme song, “Cold Little Heart” by Michael Kiwanuka. “Every time I’m in a yoga class and the theme song comes on, I’m like, ‘Oh, my God.’”

Below, Woodley dishes on which of her movie roles she wants to revisit, her favorite fictional pet from a movie, and why she’s “confused” by Labubus.

Elite Daily: Do you have a favorite pet name?

Shailene Woodley: I had a cat when I was 16 that I adopted from a shelter when she was teeny tiny. I couldn’t decide on her name, so I just kept calling her Kitten even when she was a full-grown adult cat.

We never got to make our final Divergent film, and I think that would be really fun.

ED: What about a favorite fictional pet from movies or TV?

SW: Air Bud was an iconic part of my childhood. That was massive. My new favorite animal star is the little black cat from Flow.

ED: Most recent re-watch?

SW: I did re-watch Lost in Translation the other day — I go back to that one quite often. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another one. I love it. It’s such a beautiful film.

ED: What’s one project you’d want to reboot?

SW: I don't know that I want to reboot it, but we never got to make our final Divergent film, and I think that would be really fun. We’re all much older now, so I don’t know how that would work, but I think that there’s a world where we could make it happen. I think it would do pretty well.

ED: Dream person to work with?

SW: I want to work with Keanu Reeves so badly. I also would love to work with Nicolas Cage. He’s my favorite actor.

ED: Current pop-culture hot take?

SW: I don’t get Labubus. My manager has a Labubu, and she talks about it as if it’s her friend. I’m like, “Are we back in the ’90s with the Furbies?” But it doesn’t even talk to you. I’m so confused by it.

ED: Do you believe in astrology?

SW: Yes.

ED: Do you feel seen by your Big 3?

SW: Yes. I’m Scorpio, Cancer, and Pisces. I am the most watery, emotional, sensitive creature. That checks out.

ED: What are you hoping to achieve this year?

SW: I’d like to floss more. That’s definitely something I want to get better at in my life.

ED: Anything else you’re manifesting right now?

SW: I know, maybe this sounds like an idealistic point of view, but I would really hope to manifest a little more peace in this world.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.