Interview: Shailene Woodley dives into ‘Allegiant’

The Divergent Series: Allegiant finally arrived this weekend. In case you missed it, check out our roundtable interview with Shailene Woodley below. She talks about Tris’s character development, what to expect from the next film, and more.

When you’re done taking the dive, read up on our review of the film along with what it’s like to attend a world premiere of the Divergent series.

So this is the beginning of the end with this trilogy. How was it like filming this one compared to the past two films?

It felt very similar to the past two. We had the same director as Insurgent and the same crew in Atlanta. I think the next one that we do will feel very different because we have a new director who’s really young and really excited to kind of do things a little bit differently than they’ve been done before which is always exciting as an actor. It’s a new platform to explore. I’m not sure exactly where we’re going to be shooting it, so I feel like there’s a lot more creativity that will come with it.

How would you describe Tris in this movie?

In this film, Tris has finally come to a point where I think she’s realized self-confidence more than she had in the previous films, which when you get to that point in your life of recognizing who you are and not being caught up in your head consistently, you’re able to be more present to the situations around you, to the people around you because you’re actually existing with them instead of co-existing with your ego. [Laughs] And so it was really exciting for me to see Tris in that place and see her really be able to take David in for who he was and take Four’s opinions into account with the reflection of rejection of her own internal world.

Going off on identity, Tris is essentially identified within three factions, but she’s so much more than that. What are three qualities about Tris that you connect deeply with that don’t have to do with the stereotypes of those three factions?

I definitely resonate with Tris’s ability. I mean, she recognizes that fear will never go away. Fear is part of our DNA as human beings, but it’s how you address that fear. And so instead of trying to project fearlessness upon yourself, it’s more about combating and how you show up in the face of fear and how you find your own bravery and your own strength. Another thing I deeply resonate with is her relationship with Four, and that it’s not perfect, but that at the end of the day, through the trials and tribulations, they both still have deep respect for one another. I think their authenticity is very genuine and very real. If you look at Tris from an external point of view, you see someone who’s really strong and someone who can think really quickly and always knows the right plan of action. She’s also physically able to protect herself and her community, but internally, she still has a lot of weaknesses and she’s still very vulnerable and I think it’s easy to sometimes look at people and have ideas and projections and assumptions about who they are based on how you’re interpreting their external gestures, but it’s important to empathize with their internal world as well.

So out of all the other characters, which one do you relate to the most and what qualities about them appeal to you?

I relate to Four. I think that Four has a lot of integrity. I relate to his having an idea about something, but methodically thinking it through versus Tris is more impulsive. I feel like I kind of lie between both of them in my impulsivity. I’m not as impulsive as Tris, but I am more impulsive than Four.

If you could choose any scene in this movie to sit down with Tris and have a raw heart to heart conversation, which scene would you choose and why?

Maybe the scene where she and Four are arguing about whether or not she should go with David or not. I just think like, “Trust your homie, man.” [Laughs] He’s got your back, he’s your fifty and now he’s got your side. So I would have a conversation with her and ask, “What are your intentions with David?” I’d give her a little psychoanalysis. [Laughs]

So talking about the homies, out of your three male costars, which one did you have the most fun filming with?

I mean, they were all different. We all offer one another different things. Miles is like that brother who you just argue with and love. He’s like my brother through and through. So is Ansel and so is Theo, but they all take on different roles.

And you’ve had romantic interests with all three of them in different movies. How do you handle the dating rumors when it keeps being brought up again and again?

I just keep answering that nothing is happening. [Laughs] And I think it’s really easy for people to fantasize about wanting these two people together. It’s like when I grew up and saw Titanic and I was like, “Kate and Leo, please just get together!” [Laughs] Because you invest so much in their character’s relationship that at the end of the day, people will believe what they want to believe and you can only be as truthful as you can be.