Shailene Woodley Says She's an 'Emotional Rollercoaster' Compared to Her “Paradise” Character (Exclusive)

Deirdre DurkanTue, April 28, 2026 at 8:08 PM UTC

0

Shailene Woodley attends Disney's Toast to Television event on April 27, 2026Credit: Julian Hamilton/FilmMagic

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Paradise season 2.

Shailene Woodley is explaining why she’s “an emotional roller coaster” unlike her Paradise character

The actress joined Paradise season 2 in a major recurring role

“Annie and I are actually very different," she tells PEOPLE

Shailene Woodley is opening up about the differences between herself and her Paradise character as she looks back last season's emotional arc.

While attending Disney’s Toast to Television event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 27, the actress, 34, spoke with PEOPLE about joining the Hulu post-apocalyptic thriller for its second season. In the series, she plays Annie Clay, a guarded and central survivor whose story is closely tied to Sterling K. Brown’s Agent Xavier Collins.

“Annie and I are actually very different, which was fun to play somebody that was very different than who I am,” Woodley tells PEOPLE. “I think the one point of relation is we’re both quite resilient, but the way that we practice that resiliency is different. I’m an emotional roller coaster sometimes and Annie is quite linear, I think, in her approach and practical.”

Annie’s storyline becomes one of the emotional anchors of the season, too, as her guarded nature slowly gives way to a more vulnerable side. Ultimately, in a gut-wrenching twist, her character dies following complications from preeclampsia and severe postpartum bleeding after giving birth. Despite the weight of the storyline, Woodley says she didn’t need to read much before signing on.

Shailene Woodley in 'Paradise'Credit: Gilles Mingasson/Disney

“I only read one episode,” she says. “I spoke with [creator] Dan Fogelman about the arc of Annie, so I knew what was to come, but I hadn’t actually read it.”

Woodley still had a sense of how things would ultimately unfold. “I did know how it was going to end, but I didn’t know all of the beats in between. There was no script,” she adds.

Advertisement

Joining the series also meant stepping into an already tight-knit creative environment, something Woodley says made a lasting impression on her.

“It was great. I mean, the crew of Paradise, the crew behind the scenes, it was the same crew that they worked on This Is Us with and Paradise season one with, so everybody knew each other very well and was very inviting," she says. "It was a very inclusive environment.”

Shailene Woodley at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Robin Williams Center on March 24, 2026Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

For Woodley, the biggest draw to a project — even one with heightened stakes and emotional twists — is authenticity. “I am drawn in, generally, by things that feel honest and and authentic, even if it’s in a heightened reality or within the confines of an absurd character. As long as there’s honesty in it.”

Looking ahead, Woodley says she’s approaching the future of Paradise just like viewers — with curiosity and zero spoilers.

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“This sounds crazy, but I’m excited to see what happens in Paradise season 3 because I have no idea and I don’t want to know, so I’m on the edge of my seat like being a fan of the show.”

Disney and Hulu announced on March 17 that Paradise would be returning for a third season. Seasons 1 and 2 of Paradise are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”