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:
I got a call. I'll never forget it. It was November or October of 2015. I was really sick at the time, and I was not at all exhausted by acting or the artistry and the craft of storytelling. But I was really exhausted by the act of Hollywood. And I got a call about Big Little Lies, because Jean-Marc Vallée — our beautiful creator, director, who has since passed — had wanted me to play Jane. And I was desperate to work with him, I thought he was such an incredible artist and filmmaker. But I was really dead-set on finding myself.
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:
And then I got a call from Laura [Dern] the day before I left for India — or maybe I was actually already in India and I hadn't turned my phone off yet. And she just said, 'Listen, I know where you're at in your life. I've been there before too. It's a lot. This world is an illusion, but what isn't an illusion is what you love to do. And what I see in you, Shai, is your purpose. At least, in this moment in your life, is to be a storyteller. And I think it's a massive mistake for you to walk away from this opportunity that you really should lean into.' It was because of that call that I decided to leave India and come back to the United States, and it forever changed my life.
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:
And so, in so many ways, I'm grateful for Laura, but that was a massive moment of courageous friendship to say, 'I think that you're making a mistake and I'm gonna be brave enough to tell you why, cause I really see you. And I see something you can't see in your own life right now.'
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.