We Love Soaps recently participated in a Question & Answer session with Shailene Woodley, who plays Amy on THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER. SECRET LIFE returns on January 4 on ABC Family.
Traci Grant (thestarscoop.com): Hello, Shailene, thanks for being here.
Shailene Woodley: No problem.
Traci Grant (thestarscoop.com): I know you can't say too much about what's going to kind of happen in the next episodes, but is there anything you can share with us about what to expect when the show returns?
Shailene Woodley: Yes, there's a lot of new things. Another maybe pregnancy, weddings; there's a lot of confusion as far as in Ben and Amy's relationship; there's a lot of up and downs with Ricky's character and trying to figure out who he is and what he wants. A lot of the characters are going through that stage in high school where you're starting to become a person and in that recognition of who you are there's a lot of confusion and you get scared. And I think a lot of teenagers react in not the best ways and I think the whole next season kind of discovers that and goes into depth of that confusing state of adolescence.
Kenn Gold: I wanted to talk to you a little about Amy and the personality change I think that she went through after the baby was born. What do you think the writers were trying to do there, was that like postpartum depression or just that she was kind of overwhelmed?
Shailene Woodley: I think that all teenage girls kind of go through that mean stage where the world revolves around them. I think it's very hormonal and especially after having a child I think that your hormones are all out of whack and it causes a lot of mood swings. So I think they were just trying to portray that life isn't perfect after you have baby, you are going to go through exactly like what you said, post dramatic depression. You're going to go through a lot of things that you wouldn't necessarily go through if you hadn't had a child at 15.
Kenn Gold: Well you do a very good job of playing the part there I think.
Shailene Woodley: The mean one?
Kenn Gold: No, I think you're so nice, and then you're mean, and then you're nice again. It's just really fun to see.
Shailene Woodley: Thank you.
Kenn Gold: My next question here is that last season or I guess in the second part of the season, kind of confused about what season we're even in now, there was a week break or so, and then the story jumped ahead across the summer break.
Shailene Woodley: Yes.
Kenn Gold: That was a little bit confusing I think for people watching it. Do you know why that was done or what was kind of the point of that?
Shailene Woodley: Honestly, I don't know. I'm not the writer. We collaborate sometimes with them, but most of the time it's just their ideas being creatively put out. So I don't really know the reasoning for that. I think it was just to kind of keep the main storyline going and not go off too much like on a tangent.
Kenn Gold: Okay. And then my last question for now and then I'll let somebody else jump in, can you talk a little bit about the evolution of both the character and you playing this? When it started I think you weren't nearly as recognized, but your picture was everywhere in malls. How has this whole experience over the last year and a half or two years, how has that evolved and kind of changed for you?
Shailene Woodley: Honestly, my life is kind of the same. I'm a lot busier and, yes, there are a couple of people who will stop on the street, but people are generally very respectful and very nice. I don't put myself out there. I barely wear any makeup. I just feel like I've kind of taken on the responsibility of being a professional.
It's always awkward for me the whole fan situation, because I don't know them and they don't know me, so I want to engage in conversation, but then that's always awkward too. It's a very interesting dynamic, but other than that life has just been the same. I've stayed with the same friends and have the most amazing family ever, so I've been very lucky.
Lauren Becker (Shooting Stars Magazine): My question is, since you portray a teen that's been through a pregnancy, if any of the fans are teen moms themselves or pregnant. If you've met anybody and they've kind of give you their thoughts or feelings about the show?
Shailene Woodley: Honestly, I haven't met as many teenage parents as I have met parents who are now like in their 40s or 30s even, but were pregnant as teenagers; and pretty much their feedback is just like, "Wow, the show brings me back to my days of confusion and torment and putting myself down for doing such a thing as a teenager; and I think it's really great how you kind of opened this up into current day 2009's teenager world and showed them the consequences of having fun per se without being careful about it."
Lauren Becker (Shooting Stars Magazine): Definitely. My other question was if you could have anybody guest star or direct or just help in the show in anyway, who would you like to see be involved in the future?
Shailene Woodley: Oh man, that's a tough one. Obviously, who wouldn't say Meryl Streep? I don't know, I think there's a lot of amazingly talented people out there and I think there's a lot of actors who haven't even really done a lot, who've only maybe done a couple of things, but who are truly incredibly talented. Anyone who just brings forth commitment, I think that's the most important thing. I'm always happy to meet new people and see their amazing talent.
Lauren Becker (Shooting Stars Magazine): Thank you.
Sarah Fulghum (totallyher.com): Hello, Shailene.
Shailene Woodley: Hey.
Sarah Fulghum (totallyher.com): The Secret Life requires a lot of traumatic acting, I was wondering what do you and the cast do for fun especially on the tough days of filming?
Shailene Woodley: When all the cast works we bring guitars and - a lot of the guys play - and we'll all kind of like sit around and make up stupid songs about each other, or someone will bring their computer and we'll go on YouTube for hours and just laugh hysterically.
We all get along really well. It's a very comfortable set. It's really neat to be able to have a physical scene and then afterwards go out and be comfortable around the person enough to share your own personal stories and stuff. So it's kind of like high school all over again without the drama.
Sarah Fulghum (totallyher.com): Very nice.
Shailene Woodley: Yes.
Sarah Fulghum (totallyher.com): How is it working with the cutie that plays your son?
Shailene Woodley: There's two of them. They're great. They're one and a half year old boys, so they have their moments, but most of the time they're just complete angels. It's so cute. I'll always go in there every time we film together, about an hour before we actually start filming just to bond with them, and so they can get comfortable around me, and their smiles, they're just like normal little kids. And it's such an interesting dynamic to watch a one year old be put in a room with cameras and lights and microphones and people everywhere and watch them stay quiet and stay professional I guess you could say. It's really interesting to me how a baby could do that.
Sarah Fulghum (totallyher.com): That's really sweet. Thank you for answering my questions.
Shailene Woodley: No problem.
Lisa Steinberg (Starry Constellation Magazine): It seems like there's a lot of star magazines on here, not to be confused, we're Starry Constellation Magazine. I appreciate you speaking with us this afternoon and I hope you have a very nice holiday.
Shailene Woodley: Thank you, no problem, I hope you do too.
Lisa Steinberg (Starry Constellation Magazine): Thank you. My question for you is the cast really has great chemistry on screen, but not only that, they have great chemistry off screen as well. How does the cast continue to kind of foster and build that chemistry so that it does translate on the screen?
Shailene Woodley: When the show first started we all kind of just got put there together. It's not like any of us got to choose who we got to work with or who we were going to spend the rest like two years of our lives and hopefully more with ... So everyone bonded immediately, it was kind of that thing where we didn't really have a choice, so we bonded, and it's been great. A lot of us are very different people, but there's never conflicts; sometimes there's differences in opinions, but we're all so down to earth about and we all just accept each other as who we are and we learn from each other.
Some of us are into more alternative music per se and then others are more into the whole hip-hop rap scene and that's very basic, but instead of arguing about differences, we kind of engage each other in the differences and we get to learn amazing things. I'm not a dancer, but Francia Raisa is the most amazing dancer I've ever seen. So she has been able to kind of help me with that kind of whole aspect of life and I've been able to help her with more like crafty kind of that whole kind of life. I don't know, it's kind of difficult to explain, but we're all very open with each and we never judge each other.
Lisa Steinberg (Starry Constellation Magazine): We had a chance to interview Allen before and he mentioned that you guys have a lot of pranks that happen on the show as well. So I think that kind of camaraderie also would add into that as well for the chemistry.
Shailene Woodley: Absolutely.
Lisa Steinberg (Starry Constellation Magazine): The show has like pages on twitter and facebook and MySpace and other social networking sites. Why do you think it's important for the show to be a part of these social networks and communities?
Shailene Woodley: The world today is so technologically based, like there's never talking anymore. I feel it's important, because, if that's what kids are doing with their time, if that's what people are spending most of their time in the day doing, then that's the way that we're able to kind of engage people. I don't really know how to explain it, but if you know that that's what the public is doing then that's what we'll cater to.
Lisa Steinberg (Starry Constellation Magazine): Great. And my last question is, ABC Family has this wonderful network of shows that have such incredible casts and incredible story lines, are you friendly with a lot of the other cast members from some of the other shows like Make It or Break It or Greek?
Shailene Woodley: Honestly, I haven't met many of them that many times, but in the couple times that we did, of course everyone is so friendly and so open to each other. And it's cool every time we see someone from Ten Things I Hate About You, I'll go up to them and we'll be talking, to like Megan for instance, and they'll just say, "My other part of my family." We always joke around with the whole new kind of family thing, ABC Family. It's really cool. Even though we're not close and we hardly know each other, we're very open with each other.
Alix Sternberg: I just want to know, what would you like to see from your character, from Amy going forward?
Shailene Woodley: Obviously I'd like to see her grow up a little bit.
Alix Sternberg: Right.
Shailene Woodley: She's kind of been on the border the last couple of episodes over the last season of making a change; and definitely in the newer season it definitely explores Amy's choice to grow up and to mature in a very optimistic positive way versus living in her pessimistic past. I like it when she gets to smile and I think it's really cool to be able to explore a teenage girls point of view on life. I was there, it's a very hard process to go through as a child, and so I just can't wait to be able to portray that growing up in Amy.
Alix Sternberg: Yes, that makes sense. Do you have a relationship that you're rooting for with Ben or Ricky or maybe someone else that we haven't seen yet?
Shailene Woodley: In the new season, there's another guy that comes into the picture. I think that Ben and Amy aren't a good match, just for the fact that Ben has a lot of growing up to do and Any has a lot of growing up to do. And it always seemed to me that their relationship kind of stemmed from, he said he loves me, so I love him too, versus actually going into depth about why they love each other. I think they kind of realize that in the last season.
I think that they have the potential to be an amazing couple, but I think at this point they need to figure out who they are themselves before they can be happy with each other. I think Amy and Ricky have a lot in common, but I think that will always kind of be the teaser. Ricky is just not responsible enough to be a boyfriend in my opinion yet.
Alix Sternberg: That makes sense I think. Obviously you play Amy, but do you have a character that you relate the most to, maybe what you were like in high school?
Shailene Woodley: I kind of would say I'm a little bit every character. I was kind of like Grace in the fact that I wasn't preppy, but I was like, let's do pep rallies, I was in leadership. I had to get to school today, I was the dork that tried to convince everyone that school spirit was the only way to go.
And then I was like Amy. I was also an observer, as much as I liked being in front of the whole school, doing the whole pep rally thing, I also liked to be in the background watching it happen at the same time. I guess I'm just kind of a mixture of every character. I was never as provocative as Adrian was.
Alix Sternberg: Few of us are, right?
Shailene Woodley: Yes.
Alix Sternberg: Well, thank you so much and best of luck with the new season.
Shailene Woodley: Thank you so much, have a good holiday.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): You're in New York?
Shailene Woodley: Yes.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): How do you like the cold?
Shailene Woodley: Actually, I don't mind it. It's so warm all the time in California, so it's nice to have a little change for a little while.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): I'm sure it is, definitely. What was the audition process like for you with this show?
Shailene Woodley: The audition process?
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): Yes.
Shailene Woodley: It was pretty much like any other audition process. I went in and met with the casting director; and then there was interest there so they brought me in, and I met with the director. Actually, I didn't know it at the time, but Brenda Hampton was in the room and she took a liking to me, and then we did a director session after that where it was me, Brenda, and the director, Ron Underwood, and then I went to testing. So it was kind of a quick, crazy process that flew by. It all happened so quickly and it's been such an amazing journey.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): Definitely. It's been something else.
Shailene Woodley: Yes.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): We saw you out here in New York for the ABC Family event. Didn't get to talk to you, there wasn't time, but we saw that you have really cute styles. Where do you like to shop and what's your "must have" for the winter season?
Shailene Woodley: Well my "must have" for the winter season in New York would be a big fluffy jacket but, in California, I don't know. I don't think that I have a style, I'm very eclectic I guess with it. I love shopping in thrift stores and vintage stores more than anywhere else. Urban Outfitters , sometimes you can find the most amazing deals on the sale. I'm a very big sale shopper, so everything I wear is from the sale rack, and I'm kind of eclectic as far as where I shop.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): Great, that's cool though. What kind of music do you like to listen to, any favorite artists right now?
Shailene Woodley: There's this one band called the Streetfighters that I think is amazing and there's a lot of other like alternative Indy Rock Bands that aren't as big as them. For instance, like my best friend the other day showed me a band it's called Porcupine Tree. It's absolutely insane. I don't know, I just like a lot of different Radiohead I guess you could say.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): Fun, that's fun. And finally do you have a twitter?
Shailene Woodley: No, I don't.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): Just making sure, because a lot of people like to ask about that. Okay, thank you.
Shailene Woodley: Yes, I don't have a twitter, I'm sorry.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): No, that's okay. Don't worry about it. Thanks so much though.
Shailene Woodley: No problem, nice talking to you.
Kristin Ackerly (Feeling the Vibe Magazine): Nice talking to you too, take care.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): I was just wondering, how is playing Amy changed your view on like teenage relationships and teen pregnancy?
Shailene Woodley: As far as teenager relationships go, Amy and Ben's relationship like I said is very immature. Not immature in a childish way, but immature in a not super grown up way. And I think a lot of high school relationships are like that. I've had a couple of those where you're in the moment and you think that he could be the one and everything's fine and then two weeks later he does something stupid and you're like, okay, next.
It just kind of showed me that high school is really like a game board almost. You’re kind of going through each different aspect of your life and you're testing the waters. And I think it's a really fun, exciting time, but I also think you have to be careful, and that kind of showed me, when you're in the moment, it could seem one way, but when you look at the big picture from afar, it's completely different. So I guess to just open your eyes and look outside the box.
And then as far as teenage pregnancy, I don't think it's a controversial thing. I had two kids from my senior class. One of them is a dad now, one of them is a mom now, in two different situations, and it's kind of bizarre to know that I've grown up with these people. I've gone to elementary school, middle school, and high school with them, and now they're parents at my age. It's bazaar to think that it actually happens in real life and it's not just a show. So when that happened to those kids at my school, it kind of opened my eyes to the fact that this is a real life situation, and not only am I just like playing a character, I'm playing thousands of characters that have to go through this emotional turmoil every single day of their lives, for the rest of their lives.
I think just be strong and talk to people, communicate. The more you communicate, the more love you're going accept into your body, and I think that is the only way to kind of cope with situations like that.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): My readers want to know what TV shows that are on right now that you can't live without, besides Secret Life of course?
Shailene Woodley: Honestly, I don't watch a lot of TV, and the little TV that I do watch is what I'm never supposed to watch, because I like Top Chef and Project Runway. I like the reality shows that you're not supposed to watch, but I'm a huge fan of Top Chef and Project Runway. And then as far as actual script written television, there's a couple shows that I kind of bounce back and forth each time. I'm kind of obsessed with Glee, I must say. I watch every episode of Glee, I love it.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): It is fantastic, Glee is fantastic.
Shailene Woodley: It's fantastic. It warms your heart. And it's a good social show too that you watch it with your friends. Other than that, I'm kind of more of a movie girl.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): Do you have any big plans for the holiday season?
Shailene Woodley: Just being with my family. I think that, for me anyways, that's the best thing I can do. Yes, going home and doing all the family traditions.
Melody Simpson (Hollywood the Write Way): So I want to know, if you had to choose in real life who would you pick to end up with Ricky or Ben?
Shailene Woodley: That's difficult. I definitely don't think I would want to be with Ben, just for the fact of I think Ben is kind of a little bit too pushy of a boyfriend, but I also wouldn't want to be with Ricky because he's so irresponsible. I guess I would choose Ricky, because there's just something intriguing to me about his character, something where you know he has a good heart and you know one day his good heart will show, but right now he's nowhere near that. It's a very tricky question.
Melody Simpson (Hollywood the Write Way): What would you say that you've learned about life as a teen mom role while being on the show, whether the first season, the second, or also the third?
Shailene Woodley: I learned that it is probably one of the toughest things you could ever take on in the world. I was fortunate enough to never have to go through that, but I cannot imagine actually living as a teenage mom. I can't imagine having just even the silly little things they have to do everyday like change the diapers and heat the milk bottle. The things you never think about, but really take a toll on the mother; and to just be a teenager myself and to know all the dreams and ambitions that I have for my life.
I was talking about this with one of my good friends the other day actually how crazy would it be to have to give up our dreams for the child. I think that it's very scary and wonderful at the same time and I'm just glad I never had to go through it. But the teenage mothers that do take on motherhood at a very early age, kudos to them, because that is not an easy task.
Melody Simpson (Hollywood the Write Way): Is there anything that really sticks out that's really, really difficult about teen parenting that you really wanted to share and just really portray right on camera that you really wanted to study or research?
Shailene Woodley: Not so much like study or research, but I guess the whole thing that stuck out to me as being the most difficult is giving up your life for the child. All the physical things of holding the baby, you hear the baby crying, and all that, that's something that it's not easy to handle, but you can manage. But to give up your own personal life for the baby, if you wanted to go travel the world, you couldn't do that with a child, because you couldn't bring a child with you to half the places you wanted to go to. I think just being selfless and giving up your world for the child, that's probably the most difficult thing I can think of.
Melody Simpson (Hollywood the Write Way): You mentioned earlier that there might be another pregnancy and I know you can't tell us who it is, but can you tell us if it's a teenager or an adult?
Shailene Woodley: That's not towards kind of the end of the season, so I don't want to give too much away, maybe in a couple months we can talk again and talk about it.
Melody Simpson (Hollywood the Write Way): Do you watch Teen Mom on MTV or have you checked it out at least once or twice?
Shailene Woodley: Honestly, I have never watched it, but I've heard a lot about it from other people.
Jennifer Wagner (Connect With Your Teens): I was just wondering if before you began on this show, were you aware of Molly Ringwald's career and her having been a teen idol and being in movies, like Sixteen Candles and Breakfast Club?
Shailene Woodley: I had watched Breakfast Club, I had seen Sixteen Candles, but it was more like I didn't really know the legendary like part of Molly Ringwald and just meeting her without that whole mindset was really interesting and intriguing to me; because she is such a down to earth woman and so beautiful on the inside and out, and an incredible mother, and such a good confidant to talk to as far as for my personal life and everything, and I really respect her as a lady.
Jennifer Wagner (Connect With Your Teens): Okay. And then I just wanted to ask, do you consider yourself a role model at all? I mean, do you think that your fans treat you that way and look up to you?
Shailene Woodley: A lot of people ask me that question and I have a difficult time answering it, just in the sense that I've never been pregnant. So I feel like it'd be kind of biased, or not biased, but unfair of me to give advice on teenage pregnancy just for the fact that I've never been pregnant myself. So it wouldn't really be true advice, it would just be advice that I would pretend if I were pregnant, that's how it would be.
I guess I could say I'm a role model as far as I have a lot of passions myself for the environment and for preserving the earth and preserving the human interactions with each other. I guess I could be a role model in that sense as far as Shailene's goals and Shailene's passions, but not for Amy.
Troy Rogers (deadbolt.com): Since the show was so controversial in the beginning, how do you see what type of impact it's made?
Shailene Woodley: Honestly, when little girls come up to us and say how they feel about the show, it's always like, "Ah, Ricky is so hot, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." But they're really amazing. Feedback that we've got from parents who have come up to us and said like, "Wow, this shows opened such incredible avenues for me and my children to communicate."
I grew up in a very open household where if I had a question about anything, I could ask my parents, and they would answer me truthfully and not hold anything back. I think that really helped me as a child know exactly what everything was. I had a lot of friends who couldn't talk to their parents, so they would ask their peers information about guys and that whole situation and make mistakes because they didn't know the true facts.
I think it's really incredible that parents have been able to say that they have watched the show with their children and then been able to talk about how certain things happen and why they happen and kind of go through all that and be comfortable around their children. And that's really inspiring to me to just know that we've opened up communication in households that might have not necessarily talked about it before.
Troy Rogers (deadbolt.com): Cool. How much input do you have with the character, well now that you've been able to know Amy even more?
Shailene Woodley: As far as like future scenes? Brenda is very open to our opinions, so we can go and be like, "Hey, I really see Amy being powerful in this situation of her life, can we like maybe go with that route or do this?" And most of the time, the writers have their own opinions of the characters, but every now and then it's just like, "Hey, can Amy ...," and they'll be like, "Okay, we can write that in somewhere." Most of the time they're very responsive to our opinions.
Troy Rogers (deadbolt.com): I have one more quick thing, I wanted to know how you see your relationship with Ricky evolve in this season?
Shailene Woodley: Amy and Ricky have a very interesting relationship just in the event that Amy knows he is not a good boyfriend, but she knows that he is an amazing father. Ricky knows that Amy is not the girl he wants to be with, but he knows that she is the mother of his baby. So they're always going to have that secret connection of family. They're their own family now. Each episode, Ricky I think is the only person Amy can one hundred percent feel like she can tell him anything and know that a rumor won't get started. She knows her secrets are safe with him and vice versa. I don't know, we'll see what happens with them. As of right now, they've kind of still just remained friends, but you never know.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): About your hopes and your dreams, so where do you see yourself in five years, do you want to go to the university or what do you plan to do?
Shailene Woodley: Absolutely. Five years, I would love to be in New York going to NYU. I want to get a degree in Psychology and Interior Design. I have two randomly different things, but I find both of them very interesting and intriguing, so hopefully that's what I'll be able to do.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): Absolutely. And one more thing, if you could guest star on any TV show right now, what would it be?
Shailene Woodley: I would have to say GLEE.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): I think that's everybody's answer these days.
Shailene Woodley: I know.
Megan Ward (TVismypacifier.com): In your view as Amy on Ricky, do you think he'll ever be capable loving anyone besides his son? Do you think he'll ever get over his intimacy issues?
Shailene Woodley: I think he will, but I think it's going to take some time and it's not going to happen overnight.
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