Steven Prusakowski
(Warning: This article reveals some major spoilers very early on. If you have not watched Paradise season 2, do so now.)
When it comes to Shailene Woodley‘s work on Paradise, perhaps the most impressive thing is how her presence is felt throughout the entire season. There are so many moments that circle back to her character, Annie Clay, and the profound impact she has on this dystopian world. What’s really incredible is that Woodley’s character does not survive past episode four. It is Annie’s bravery, hope, and sacrifice that lay the groundwork for a truly memorable character and anchor the season even as her character’s journey ends far earlier than viewers might expect.
When speaking with Woodley on TV Topics podcast, we spoke about the TV that influences her, but also had a fascinating discussion about what she put into the character. (Watch the full conversation found at the end of the article.)
We started at the beginning, where Woodley shared that she joined the production on incredibly short notice. “I came onto the project very late, meaning I had between the time I was cast, I had a Zoom with Dan Fogleman (This Is Us) and the time that the cameras were rolling, it was 7, 8, 9 days. It was very short,” explained Woodley. “So the whole thing for me felt a little bit like a whirlwind in the best way. It was very intuitive, the whole process. I learned a lot from her, maybe more than I’ve learned from other characters. It felt kind of like a meditation playing her because the first two weeks of filming was just me in Graceland.”
For those who have not watched the second season, Annie is a former medical student turned Graceland tour guide who has been living in isolation inside Elvis Presley’s famous home as the world as we know it came to an end due to apocalyptic storms. The first two weeks of her shoot for the show were just her in the meticulously recreated Graceland set. This allowed her to dive into the environment instead of splitting her focus on other actors.
“I really got to play with the sensorial experience of an environment instead of bouncing on and off other actors, which felt quite theatrical. It felt like we were doing theater in a way,” shared Woodley.
The isolation helped her connect deeply with Annie’s loneliness and resilience, getting into her head to try to understand why, living a solitary life in Graceland, she did not just give up. “The directors John and Glenn were so generous in their filmmaking style by means of letting me kind of play and that was the question that we all were asking a lot and experimenting with,” explained Woodley. “How does one not lose their sanity under these circumstances and why does she continue?”
“I think for someone like Annie,” she continued, quoting the character, “‘I was alone long before the world ended.’ I think that’s real for a lot of people, and in my own life, I’ve experienced loneliness in different, obviously very different, ways than Annie. But loneliness is this very relatable feeling that can either take someone down or can serve as a reminder of resiliency. Because within loneliness, there can always exist a hope for something better, a hope for the antidote for being alone. To me that was what kept Annie going.”
Annie’s time alone comes to an end when a group of men invade Graceland. While peaceful, they end her loneliness and shift her into a new level of survival mode. “When the men arrive, Annie is as resilient as she can be, rolling with every punch and kind of taking command even though it’s multiple men outmuscling her,” said Woodley. “That is just the truth that women walk through this world with, the fear that women walk through this world with. Yet she has agency through the process.”
Instead of becoming a victim or handing over her power, Woodley explained how, while even outnumbered, Annie kept control of the situation. “There is a power that Annie accidentally found within herself which was, ‘Sure, I will join you for dinner, but it will be on my terms and my time,’ because that makes her feel safe.”
In episode 4, Woodley delivers a raw, visceral scene that gets right into the love in Annie’s heart, just as much as it tears at the hearts of viewers. The scene involves an emergency childbirth and it quickly becomes clear Annie may not survive. Without experience in the matter, Woodley recalled what she tapped into to make the scene feel as gutting yet poignant as it ultimately does.
“I have yet to give birth and I have yet to die, that I know of,” joked Woodley. “My main objective with it was to physically embody and pretend, like do make believe, give birth to a creature with so much unconditional love into the world and then take my last breath. Sterling [K. Brown] and I kind of just went for it. Seeing that baby, imagining the love that a mother must have in that moment. That to me is the purest example of any form of love.”
The intensity left a lasting mark on Woodley, as she recalled the aftermath of the shoot. “I remember getting in my car after that day, calling the person that I was dating at the time and just saying, like, I am so present,” revealed Woodley, obviously moved by the power of the scene. “I felt so present because the adrenaline of having such an emotional experience really kind of cuts through it all.”
For viewers, it was heartbreaking to lose Annie just as she brought life into the world. Yet her final moments held the seeds of hope because even as Annie knows she will never get to raise her child or even live on for another day, she focuses on her newly born child. Then, in the selfless ways many mothers share, Annie passed on the torch of her own bravery to her newly born child, telling Xavier (Brown’s character), “You will not let her be afraid of people. Promise me, Xavier. This is your holy charge.”
As her breathing begins to turn to gasps, she shares her last words.
“I’m not scared anymore.”
To say it was difficult to watch is an understatement. Woodley tore out the heart of many fans with that scene.
As we closed out our conversation, Shailene shared how she walked away from the series changed. “I found there to be a lot of hope in Paradise,” said a visibly moved Woodley. “I’ve spent a lot of time around in a lot of different communities, in and out of my own life, where when there’s great suffering, there’s also great potential for deep love and deep support if you have a community around you,” reflected Woodley. “It’s one of the major messages of this show. Goodness exists in the human heart.”
Be sure to watch the full episode of TV Topics with Shailene. Not only does she dive more into her work on Paradise, we also do what I do best. We talk TV. And Shailene does not disappoint with some unique insights, including Breaking Bad being the show she puts on for a laugh.
“I’m currently watching Breaking Bad for the first time, and I laugh my ass off every episode. I mean, it’s so dark and I think it’s so very funny.” That was the least expected answer to that question to date. Shailene was an amazing guest, showing many sides of herself. Be sure to watch.
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