‘Divergent’ Star Shailene Woodley On Why She Won’t Do Photo Ops With Fans

While Lionsgate is working out what they want to do with the flopping Divergent franchise, its star, Shailene Woodley, is moving on with new projects and a greater presence in the spotlight. Her rise to fame may not have been as direct as the star of The Hunger Games franchise, Shailene is making her mark in Hollywood and in politics, nonetheless.

Woodley has spent much of her time fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline, but that doesn’t mean she’s let her acting career take a backseat. Starring in Oliver Stone’s Snowden, Shailene, once again, makes her mark as a powerful actress and in anticipation of that film’s release, Woodley opened up to the press and to her fans in her most revealing interviews to date.

Shailene Will Hug You, But No Pictures!

Shailene Woodley loves her fans, but she won’t take pictures with any of them and as she explains her reasoning to Glamour, she remarks that each of her fans reacts differently to this stipulation. As might be expected, many of Woodley’s fans feel alienated and offended by her refusal to pose with them, but others are bemused by her explanation and further thrilled by her complete willingness to give them a hug in place of the photo op. Shailene reveals that some of her fans have even apologized after learning the purpose behind the Snowden star’s refusal to say cheese.

“With social media, so much of our lives I feel like is a projection of who we want to be or who we wish we were. And I refuse to buy into that, especially for younger generations,” explains Ms. Woodley. “The more we allow a certain projection, the more we’re feeding a generation to distance themselves from self-awareness and self-realization, which I think will create a lot of issues for them on a personal level later on in life.”

The real life Edward Snowden was inspired to act, when he saw the privacy of Americans being violated by their own government and, as privacy is an overriding theme in both Oliver Stone’s film and in our day to day lives, Glamour asked Shailene for her thoughts on the issue. Specifically, Woodley was asked to talk about what she wishes her fans understood about her own private life.

In response, Shailene tried to explain the concept that celebrities and film stars are no different than the rest of society. Regardless of how they may present themselves for the cameras and in public engagements, Woodley says even the biggest stars are essentially just people trying to do the best they can in their lives.

“But something I wish people understood even more about privacy in general, is that it’s not just actors or musicians or athletes who struggle with privacy—it’s that privacy is not a human right anymore,” says Ms. Woodley. “Privacy is a privilege, but it’s only a privilege if you’re aware that it’s a privilege.”

Shailene Woodley Opens Up About Her “Super F–ed up” Family

Like many of us, Shailene can sometimes feel embarrassed by her family, but, as US Weekly points out, Snowden‘s Woodley is quick to add that she loves her family and recognizes that they would never hesitate to support her.

“My family is super f—ed up in many ways, but they are also my everything,” the 24-year-old Woodley says. “They would do anything for me, and I would do anything for them. That’s a lot more than most people can say about their families. I’m grateful for the s–t that happened.”

That probably leaves many of Woodley’s millions of fans curious to know just what she means when she says her family has nontraditional values. In explanation, Shailene reveals that having a psychologist for a father and a counselor for a mother has led to some unique punishments. One favorite method for correcting behavior came when Shailene and her siblings got into spats. Their parents would make them hug it out on the front lawn. In front of their neighbors. For hours.

“The whole time you’re just seething, you’re disliking this person with so much energy, but if you let go you have to stay there for an extra hour,” Woodley said. “That was the kind of reverse, manipulative psychology my parents were into!”

Ms. Woodley added that her parents’ unique outlook affected her school life as well. She says her parents would compel her to empathize with bullies, asking her to try to understand why they treated her badly.

“It gave me a broader outlook: just put yourself in another person’s shoes,” Woodley said.

[Featured Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]