From the alternative and natural lifestyle she leads to her dramatic relationship with Aaron Rogers, Shailene Woodley is an unconventional kind of celebrity. She's the kind of actor whose memorable interviews and love life sometimes get more attention than her actual work. But she definitely played some great roles in the past, including single mother Jane Chapman on the popular HBO drama Big Little Lies.
Adapted from Liane Moriarty's novel, the show has a mystery at its core, but it also talks about what it means to be a mother. And every character is hurting in some way and wondering if they can share their secrets with the other moms in the community.
While Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman were paid very well for Big Little Lies, Shailene Woodley made less than they did. What was Woodley's salary for the popular HBO series, and why was it lower?
What Was Shailene Woodley Paid For Big Little Lies?
Reese Witherspoon was paid $1 million for each Big Little Lies episode. And so was Nicole Kidman. Those high salaries seem logical as the actresses played two of the show's main characters: wealthy friends and mothers Madeline McKenzie and Celeste Wright. But Shailene Woodley, who was also part of the main cast and appeared in all 14 episodes of Big Little Lies, wasn't paid the same.
Shailene Woodley was paid $1.3 million for Big Little Lies season 1, according to Cosmopolitan.
That amounts to $242,000 for each episode. She was paid more in season 2 and Stylecaster.com estimates that it was between $300,000 and $500,000 for each episode.
But while that's amazing money, it's less than Witherspoon and Kidman were paid for season 2 of Big Little Lies.
According to Stylecaster.com, Meryl Streep's Big Little Lies season 2 salary was $800,000 for each episode. She played Perry's mom Mary Louise Wright and only appeared in the 7 episodes of season 2. That's definitely a very high salary.
It's true that Witherspoon and Kidman are bigger names than Woodley and have enjoyed longer careers than her as well. That's true of Meryl Streep, too. While Woodley has starred in hit movies like The Fault In Our Stars and The Descendants, she isn't quite as well-known as her co-stars.
Still, Big Little Lies is an ensemble drama with a large cast. It would be easy to assume that all the actors were paid the same since they all seemed to be an important part of the story. Celeste, Madeline and Jane all have sad storylines, although for different reasons, and all the characters showcase emotional subject matter and challenging experiences.
Shailene Woodley is doing really well for herself, of course. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she has a $12 million net worth. It's likely that she made a lot of her money starring as Amy Juergens on the TV drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager for five seasons. According to E! News, Woodley was paid between $250,000 and $500,000 for the original Divergent movie. Considering the fact that she made that much for each Big Little Lies episode, that feels like a particularly low salary.
What Did Shailene Woodley Say About Starring In Big Little Lies?
In season 1 of Big Little Lies, Shailene Woodley's character Jane Chapman moves to Monterey, California with her son Ziggy who is ten years old. He has a rough time at his new school, and she has trouble fitting in with the other parents since she is dealing with some trauma. Jane is a loving and supportive mother who is upset and concerned that people think Ziggy is a bully when she believes that someone else is actually making fun of him.
Jane feels very alone during Big Little Lies season 1, and in the season 1 finale, she realizes who hurt her in the past and who is Ziggy's dad. This is a huge revelation that leads into season 2. The final seven episodes of Big Little Lies see Jane dating again while helping Ziggy through the sad and awful things they have experienced.
Woodley talked about Big Little Lies season 2 in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She said she was glad that Jane's past was given careful attention in these episodes and talked about her family.
The actress said that her parents are psychologists who used to talk about the child patients they helped and all the terrible things that they went through. It seems like this experience helped her understand everything that Jane went through and how she tried to move on afterward.
Woodley told The Hollywood Reporter, "I was also very fortunate to hear the survival stories and how people were able to move through specific trauma. It is something that I think is missing in a lot of our storytelling on TV and in movies today — somebody’s path toward reconciliation with themselves and reclaiming of themselves. So it felt important to be as truthful and as honest and as vulnerable [as possible] with Jane this season."
Shailene Woodley played teenagers for many years, both on The Secret Life of American Teenager and in the Divergent film series. And on Big Little Lies, she played a more adult role with some really serious and devastating themes.
Jane's decision to have bangs in season 2 of Big Little Lies also got a lot of attention. Woodley commented on this in her interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She said that she could relate to this plotline. The actress said that she has sometimes switched up her piercings or hairstyle when something in her life has shifted.
Woodley said, "In that moment, I feel like she took a pair of scissors and cut her bangs herself. And she went through her closet and gathered up almost everything and took it to the nearest clothing swap store and donated it and got new clothes in order to reestablish and be in control of her identity again.'
While Shailene Woodley may not have been paid quite as much as her Big Little Lies co-stars, it was definitely a good idea for her to say yes to playing Jane Chapman on the HBO series. She delivered an amazing, emotional performance and was thoughtful when portraying Jane's trauma and challenges.
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