Already marked on
everyone’s calendar who had been touched, moved and affected by the young adult
bestselling novel by John Green, June 5 marks the larger-than-life infinites of
Hazel and Gus’ (played by Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort) on the big screen.
“The Fault In Our
Stars” is the story of two remarkable teenagers who fall in love and embrace
life despite the strong odds against them. Both are smart, funny and sarcastic.
When they meet at a support group, Hazel Grace Lancaster is instantly smitten with
Augustus Waters. The feeling is mutual. Hazel is battling cancer; Augustus is
in remission and has been given the all clear from his doctors. Despite dealing with serious health concerns
on a daily basis, health doesn’t dominate life for Augustus and Hazel. Far from
it. They are normal teenagers, excited about first love and getting to know
each other. It’s clear from the start that there is strong chemistry between
this attractive pair. They don’t see eye to eye on everything, but their
connection is powerful and they both have a great sense of humor about their
circumstances.
Shailene Woodley
takes on the role of Hazel Grace Lancaster.
The young star of “Divergent” and “The Descendants” says “The Fault In
Our Stars” will forever leave a lasting impression on her. “It was truly one of the biggest honors of my
life to be a part of this project. Both
the film and novel explore the most powerful and universal themes. The story taught me that all is fleeting,
that nothing is guaranteed, and that however long or short a life you live, it
is the small moments that mean the most.
“I wanted the
role so badly I sent John Green a long, long email about how much I loved the
book, and how I had to play Hazel,” Woodley continues.“So I sat down with the
studio executives and producers and said, ‘I’ll be a P.A. or an extra, just
please, please let me be a part of it!’”
Fortunately – for
Woodley and the filmmakers – she was able to keep her day job, largely, says
Boone, thanks to her spectacular audition. “We read close to 150 actresses for
the role, and I saw about 50 of those.
Within ten or fifteen seconds of Shailene’s audition, I knew she was
Hazel. She held up her script pages and
just her eyes were peeking over them.
Shailene has these incredible, expressive green eyes, and she could do
so much with them. She was emotionally
available and creates such nuanced and subtle work. I don’t know how she does it; it’s like some
kind of magic.”
Woodley’s views
on the story, themes and characters mirrored those of her director and the
producers. “The Fault In Our Stars” is a
love story about two kids with cancer, but it’s not about cancer,” she
explains.“I was so deeply moved by Hazel and Gus, who are able to see things
that a lot of us are too busy living our lives to see.”
Woodley worked
hard to capture Hazel’s many shadings and complexities. “Shailene
understands Hazel so deeply,” says Green.
“She gives a raw, honest and totally unselfconscious performance. I’m so grateful for what she’s done with the
character.
“Hazel is a
pretty sarcastic person with a gallows sense of humor,” the author continues.
“But she’s always very loving and deeply concerned about the effect her illness
has on the people around her, particularly on Hazel’s parents. She doesn’t want to be what Hazel calls a
‘grenade’ – whose death causes pain and destruction. I mean, she’s a vegetarian who says to Gus,
‘I want to minimize the casualties.’ She
possesses an under-appreciated kind of heroism.”
In addition to
capturing Hazel’s many qualities, Woodley was tasked with conveying her
physical limitations, chief of which is her need to be hooked up to a cannula –
a flexible tube attached to an oxygen tank.
Here, again, Woodley’s research was important. “I met with a lot of people who had been on
oxygen, one of whom said it was like breathing through a straw,’” she comments.
“Hazel is
somebody who knows who she is and understands at a young age that life is
fleeting and that none of it matters really and that we’re all insignificant.
She realizes that to waste your time worrying or stressing about anything, or
trying to make a mark on the world is just a waste of time, because there’s no
way to guarantee anything. So she lives for the small moments and she
appreciates those moments. I think it is a huge thing for someone to understand
that at such a young age. I found the character very inspiring. And I really
related to her sarcasm and dry wit,” concludes Woodley.
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