Shailene Woodley Movies and TV Shows – Complete Filmography Ranked

Shailene Woodley has built a career spanning more than two decades, moving from television guest appearances in the early 2000s to leading roles in both independent films and major franchises. Her filmography now encompasses over 30 credits across movies, television series, and documentary productions. From her breakout role alongside George Clooney in The Descendants to her portrayal of Tris Prior in the Divergent trilogy and her Emmy-nominated performance in Big Little Lies, Woodley has demonstrated a marked ability to shift between genres and platforms.

This comprehensive guide covers her complete body of work, organized by category and ranked by critical reception. Whether you are looking for her highest-rated performances, her television history, or what lies ahead professionally, this resource draws from established databases and official sources to provide a thorough overview.

What Movies Has Shailene Woodley Starred In?

Shailene Woodley’s transition from television to film began in earnest with the 2011 release of The Descendants, directed by Alexander Payne. That performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination and positioned her as a rising talent in Hollywood. Since then, she has accumulated a diverse filmography that spans dystopian thrillers, romantic dramas, action films, and character-driven independent projects.

Her earliest credited work dates to 1999, when she appeared as a child actress in the television movie Replacing Dad. Over the following years, she accumulated guest roles in popular series including The O.C. and Crossing Jordan before landing her first major television commitment with The Secret Life of the American Teenager from 2008 to 2013.

• Transitioned from indie dramas to young adult franchises
• Earned an Emmy nomination for her work on Big Little Lies
• Over 30 film credits accumulated since 2008
• Expanded into producing roles on several recent projects
• Appeared in critically acclaimed films averaging 62% on Rotten Tomatoes
• Portrayed both fictional characters and biographical figures across genres

Best Shailene Woodley Movies Ranked

Critical reception for Woodley’s films varies considerably, from universal acclaim to mixed responses. Her highest-rated work has come through collaborations with acclaimed independent filmmakers, while her participation in major franchise material has produced more divided reviews.

Rotten Tomatoes Rankings

Rotten Tomatoes aggregates both critic and audience scores, offering a useful barometer for how performances and films have been received. Woodley’s top-rated movies on the platform include The Spectacular Now at 92% and The Fallout at 90%, both of which garnered near-universal praise from critics.

Her work in The Descendants (88%) and The Fault in Our Stars (81%) also placed among the most well-received entries in her filmography. The Divergent trilogy, by contrast, received progressively cooler reception, with the final installment Allegiant managing only 11% from critics, making it her lowest-rated major release.

IMDb User Ratings

IMDb user scores provide an alternative perspective rooted in audience engagement rather than professional critique. The Fault in Our Stars leads her major features at 7.7, followed by The Descendants and Snowden at 7.3 each. Her performances in The Spectacular Now earned a 7.1 rating, placing it among her most positively reviewed work by general viewers.

The Divergent series maintained moderate scores on IMDb, ranging from 6.6 for the first installment down to 5.7 for Allegiant. These figures track closely with critical reception, suggesting consistent audience sentiment about the franchise’s quality trajectory.

You can read more about another rising star’s journey through television dramas in this profile on Song Ha-yoon, which covers similar career transitions between genres and platforms.

Shailene Woodley TV Shows and Series Roles

Television has played a foundational role in Woodley’s career, serving as the launchpad for her transition into feature films. Her earliest credited appearances span guest roles on shows including The District (2000), Crossing Jordan (2001), and The O.C. (2003), before she secured her first significant television commitment.

Breakthrough Television Role

From 2008 to 2013, Woodley starred as Amy Jurgens in The Secret Life of the American Teenager on ABC Family. The role represented her first multi-season commitment and ran for five seasons, building a dedicated young audience and establishing her as a television presence before her film career took off.

Big Little Lies

Her most acclaimed television work came with HBO’s Big Little Lies, which aired from 2017 to 2019 across two seasons. Woodley portrayed Jane Chapman, a mother dealing with the aftermath of trauma, in a series that also starred Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.

The show earned numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe win for the series and multiple Emmy nominations. Woodley herself received Emmy recognition for her performance, marking her most significant award achievement in the television category. The series concluded after two seasons, with no further installments announced.

Other Television Appearances

Beyond her starring roles, Woodley appeared in various television productions including A Place Called Home (2004) and Felicity: An American Girl Adventure (2005), both television movies that leveraged her early casting in family-oriented content. She also executive produced Awake, a Dream From Standing Rock in 2017, a documentary examining the Standing Rock protests.

Her television footprint beyond Big Little Lies remains relatively limited, with most of her professional attention directed toward film work over the past decade.

Upcoming Shailene Woodley Movies and Projects

As of available data, Woodley’s most recent confirmed release is Motor City (2025), an action-oriented project that scored 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. Earlier in 2024, Killer Heat was released with Woodley in the role of Penelope Vardakis, though the film received considerably weaker reception at 17% from critics.

No further projects beyond 2025 have been officially confirmed in publicly available sources. Earlier industry reports mentioned possible collaborations in the independent film space, though specific details about these potential ventures remain limited.

For a broader look at how television dramas develop their ensemble casts, this guide to Tell Me Lies cast members provides context on how character ensembles are assembled and maintained across seasons.

Shailene Woodley in the Divergent Series

The Divergent trilogy represents one of Woodley’s most significant professional commitments, spanning three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016. Based on Veronica Roth’s bestselling novel series, the films established her as a leading face in the young adult adaptation boom that followed the success of The Hunger Games and Twilight.

Divergent (2014)

The first installment introduced Woodley as Tris Prior, a teenager navigating a dystopian Chicago divided into faction-based societies. The film debuted to mixed reviews but performed solidly at the box office, grossing over $150 million worldwide against a $65 million budget. Critical reception was divided, with the performance of Woodley herself drawing particular attention for its intensity.

Insurgent (2015)

The sequel continued Tris’s journey as she uncovered hidden conspiracies within the faction system while evading antagonist forces. Critics offered somewhat warmer assessments of the action sequences while maintaining reservations about the young adult framework. Woodley’s central performance again anchored the production.

Allegiant (2016)

The final theatrical entry attempted to expand the narrative scope by moving the story beyond Chicago’s walls, introducing new characters and environments. The response proved notably cooler, with Rotten Tomatoes registering an 11% approval rating from critics. Audience scores remained more moderate at 41%, but the divergence between critical and audience response signaled widespread dissatisfaction with the creative direction.

Plans for a fourth installment were ultimately abandoned following Allegiant’s underperformance. Woodley’s trilogy participation stands as a significant chapter in her career, demonstrating her ability to anchor major studio productions while also illustrating the risks inherent in franchise commitments.

Shailene Woodley Filmography Timeline

A chronological view of Woodley’s career reveals distinct phases, from early television appearances through her breakout in prestige independent films and into franchise participation.

1. Early Career (1999–2007): Guest roles and television movies including Replacing Dad, The District, and Crossing Jordan.
2. Television Breakthrough (2008–2013): Five-season run as Amy Jurgens in The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
3. Film Breakthrough (2011–2013): Golden Globe-nominated role in The Descendants followed by acclaimed indie performance in The Spectacular Now.
4. Franchise Era (2014–2016): Lead role in Divergent trilogy plus The Fault in Our Stars and Snowden.
5. Television Resurgence (2017–2019): Emmy-nominated performance in HBO’s Big Little Lies.
6. Recent Work (2018–2025): Productions including Adrift, The Mauritanian, The Fallout, Ferrari, and Motor City.

What Information Remains Unclear

While Woodley’s completed work is well-documented across multiple authoritative sources, certain areas of her professional trajectory remain less defined.

Career Context and Evolution

Woodley’s career arc illustrates a deliberate navigation between commercial viability and artistic credibility. Her early work in independent films positioned her as a serious dramatic actress, while her participation in the Divergent franchise brought mainstream recognition and expanded her audience reach.

The transition to Big Little Lies represented a strategic return to television following the conclusion of her franchise commitments, pairing her with award-winning co-stars in a prestige drama that earned critical acclaim and cultural conversation. That move demonstrated her capacity to select projects offering substantive roles rather than simply pursuing the most commercially prominent opportunities.

Her subsequent film choices have skewed toward character-driven material, with The Mauritanian reuniting her with director Kevin Macdonald for a biographical legal drama and The Fallout representing an indie production focused on contemporary social themes. Recent work in Ferrari placed her in a period ensemble drama, further demonstrating her willingness to work across genres and production scales.

Sources and References

This overview draws from multiple established entertainment databases and reference sources to ensure accuracy across filmography listings, release dates, and critical reception data.

The most celebrated phase of her filmography came through independent productions, with The Spectacular Now and The Descendants earning both critical acclaim and industry recognition.

Rotten Tomatoes, compiled critical reception data

Primary sources consulted include Rotten Tomatoes for aggregated review scores, IMDb for comprehensive filmography records, and multiple film database compilations that cross-reference production details and cast information.

Filmography data reflects all credited roles across feature films, television movies, and series appearances. Scores and ratings are current as of the most recent available data compilation and may not reflect subsequent changes in aggregate scores.

Summary

Shailene Woodley’s filmography spans more than two decades of professional work, encompassing over 30 film and television credits. Her most acclaimed performances include The Spectacular Now (92% Rotten Tomatoes), The Descendants (88%), and her Emmy-nominated work in Big Little Lies. The Divergent trilogy represented her most significant franchise commitment, though the series concluded without continuation following mixed critical reception for Allegiant. Her recent releases through 2025 indicate continued activity across diverse genres, with Motor City serving as her most current confirmed theatrical appearance.