The Divergent Series: Insurgent – Own it on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday – The Rise of Shailene Woodley

INSURGENT is the next instalment in the gripping Divergent sci-fi adventure series. To celebrate the home entertainment release of Insurgent we take a look at the rise of its female protagonist, Shailene Woodley, who in her early career was given bit part appearances to leading lady and has since become one of the hottest young actresses in Hollywood.

INSURGENT is available to download in digital HD on the 21st July and on Blu-ray and DVD from 3rd August 2015, courtesy of Entertainment One.

WITHOUT A TRACE (2003)
Shailene starred in Without A Trace, an American television show that focuses on a team who investigate missing persons. Woodley starred in an early episode back in 2003 as a young mentally unstable girl who goes missing from the institution she was being held. Even as a young girl with a very troubled past, and gives a performance that is more mature than her years suggest. 

The O.C. (2003)
Back in 2003, Woodley played Kaitlin Cooper, the spoiled younger sister of Marissa played by Mischa Barton on the FOX drama. Shailene only appeared in a handful of episodes but managed to make an impression that would lead her to bigger roles. Woodley attended parties, rode horses and was sent away to boarding school (typical for an O.C. girl). After coming back from boarding school in the third season, Shailene was re-cast, as she looked too young for the role, but it lead her bigger and better roles.

AN AMERICAN GIRL ADVENTURE (2005)
Back in 2005, Woodley played the lovable Felicity Merriman, a young girl who is thrown into the midst of the revolution and is torn between a divided family and their beliefs regarding the colonies fight against The English Rule. She looks adorable, no wonder so much more was yet to come. 

COLD CASE (2007)
Shailene in Cold Case plays an Amish girl whose sister was murdered during her week outside the community, or “rumspringa”. Her character is the one who first informs the investigators of the murder, go Shailene!

THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER (2008)
The creator behind the beloved show 7th Heaven struck again in The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Woodley played Amy, a high school girl who finds out she’s pregnant after a fling at band camp and faces a number of challenges. This really brought the name Shailene Woodley to life, making her the face of ABC Family as the show lasted a successful five seasons.

THE DESCENDANTS (2011)
Shailene got her first big movie lead in The Descendants, starring opposite George Clooney. Woodley plays Alexandra King, Clooney’s daughter who has a hard time bonding with her father after her mother is in a terrible accident leaving her in a coma. Woodley won an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakout Performance for her role in this heartfelt drama.

THE SPECTACULAR NOW (2013)
Before starring together in the Divergent series, Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller play an adorable couple in The Spectacular Now. Shailene plays the typical “nice girl” who falls for “bad boy” Miles Teller. The movie sky-rocketed Woodley to fame and both her and Teller won the Special Dury Award for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival. The two actors won because of their rare honesty, naturalism and transparency in their performances.

WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD (2014)
A teenager relishes her newfound freedom after her mother vanishes, but the strange facts of the disappearance soon begin to haunt her. Shailene continues to show impressive acting skills, playing a role that is the most grown up of any that’s she’s played thus far. She is without question the best part of this film as audiences get to see a whole new side of her, one that makes us excited to see what roles are yet to come.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (2014)
Based on the book that made an entire generation of grown men and woman cry with two words, “okay...okay”, The Fault In Our Stars made Shailene a household name. Woodley plays a cancer stricken girl who falls madly in love with a similarly affected teen from her cancer support group. The audience experiences one heart-break after another in this modern day romance. Woodley put how we all feel about this movie best when her character said: “I fell in love the way you fall asleep slowly, and then all at once.”

DIVERGENT (2014)
The 2014 original instalment is set in a futuristic Chicago which has fallen to ruins through war and corruption. A modern society is set up in which members are placed into different factions based on personality traits; Dauntless, Amity, Abnegation, Candor and Erudite. The story follows former Abnegation member Tris who decides to leave her family and become a member of Dauntless. Tris however has a secret, she breaks the mould as she does not fit into just one category; she is ‘Divergent.’

INSURGENT (2015)
The action packed sequel, Insurgent, sees Tris fight against the Erudites as she tries to save her friends and family, this second instalment took $275,893,892 at the worldwide box office. Shailene excels in the second instalment, showing that you can be a strong female lead who’s both flawed and powerful.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent Film Page | The Divergent Series: Insurgent Review | Win The Divergent Series: Insurgent on DVD

INSURGENT IS AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL HD FROM 21ST JULY AND ON BLU-RAY 3D, BLU-RAY AND DVD FROM 3RD AUGUST 2015, COURTESY OF ENTERTAINMENT ONE