Shailene Woodley's Real Name: Shailene Diann Woodley

Quick answer: Shailene Woodley's real name is Shailene Diann Woodley. She was born on November 15, 1991, in San Bernardino, California.

Real name and early life

Britannica lists her in full as Shailene Diann Woodley, born November 15, 1991, in San Bernardino, California (Britannica's page spells the city "San Bernadino"; standard spelling is San Bernardino). The Library of Congress name authority records Woodley, Shailene. She grew up in Simi Valley, started acting classes as a child, booked dozens of commercials, and took early TV guest roles while keeping strong grades in school.

Quick facts

• Real name: Shailene Diann Woodley
• Known as: Shailene Woodley
• Born: November 15, 1991, in San Bernardino, California
• Known for: Actor, activist
• Notable work: The Descendants, The Fault in Our Stars, Divergent, Big Little Lies
• Sources checked: Britannica, Library of Congress Name Authority, Biography.com

Career highlights

Woodley starred as Amy Juergens on The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–13). Film breakthrough came as Alexandra in Alexander Payne's The Descendants (2011), winning an Independent Spirit Award and a Golden Globe nomination. Acclaimed turns followed in The Spectacular Now (2013) and The Fault in Our Stars (2014); she led the Divergent trilogy (2014–16).

On HBO's Big Little Lies (2017–19) she played Jane Chapman and earned an Emmy nomination. Later credits include Adrift (2018), The Mauritanian (2021), Ferrari (2023), Dumb Money (2023), and the series Three Women. Britannica also notes a later Emmy win for guest work on Paradise. She is an outspoken environmental activist and co-founded the nonprofit All It Takes with her mother. Her activism—including Standing Rock-related advocacy and Greenpeace ambassadorship—often travels with the press coverage of her film releases.

Name notes

Shailene Diann Woodley is her birth name; she has not used a stage surname. Fan sites often copy names from one another, so we checked this page against Britannica and the Library of Congress.