Sometimes all it takes is four episodes.
Shailene Woodley earned an Emmy nomination Thursday for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series after delivering one of Paradise Season 2’s most unforgettable performances as Annie Clay, the resilient survivor whose emotional journey left an outsized impact on Hulu‘s post-apocalyptic drama.
Although Annie’s fate was sealed from the start, Woodley said there was never any hesitation about joining the series. “I’m just such a fan of Sterling [K. Brown] and Dan Fogelman. I just think everything he creates is gold,” Woodley told Deadline. “I loved the first season, and so when Dan contacted me about being a part of the second season, I was so excited.” Even after learning Annie would only appear in a handful of episodes, she said, “I honestly was just so, so excited to have the opportunity to work with all of them, and I loved every moment of it.”
That enthusiasm carried over to what Woodley described as one of the most harmonious productions of her career. “I think Paradise is the set that I have been on throughout my entire career that has had the least amount of drama,” she said. “There was just no drama. Everyone genuinely loved one another. Everyone got along from the actors to catering to the transportation department.” Woodley also credited co-star Brown for helping cultivate that atmosphere, noting that while Xavier Collins is often stoic on screen, “in real life Sterling is just so silly, goofy and playful.”
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For Woodley, Annie’s lasting impact comes from the character’s emotional walls and unwavering determination to protect the people she loves. “I think people are really moved by the fact that this woman doesn’t trust easy,” she said. “It takes her a lot to lean in and to open her heart to Xavier and to Link [Thomas Doherty].”
She also believes Annie’s resilience struck a chord with audiences still processing the Covid-19 era, and socioeconomic factors of the real world in recent years “I think going into a form of isolation in the real world and then seeing it portrayed on TV, albeit in this sort of sci-fi elevation, I think hit people in a meaningful way,” Woodley said. “Seeing Annie’s resiliency and her courage to do whatever it took to take care of her baby and to make sure that she had a life that was bigger and safe and protected, I think that was very meaningful to people.”
Considering that sci-fi reality altering technology was introduced at the end of Season 2, could Annie come back somehow in Season 3 through a flashback or otherwise? “Oh, my God,” she said with a laugh. “All I’ve been doing is bugging Dan about Annie’s future in a flashback. I guess a girl can dream.”
Looking ahead, Woodley is preparing for another Hulu series, Count My Lies, based on the novel by Sophie Stava, where she’ll star opposite Lindsay Lohan as the enigmatic Sloane Caraway. “I love playing Sloane,” Woodley said. “She’s unlike any character I have ever seen on television and definitely unlike any character I have ever personally portrayed in my career.”
The actor added that she “completely fell in love” with the role, calling Sloane “weird” and “unabashed in who she is.” She also loved the time she got to share the screen with Lohan saying: “We both grew up in this industry and we both have had so many different experiences that we were able to talk about. It was a great experience to connect with her in that way and to build these women that we were able to sink our teeth into.”
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, will be held at the Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 at 5 P.M. PT/ 8 P.M. ET.
