Divergent star Shailene Woodley says comparing actresses to each other is super unfeminist — even when the subject of that mirror is awesome, like Jennifer Lawrence.
BFFs Shailene Woodley and Brie Larson have a lot of similarities: They are both actresses of the same generation having breakout moments in their career, Woodley for Divergent and Larson for Short Term 12. But do not compare the two, please, and do not compare them to the current It Girl Jennifer Lawrence either.
In an interview with New York Magazine, Woodley said such comparisons aren’t just damaging to actresses, but to all women in general.
Shailene Woodley stands for equality, not feminism >>
“As women, we are constantly told that we need to compare ourselves to a girl in school, to our co-workers, to the images in a magazine,” she said. “How is the world going to advance if we’re always comparing ourselves to others?”
“I admire Jennifer Lawrence, but she’s everyone’s favorite person to compare me to. Is it because we both have short hair and a vagina? I see us as separate individuals. And that’s important. As women, our insecurities are based on all these comparisons. And that creates distress.”
Larson added, “When Shai and I met each other, it was boom! We understood each other instantly. We’re the lighthouse for each other: the beam that stays focused and guides you home.
“Girls in this industry sabotage one another. We will never do that.”
“Together, we are able to refine our ideas,” Woodley said of their friendship. “In the past, we would talk about how people told us that if we wanted ‘success,’ we’d have to dress a certain way, act a certain way. Brie and I always felt different, and, suddenly, when we met, that was okay. In fact, it was great.”
Read the complete interview with Woodley and Larson on Vulture.com.
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