The Evolution of Evan Rachel Wood

‘Once And Again’

Wood nabbed her first big role in the ABC show Once and Again in 1999. She gained notoriety as Jessie Sammler, the shy and sensitive daughter of main character Rick. 

‘Thirteen’

In 2003, Wood made waves in a different sort of role as a troubled teen opposite Nikki Reed. She played the role of Tracy, an honor student who starts to spiral out of control when she befriends the school’s queen bee, Evie (Reed).

Growing up in the spotlight

While taking on her early-career notable roles, Wood reflected that she did compromise some of her childhood for her profession.

In a 2011 interview with SheKnows, Wood explained how she came into her own. “I did sacrifice a childhood in certain aspects. I still definitely had fun, but yeah, I have been acting and working since I was 5. I think that’s why for a few years, I kind of went, ‘I’m going to go be as crazy as possible,’ because I didn’t have an adolescence. I didn’t have a childhood. And, if I’m going to get really serious about this career, I’m going to have my fun. So I did some sightseeing and it was crazy and awesome and I got to know myself really well. But now, I’m really ready to commit and to work hard.”

She once dated Marilyn Manson

Wood was briefly engaged to Marilyn Manson in 2010, after the two met in 2006 when Wood was just 18. Following the relationship, she reflected, “I met somebody that promised freedom and expression and no judgments.”

She added, “Most teenagers are searching for identity, and I was thrown into a situation where I was supposed to have that already figured out. Then you’re demonized for figuring it out and getting messy. People would call me a whore when I walked down the street, and you can’t not be hurt by that.”

All in all, Wood said in the interview that she didn’t regret the relationship, but at the end of the day, she and Manson just weren’t right for one another.

She was married to actor Jamie Bell

Wood then married actor Jamie Bell in 2012, but the couple split two years later. They have one son, who was born in 2013. The two reportedly remain good friends as they co-parent their son.

“I think any separation, whether it’s amicable or not, is always difficult. But we’re always doing our best, and the most important thing is our son always comes first,” Wood said in a 2016 interview with People. 

Her coming out

Wood came out on Twitter as a bisexual in 2012.

“There was a time, despite what it may have looked like on the surface, that the fear had gripped me so tight, and I felt broken and unlovable. And I did not think I would see tomorrow,” Wood admitted while accepting the HRC Visibility Award at the 2017 Human Rights Campaign North Carolina Gala.

She added, “But because of the voices I listened to, because of the people I identified with, the films I had watched, the music I had heard, because of words like ‘bisexual’ and the doors that it opened, I’m still here. And I didn’t miss out on the most beautiful thing I’ve seen yet, and that was my son.”

She worked on herself

In a 2014 interview with Refinery29, Wood explained, “I used to be painfully, painfully shy and insecure. I didn’t think what I had to say mattered, or thought people were going to get mad at me. It was something I definitely had to work on. You have to learn how to stand up for yourself. You don’t have to be a diva or be spoiled or anything, but you have to learn how to say no. Learning to say no is one of the most important things I learned. And just taking care of yourself and staying true to who you are. It sounds simple, but it’s very hard to do. Especially in this industry — it’s pretty wild.”

She’s a feminist

Wood marched in the 2017 Women’s March and said at the time, “…a woman’s march is about standing in solidarity for everyone’s rights, for equal rights. It even goes beyond marching for women; it’s marching for people. I believe when a weaker group is suffering, we’re all suffering, and we all need to come together — men, women, people of color, people of different religions.” 

She also supports Chime for Change, a campaign that seeks to promote education, health and justice initiatives for women worldwide. 

She rocks a tux

Wood wore a tux to the 2017 Golden Globes to promote gender equality. 

“I love dresses — I’m not trying to protest dresses, but I wanted to make sure that young girls and women know they aren’t a requirement,” she said while speaking to the press during the event.

“You don’t have to wear a dress if you don’t want to… just be yourself, because your worth is more than that.”

She fights the wage gap

Wood has had to fight against the wage gap just like the rest of us.

“I’ve dated and was married to an actor, and there was transparency there in our salaries. It was staggering, the difference,” Wood said in a 2016 interview with Motto. “Even with people I feel like I’m on par with, the difference is miles away from each other.”

Coming to terms with sexual assault

Wood revealed in 2016 that she has been raped twice, once by a significant other and once by a bar owner. 

“I don’t believe we live in a time where people can stay silent any longer,” Wood wrote in an open letter on Twitter. “I certainly can’t. Not given the state our world is in with its blatant bigotry and sexism.”

“It should be talked about because it’s swept under the rug as nothing and I will not accept this as ‘normal’. It’s a serious problem. I am still standing. I am alive. I am happy. I am strong. But I am still not ok.”

Becoming a mother

Though she has never revealed her son’s name, Wood still talks openly about her journey as a mother.

“It’s less about me,” Wood said when speaking to Entertainment Tonight about how motherhood has changed her. “You become less self-obsessed and you let go of things. You forgive your parents for stuff, and you’re more at peace and you’e more motivated.”

“You know you have to be an example for this child, so you have to be the best person. You can’t just say, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ He’s the best thing to happen to me, for sure.”