“Paradise” stars Shailene Woodley and Sterling K. Brown discuss ‘devastating’ episode 4 twist

This article contains spoilers from Paradise season 2, episode 4, “A Holy Charge.”

Sterling K. Brown knows how Paradise fans feel after watching Annie (Shailene Woodley) die.

Only four episodes into her time on the series, Woodley’s character died from complications during child birth. “It was devastating for all of us because she became like an instantaneous part of the family,” Brown tells Entertainment Weekly, adding, “Shay is the s—.”

As for what it was like to film that scene, he adds, “When actors are saying goodbye to each other and characters are saying goodbye to each other at the same time, there’s very little acting to do when you truly love that person. She’s a lovely, lovely human being.”

EW spoke with Woodley about her short but impactful time on the hit Hulu series below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You didn’t play this character for very long, but you played her through various parts of her life. In some ways, you spent a ton of time with her. What was that experience like for you?

SHAILENE WOODLEY: It was a dream. I have to say, this is one of my favorite things that I’ve ever been a part of for that reason. Because her arc is so clear and it’s so distinct, and yet the timeline in which it exists is so short. It does take place over a few years, but the way that it’s told, story-wise, is quite short. One of my favorite things about life in general is this idea of change and this idea of re-creation and every day is an opportunity to do something a little bit different. And I just loved Annie’s journey of facing her fears in real time, but choosing to react to them differently.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been moved by a character I played, but I feel like I learned a lot from Annie. Everything about being in Paradise felt very special to me.

I love that this show, in some ways, takes what we all experienced in 2020 and amplifies it. Many of us know what it is to spend a lot of time alone, but obviously Annie takes that to an extreme. What was your approach to playing someone who’d been so isolated for so long?

That was a big question that I asked myself every day, is how do you spend so much time alone in a state of stasis? How does one stay sane? How do you not go insane by the stories that you tell yourself, by the fear of the boogeyman in the closet or the ghosts of the past or regrets or shame or anger? There’s so much that can lead a mind to insanity. And the fact that this woman did stay sane, that’s how I examined who she was. That’s how I found out who she was, and I understood her strength. Annie is so practical, and she’s so linear, and she’s so analytical, and I loved playing with those elements of her brain that kept her feet on the ground and head clear despite her circumstance of loneliness and solitude.

I’m assuming you knew the end of her story when you signed on?

[Creator] Dan [Fogelman] and I got on a Zoom together and I’m such a fan of his. He pitched me this story. He told me what would happen with her and he described the arc of her relationship with herself, with Link [Thomas Doherty], with her daughter, and then ultimately what happens in the end. But he was so collaborative and open and instantly trusted me. And seven days later, I was on set and we were filming. Or it might have been nine days. There weren’t rehearsals, there was no prep. It was just kind of show up and do your thing. It felt in a way like doing theater because it was just me for the first two weeks at Graceland.

What was the experience of filming that birthing scene?

It was devastating to film. It was devastating to read. The thing that I love the most about what I do is the storytelling aspect and maybe the possibility of relating to at least one other person in the world. And it felt so real to me as a woman, and I haven’t given birth yet, but this primal carnal experience of bringing life into the world, and then so quickly leaving the world herself. I thought it was so courageous of Dan to write this episode this way and to leave this character this way, but he handled it with such grace and compassion and nuance and hope.

Filming it, Sterling was there and we were really holding each other and it was very physical. And I just remember at the end of the day being utterly exhausted. I was so wiped. But it felt so fulfilling because we both showed up. Sterling likes to say, “Game knows game.” [Laughs]  And I do feel like we brought everything we had.

I loved that after she was the caretaker for so many people, those strangers showed up for her.

Yeah. And that is a theme of the show, right, is how do you trust again when so much trust was broken? And who do you trust? And one of my favorite aspects of Annie is her relationship with Xavier because it’s so rare to have a relationship in TV or in film between a man and a woman that showcases true unconditional love without sexuality, without romance. It’s an example of a relationship that I think we could all benefit from right now, which is not knowing everything about the other person, looking very different than the other person, feeling very different emotions than the other person, but trusting that they have your best interests in mind. The full-circle moment of those people coming in was less about them showing up for Annie, but Annie having to truly submit to trusting Xavier. And Annie allowed herself to receive.

I have to say: It’s bold to kill her so quickly, but I think this show’s boldness is its greatest strength.

Yeah, I think that Dan is interested in the real. He’s interested in real life. And obviously there’s an artistic expression that goes into his storytelling, but it is real that people die. And it sucks and it’s a bummer and it’s weird and it’s sad, but it’s real. And I think that’s what we respond to as an audience because in real life, we can wish all we want for someone to be around a little bit longer than maybe they were. But if that’s not reflected in the stories that we’re seeing on television, it would be a lonely experience.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Paradise drops new episodes Mondays at 12 p.m. PT/3 a.m. ET on Hulu.

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