Per Harper Collins, the “Divergent” book series sold more than 32 million copies worldwide. The dystopian story of a girl who joins one of society’s fictional “factions,” only to realize that this society is not as harmonious as she once believed, was hugely popular. Naturally, a film adaptation was in the works not long after the trilogy hit shelves — and there was a lot of hype over who would play heroine Tris and her love interest, Tobias, aka Four. Shailene Woodley’s background on “The O.C.” practically made her a shoo-in for Tris, but Four was trickier to cast. Still, as Woodley gushed in an interview with the Daily Beast, Theo James was the only choice for the role.
“We auditioned a lot of guys, and a lot of these actors were playing male, masculine leaders. Even if they were good, they were still acting it,” Woodley explained. “Theo walked in and just demanded it with his presence.” Similarly, Tris and Four might have had a slow burn kind of love in the movie, but Woodley and James immediately hit it off during filming. “[Shailene] and I had good chemistry from the first moment we met,” the actor told Culture Calling. “I’ve also had the opportunity to see her evolve as a person in a very wonderful way. Our friendship has grown in the same way.”
