Shailene Woodley Talks New Showtime Series 'Three Women,' Women's Empowerment

Shailene Woodley is opening up about her new Showtime series "Three Women" and women's empowerment.

The "Divergent" actress, 31, stars in the upcoming TV adaptation of author Lisa Taddeo's 2019 book, "Three Women," which is about a writer who interviews three different women to gather a snapshot of what sex lives are like for American women.

Woodley plays the role of Gia, a fictional representation of Taddeo. In the show, which is formatted in a similar way to the book, Gia travels across the country to hear the stories of Lina (Betty Gilpin), a housewife whose husband won't kiss her, Sloane (DeWanda Wise), an entrepreneur in an open relationship with her husband, and Maggie (Gabrielle Creevy), a student who realizes she'd been preyed upon by her high-school teacher.

Speaking to Net-A-Porter's digital title, Porter, about what drew her to the role, Woodley said: "I had, at a very young age, become obsessed with sex and intimacy, and the way that we relate to it as Americans."

She added that when she read the book "Three Women," she was "very struck by Lisa's desire to explore these themes in this country."

But before they began filming the TV adaptation, Woodley, Taddeo and the creative team all agreed that they didn't want the series to be another "parable about strong women."

"Sometimes it's frustrating, because a lot of the things that I read are all about women's empowerment and feminism, but the way the stories are being told are actually not portraying women in an empowered way. To me, empowerment simply means truth, vulnerability, acknowledging the good and the bad, the pros, the cons, the ugly, the beauty," Woodley explained.

The actress went on to reveal what viewers can expect from the upcoming show.

"The conversation I had with Lisa was about that; we're not here trying to make a show that's championing women all around the world to become the best versions of themselves – it's a show that's just acknowledging the reality that women face," she told Porter.

Woodley found her role in the upcoming TV series rewarding on a professional level because her character helped her connect "more empathetically" to herself during one of the "darkest" periods in her life. She hopes the show will serve the same purpose for its audience.

"'Three Women' feels like it matters a lot – mostly, I think, because it mattered so much to me," Woodley said. "I feel honored to be a part of it, because it genuinely gave me a North Star in a time in my life when my compass... calibration did not exist. And I think it has the potential to provide a North Star for other people out there, too."

"Three Women" was filmed between October 2021 and May 2022, and during this period, she split from ex-fiancé Aaron Rodgers.

Woodley confirmed her engagement to the NFL quarterback during an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in February 2021. In December of that year, they sparked breakup rumors when Woodley was not spotted at his 38th birthday celebration and did not mark the occasion on social media.

The actress was spotted without her engagement ring in February 2022. They reportedly reconciled in March of that year but split for good a few months later.

"Three Women" is set to premiere on Showtime later this year.