New/Old Theo James and Shailene Woodley Photo and Interview from Divergent Press Tour in Berlin

Our friends at Theo James France found and shared an interview with Theo and Shailene from the Divergent press tour back in April 2014 on Berliner Morgenpost, a German newspaper and site. This interview includes a never before seen picture of the duo and their interviewers who just happen to be 12 years old. Theo James France provided a French translation of the German interview, so I will attempt to follow in her footsteps and translate it into English. Note that I don’t speak German so I’m using Google Translate. As inaccurate as that may turn out, if you do speak German and find any mistakes, please let me know in the comments so that I can fix it 🙂

Interview

Interviewers: In the film, everyone must choose a faction at 16 years old. Which faction would you choose?

Shai: Probably Dauntless. These things they do make me happy. I love challenges! And I think it’s great that they are like brothers and sisters to each other. They protect each other.

Interviewers: So to Dauntless you have the strongest link?

Shai: Yes, definitely. Or Amity, the peacemakers, which I also love. But I think that I would get bored. And their clothes are pretty ugly.

Interviewers: Theo, which faction would you choose?

Theo: Dauntless, that’s the one that’s the most fun. I’m also interested in Erudite because their knowledge is based on science. And I like their blue clothes.

Interviewers: The choice of faction is very important in the film. What difficult decisions have you had to make in your own life?

Theo: After graduating from college, it was hard for me to decide whether I should go to theater school to become an actor. That was a big decision.

Shai: Yes, that’s right.

Theo: I could have become an astronaut (all laugh) .

Interviewers: In the film, you have four great fears. What is your own greatest fear?

Theo: I think my biggest fear is probably to swim alone on the open sea, and that a shark devours my legs. That would hurt terribly (all laugh) . I think I’ve seen “Jaws” way too many times.

Shai: Does that really happen?

James: It’s probably just paranoia, but once when I was on the Mediterranean, near the Italian coast, a shark attacked a boat. There was even a video of the shark biting into the boat. Luckily no one was injured by it. The day after the shark attack I was surfing and was washed away from the shore – that was pretty scary for me. Still, I love swimming and most of all I like to dive.

Interviewers: Being part of a group is really important in Divergent. How’s that for you?

Shai: Half of me loves being part of a group and do something with other people. The other half would rather be alone. But family and friends are important, and know you and what makes you tick. You do not have to introduce yourself to them, you simply sit down and talk with them about everything. Family and friends don’t judge you. In contrast, people you meet for the first time do that.

Theo: Same for me. I am also happy alone, but I’m happy with my oldest friends as well. You trust and know each other for so long and have already been through a lot together.

Interviewers: Back when you were in school, was it important to you to be part of a group?

Theo: Yes, I’m still friends with some of them. Shai has met ​​a few of them.

Shai: A few? That was your whole college!

Theo: Yes, but my school friends. The A-Crew, that’s what we call ourselves.

Interviewers: There are many dangerous scenes in the movie. Have you done some stunts yourself?

Theo: There were certain things that the insurance and the film studio did not allow us to do. For example, when Tris jumps off the roof – six, seven stories high – and into a net. Shai tells me that one can easily get hurt with such jumps.

Shai: Many have already died at 15-meter jumps. My stunt double for the film has jumped from 18 meters – in exercises even from 24 meters.

Interviewers: Which stunts did you do yourself?

Shai: I did most of the fight scenes myself, Theo did almost all of them. The ferris wheel scene, that was us. And Tris zip-lining through the city, that’s me as well.

Interviewers: Did you have any special training?

Shai: Before shooting began, we had a month worth of ​​fitness training and martial arts choreography rehearsal.

Interviewers: Theo, at the beginning of the film you’re pretty mean to the new Initiates. Was that hard for you to do?

Theo: Nope ( all laugh ). It was fun and freeing at times. What I like about Four is that you initially do not know exactly whether he is good or evil. As the film progresses we see that he is good.

Interviewers: What do you have in common with your characters?

Theo: I have no fears. Nah, just kidding. Four is pretty impatient, just like me.

Shai: Tris and I, we have a lot in common. Sometimes Tris idiotically gets into dangerous situations that she doesn’t necessarily seek out herself. I have this tendency as well. Sometimes I have the habit to fight for things when I could just say “No”. For example, if I’m really sick and I should perhaps lie down, I say: “This will pass” instead of taking care of myself.