Although she famously only lived to be 27, Janis Joplin made a major impact on the world of music while she was alive. In the decades since her death, there have been scant attempts to tell her story. Now, Shailene Woodley is preparing to play her in an upcoming biopic.
In a recent interview on Live With Mark and Kelly (per Entertainment Weekly), she teased the new project, which she is also producing.
“It’s been really exciting. It’s been over six years of putting it together. To me, it’s important to do these things with a lot of integrity and a lot of care. Janis is someone I’ve always deeply respected and admired, like the spirit in her, the soul she was on this planet and kind of the light that she was on this planet,” she explained. Woodley first announced in early September that she would lead the project. “It’s been a really fun journey getting to know her better through the process of finding all the creative elements.”
She also discussed the fact that she would be singing on the movie, saying that she had discovered she had some talent through the process.
“I’m not like a trained singer, but I feel and I can sing in my shower. It turns out I can also sing outside of the shower, which I didn’t really know until I started working on the Janis project, and working with Linda Perry, who’s an amazing music producer and musician herself,” Woodley said. “She’s really encouraged me and helped me find my center and my own voice, which is incredible.”
Woodley also said during the interview that she still hasn’t heard anything about a third season of Big Little Lies, but is keeping her “fingers and toes” crossed about it.