LOS ANGELES —Shailene Woodley says the experience of shooting on the open ocean during the making of “Adrift” was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The film is based on the memoir of Tami Oldham Ashcraft who endured a devastating hurricane on a sailing trip with her fiance Richard Sharp in 1983 and was stranded at sea for 41 days. Woodley plays the part of Tami, who was only 23 when the incident happened. Sam Claflin stars as Richard.

Ashcraft wrote a memoir about her experience at sea shortly after the incident, but she’s been waiting for it to come together on film for 34 years. She says Woodley and Claflin fit the personalities of her and Sharp at the time of their voyage.

Critics have given Woodley positive reviews for her ability to capture the dire reality of the moment.

“Truth is my jam,” Woodley said. “It would be impossible to not be authentic given the circumstances.”

Plus, she said, she had both Ashcraft’s memoir and the woman herself for any questions, big and smal.

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“The beautiful thing about this movie to me is that it is a woman’s survival story but it’s not a man or woman versus nature story,” Woodley said. “It’s a woman learning how to work with nature to survive.”

Indeed, Woodley’s passion for the project ran so deep and she found herself doing so much, she eventually even got her own producer credit.

“It became more than me fighting for my character as an actor, it was about fighting for the integrity of the whole project from start to finish,”

“Adrift” opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.


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