Shailene Woodley reacts to her first Emmy win: 'So lucky'

Shailene Woodley is officially an Emmy-winning actress.

The Divergent star took home her first Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Hulu’s Paradise at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys on Sunday, September 6.

“Mom, this is so cool,” she said during her acceptance speech with her mother, Lori, watching proudly from the audience. “I just feel so lucky to do what we do and to be a part of the circus with all of you amazing travelling storytelling clowns.”

Woodley, 34, was introduced in the second season of Paradise as Annie Clay, a former Graceland tour guide and survivor of The Day. Her character became a key emotional thread throughout the season of the post-apocalyptic thriller.

The victory marks a major milestone for Woodley, who previously received an Emmy nomination in 2017 for her supporting role as Jane Chapman in Big Little Lies.

She faced competition this year from Miriam Shor for Pluribus, Merritt Wever for The Gilded Age, and Brittany Allen, Tal Anderson and Tina Ivlev for The Pitt.

Reacting to her Emmy nomination for Paradise in a July interview with Deadline, Woodley spoke highly about her experience despite her limited screentime.

“I’m just such a fan of Sterling [K.Brown] and Dan Fogleman,” she said of the series’ lead actor and creator, respectively. “I loved the first season, and so when Dan contacted me about being part of the second season, I was so excited.”