Shailene Woodley was born.
Shailene Diann Woodley ( born November 15 , 1991 ) is an American actress . Born in San Bernardino County , California and raised in the Simi Valley , she took acting classes with Anthony Meindl and made her screen debut in the television film Replacing Dad ( 1999 ) , followed by numerous guest roles on television , including as Kaitlin Cooper on The O.C. ( 2003-04 ) , and several television films . Her leading roles as California Ford in A Place Called Home ( 2004 ) and Felicity Merriman in Felicity : An American Girl Adventure ( 2005 ) both earned her Young Artist Award nominations and she gained recognition for her starring role as Amy Juergens on the ABC Family television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager ( 2008-2013 ) . Her role as Beatrice `` Tris '' Prior in The Divergent Series ( 2014 -- 2016 ) garnered her international recognition .