Ansel Elgort: I Asked to Sub in for Theo James When Kissing Shailene Woodley in 'Insurgent'

Insurgent star Ansel Elgort asked costar Theo James if he could fill in while he was sick and kiss Shailene Woodley

Published on March 7, 2015 03:10 PM

Ansel Elgort has experienced the best of all worlds while sharing the screen with Shailene Woodley – being in love with her in one movie and sharing a brother-sister love with her in the next.

As one would suspect, he says the quick change in roles “was definitely really weird.”

“I don t know how we did it, but we pulled it off somehow,” says Elgort, 20, of playing Woodley’s, 23, boyfriend in The Fault in Our Stars, and then going on to share a blood line with her as a part of the Prior Family in Divergent.

“We re happy that somehow it worked,” he told reporters during a press day for Insurgent in Los Angeles on Friday.

And while hunky costar Theo James, 30, got the honor to play Woodley’s lover this time around, Elgort offered to sub in while James was feeling a little under the weather.

“I asked Theo if it was alright [to kiss Shailene because] he wasn t feeling well,” says Elgort.

“I said, ‘Listen, I ve done it before,’ and guys that do the visual effects in this movie are good, so they could have easily changed our bodies and it would have been cool,” he jokes.

Elgort’s Divergent series character, Caleb Prior, may only appear to be keeping up with the thrilling, dangerous obstacles that Four, played by James, and Tris, played by Woodley, the actor admits that he is a bit awkward.

“The way Caleb runs looks like he s going to trip over any second because, to tell you the truth, it was never something that he did,” says Elgort of Caleb’s klutzy character.

He adds, “I think Caleb represents the intellectual and someone who wouldn t be able to run with people shooting him and that s why he decides to leave them.”

But don’t let him fool you because, in real life, the dance-loving actor would have no problem – and might even exceed – the challenges that are brought before him in the film.

“I’m a physical guy,” says Elgort. “I play basketball and I rock climb.”

And although Elgort has already starred in two massive films, he is still getting used to life in the spotlight.

“Every day, I go on the street and people ask for pictures, which is kind of weird and different than it was before,” he says.

“It s really nice when people recognize your work because most actors out there really never have the chance to be seen, so I m really grateful.”