UGLIES Movie Star Brianne Tju on Shay's Transformation and ...

Brianne Tju wasn't sure an UGLIES movie would ever actually be seen by viewers.

Scott Westerfeld's bestselling young adult novel came out in 2005 — Tju, who is 26, read it as a kid — and first entered film development in 2006. Joey King signed on to star as Tally Youngblood and executive produce in 2020, and was later joined by Tju as Tally's classmate Shay, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, and Laverne Cox. Filming took place at the end of 2021, but then… silence.

“We thought the movie was never going to be released, and here we are,” Tju says from her backyard in Los Angeles a few days before UGLIES hits Netflix on September 13. “It feels really good, and I'm just trying to enjoy it.”

Tju grew up outside of L.A., with three younger sisters and an older brother. She began her acting career as a child, playing bit parts on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel. (And, as we'll chat about later, guest-starring as Chinese gymnast Genji Cho in Make It or Break It.) She now splits time between in L.A. and Philadelphia, and her roles have gotten bigger and bigger. She's often trended towards thriller and horror projects, starring in series like Light as a Feather and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Below, Teen Vogue chats with Tju about the big picture themes in UGLIES, the nefarious aspects of beauty culture, and how she transformed into the Pretty-fied version of her character Shay.

Teen Vogue: When you read Uglies as a kid, do you remember what about the story really resonated with you?

Brianne Tju: It was so long ago that I read it, but just knowing myself back then, I probably... I was in elementary school, so I'm sure I if anything was like, "Oh my God, full surgery [to look pretty]. I want to get this." Totally the opposite of the book. I think there wasn't a narrative in the media about self-acceptance and love like there is now.

In some ways, I'm grateful I didn't grow up with social media, but I didn't have someone telling me, like, "Oh, you should love yourself." So I probably was like, "Oh, cool, surgery to change myself. Love that." And was like, “Ugh, Tally, why wouldn't you want to get the surgery? You crazy girl.”

But now it's funny in reading it again as an adult and preparing for the movie, I mean, it's so crazy that that's the theme and messaging in a book meant for young adults and how timely it is now, probably more than ever with social media and technology. It's a coming-of-age story and it takes place in a dystopian future, but the messaging is pretty universal and timeless.

Brianne Tju as Shay in UGLIESBrian Douglas/Netflix

TV: No, that's a good point. I read it when I was in middle school and probably felt the same. That's something the book does so well — it does make you want the surgery a little. It's not like The Hunger Games where you read that, and you're like, “Yeah, I don't want to be in the Hunger Games. That's awful.” This is like, "Well… maybe there is something to being more beautiful."

BT: Exactly. But that's what so interesting about the messaging in the story is that every reader goes through Tally's journey with her, and Tally's journey isn't like... she's not a hero from the beginning. Really, Shay is more of a hero from the beginning, but Tally goes on a journey to discover herself, and [discover] that she doesn't want the surgery and to change. That's kind of how my journey has happened, too, as I've gotten older. I understand Tally's reason for not getting it much more now, and I think that's what's cool about the books is you can be young and enjoy them, as you get older, I think you just relate to them even more.

TV: You were talking about how the story is almost more relevant now than when it was written 20 years ago — everything is filtered now. I was thinking about the scene where we see Shay in her yassified version, and how it's not unlike what you would wear to a Hollywood premiere. There's normal you and then there's the red carpet you. I was curious how you think about those sides of yourself and going to events and promoting whatever projects you're in. How do you deal with that weird, almost dysphoric “Oh, I look like this, and then I look like this" feeling?

BT: I think I've struggled with it always, but it's funny now to think of it more critically because, before, it was like, "Well, this is just the way it is." I think that's what's so great about the message of the story because it's not condemning surgery or filters or whatever, but it's saying that you have a choice, so you can do that, or you don't have to, and that's totally okay too.

Doing all this press and being all glammed up and everything and during the press junket day, so many of the journalists were like, "It's so ironic that this movie is called UGLIES when you guys are all so pretty." I totally understand the irony in that, for sure. But to be fair, in the book, the word, the term “uglies” is not subjective. It is a blanket statement for anyone who hasn't gotten the surgery.

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TV: Right.

BT: So it's basically saying, “You, born into the world as you are, you're not enough.” That is the messaging that this government uses to brainwash you into thinking that your only option is the surgery, and that's your freedom. So Shay goes through a transformation at the end — and it actually was a very pivotal point in my life as Brianne where I got to play Shay, this vibrant, strong, awesome character throughout most of the movie.

And then, we had to plan this transition for her and what she would look like… We had to choose her hair. We had to talk about the size of her butt, her boobs, the makeup, all these things. It felt very degrading in the moment, in a way. Not that anyone made me feel that way, but just analyzing it like that. Like what could we do to make “Shay” beautiful?

TV: Totally get that.

BT: I was like, "I thought she was beautiful before," because I loved her character. And so having that kind of realization of like, "Oh, wow, the perception of how you look versus who you are, it holds different weight." And I feel that when I do press, I actually get recognized more on the street when I'm all glammed up — and when I'm just myself, no one knows who I am.

I think that there's beauty in having both sides, and I'm glad that I get to play with both sides because sometimes I'm glammed up and I feel good. I'm like, "Damn, I look good." And I love feeling like that. I love hyping myself up, but I also have to remember that that hype doesn't apply to just when I'm glammed up.

There's so many other aspects of myself that are so much more interesting and valuable than just how I look. I try to maintain that and remember that in all of these interviews, red carpets, whatever… I think it's deciding for yourself — when is it worth it and why am I doing it? Am I doing it just for exterior validation? When I do these interviews and red carpets, I get so anxious and insecure. Yeah, I want to feel good. So I do what it takes to feel good in that moment, but it's just a blip in my life versus how I feel and how I look 99% of the time.

Brianne Tju as Shay and Joey King as Tally in UGLIESBrian Douglas/Netflix

TV: It does feel sad to think about the Shay transformation that you described, and it's Shay, but it's also you. It is your face. So that feels very tough for people to be like, "How can we optimize you?," when it's still you as a person.

BT: Exactly. And the thing is — I haven't really had a chance or an opportunity to really go into depth about the transformation and what it took in order to do that. It's not like, "Oh, hey, they dragged me down to be that first version of Shay." No, that is me. That is me with very little makeup, and that's how I normally look.

Then to turn into [the Pretty version of] Shay, it took so long, and they had to cover up all my tattoos. They put a wig on me. Full beat. They kind of pulled back [my eyes and cheekbones] to make me look snatched. I had so many cutlets in my push-up bra, and I wore a silicone butt, and then I was wearing high heels the whole time, even in action sequences when I'm running away. They had to sew me into the dress. I couldn't really pee. So I was also very dehydrated in Atlanta in the heat, and then on top of that, there's CGI, there's aspects that happened in post-production.

But it was like it really dawned on me right then and there, all this effort and all this time expended in order to achieve something that, at the end of the day, you wash off, and you go to bed as you woke up. I grew up in [the entertainment industry], and [it] was like, "This is the way it is. You're a celebrity. You're an actor. There's a certain level of how you're supposed to look or dress and that's just the way it is." And for the first time, I was questioning why it is the way it is. Does it have to be that way? Does it make me happy? Why am I just cattle in a herd following a system? I realized I needed to think more critically for myself. Playing Shay really had a huge impact on me, which I'm very grateful for.

TV: You said a little bit ago that when getting glammed up for a red carpet, it's still your brain inside, and you're still prone to insecurities even when you are all dressed up. In this story, part of becoming Pretty is fixing that part of your brain, as well. Not only are you beautiful, but the surgery's giving you the kind of brain damage that means you'll never be insecure again because you're just... calm, or placid. That almost feels like more appealing — and dangerous — than the physical beauty in the story. A little bit of brain damage to make you not so self-conscious, or sad.

BT: Ignorance is bliss, right? And sometimes I think we all wish we could shut off that voice in our brain… so you don't feel guilty or you don't feel shame or insecurity. Sometimes that would be a relief to not have to listen to [it], but it's also our moral compass, our values. That voice is annoying because it doesn't fit into what society wants from us. I was just talking to someone the other day about how when we're kids, our instincts, we're the freest, most true versions to ourselves that we can be, and it's the world and these other factors that kind of beat that out of us.

As I get older, I realize I'm trying to just get back in touch with whatever I had when I was a kid. It would be nice to not have to worry about the world and how I look, but… all of our struggles form who we are, and that takes away a lot of our personality and our strength.

That's one of the things that Shay says that I think is so powerful. She's like, “I'm afraid to stop growing” when she first leaves for the Smoke. That is such a profound thing for a 15-and-a-half-year-old to realize for herself. That's what makes Shay's character so aspirational: she's so young and so critical and so independent. Shay realized she loves who she is and how she's living now, and the potential that she has versus just being homogenized.

TV: Would you do a sequel?

BT: Absolutely, I would do a sequel. I would love to do a sequel. I would love to keep exploring these characters that we've all worked so hard to create. There's obviously two more books, and there's a world for us to explore and expand and play with, and I think it would be so, so fun. But at this point, we don't know. I think we're waiting to see the reception of the first one. But either way, whatever happens from here on out, I'm just happy this movie is out.

TV: I was looking back through your career up to this point, and you've done so much already, but specifically, I just finished a Make It or Break It rewatch—

BT: Stop it. Stop. [Laughs]

TV: —for the Olympics, and then I realized when looking it up, I was like, "Oh my God, Brianne was Genji Cho."

BT: Stop it. My sisters make fun of me for that, still. They'll just call me Genji Cho out of nowhere. Oh my God. That was a lifetime ago, and I remember wanting that part so bad because, before that, I had only done kid shows. Nickelodeon, Disney. I was like, "This is a teen show. I'm going to be a part of a teen show." And I said two things because the character doesn't speak English.

TV: You were, what, 11 or 12 when you filmed that? Did you do stunts? Were you in gymnastics?

BT: I was a baby. I was a gymnast as a kid and a dancer, so that was probably part of why they hired me, but I couldn't do that stuff. I did tumbling, but I couldn't do the balance beam. I couldn't do bars or anything like that. So, of course, there was a stunt double, but I did have a lot of fun. I remember just messing around, and I did a back handspring. That was one thing that they kept, and I was very proud of that.

TV: How are you feeling about your career now? Has there been a project that felt like a turning point in doing the kinds of roles you're excited about, more often than when you were younger?

BT: I definitely think opportunities have opened up for me. I think that the industry is still in the process of becoming more inclusive and diverse and having representation. So when I was younger, maybe 10, I was like, "Oh, I only play the best friend. I can only play a supporting character." And that's fine. I was like, “I'll just be the Brenda Song. I don't need to be the star of the show.” So I kind of relegated myself to that. But as you get older, I think you start to want more. You want a challenge, you want to be seen, and your skills as an actor get stronger, and you're like, “Well, I want to use them for what they're worth.”

Brianne Tju as Shay, Joseph Echavarria as Rydeand, Joey King as Tally, Keith Powers as David and Zamani Wilder as Astrix in UGLIESBrian Douglas/Netflix

TV: Totally.

BT: And the industry has changed, and it's given me more opportunity and other people with more marginalized stories opportunity, but there's still a ways to go. But right now, in my career, honestly, I feel different than I did even shooting UGLIES. With the [Hollywood] strikes, it really gave me perspective — I used to be all about work, and now I'm finding that balance with my life, which has helped with burnout. I have more of a consistent flow and understanding of why I do this. I was like, "Is this a dream I had as a kid and still want now, or am I just doing it because I've been in it for so long?" Now, I feel like I can confidently answer that question that this is my choice.

I've really tried to explore other facets of my creativity as well because acting relies so heavily on someone else giving you a job. I'm going to be directing my first short at the end of the year… That's been reinvigorating, and I've been writing. I don't want to wait around for the stories that I want to tell to be told, and to hope someone will let me be a part of it. I think I want to be in the driver's seat a little bit more.

TV: In your writing and directing, are there certain themes you've been drawn to, or kinds of stories you've been interested in?

BT: For sure. I definitely think the stories are female-centric and exploring the kind of dualities that exist inside of any woman, and just being seen by the world in one way and feeling so differently on the inside and wanting to make the two meet or match. [I've] written a few characters that struggle with coming out or mental illness or being Asian. Mental health is a big part of my life… The more I learn, the more empathy I have, the more understanding I have. I think visibility is the biggest cure to ignorance, and so being able to bring those stories to light is something I'm definitely passionate about and exploring right now.

TV: That's cool. What's something you're excited about in your life right now that's not related to work?

BT: I'm excited to be at this point in my life where I've found an incredible partner who supports and loves me as much as I support and love them, and I'm putting more energy into my friends and family, and just having that sense of community and love and support and nourishing it has been so fulfilling for me.

I'm also really excited and nervous about the election. But I'm excited that Kamala has decided to run. I'm pretty excited about Tim Walz. When Biden dropped out, it was a very scary time. It was like anything could happen, and it felt very daunting. And now I feel a little bit more hopeful. Obviously, there's a huge battle that still needs to be fought, and we got to win this election, but I am excited about the hope and seeing the younger generation be so active and vocal.