“Already that old?” Shailene Woodley reacts to the secret life of the American teenager who celebrates her 16th birthday

Shailene Woodley can't believe she hasn't played a teen mom on TV in nearly two decades. The Secret Life of the American Teenager premiered Monday, July 1, celebrating its 16th anniversary.

Woodley, 32, said she was surprised by how much time had passed. “Are we really that old? It’s been 16 years since this movie first aired?!” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.

16th Anniversary of The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Woodley's co-star Daren Kagasoff, who played Ricky, her character's love interest and the father of her child on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, also celebrated the show's anniversary on Instagram Stories.

Kagasoff reflected on the passage of time with a heartfelt comment: “It’s crazy .” The brief message struck a chord with fans, highlighting the lasting impact of their roles.

In 2021, to mark the show's 13th anniversary, Kagasoff, 36, shared a photo of the cast and said, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager premiered 13 years ago today… We were very young back then. “

The five-season series airing on Freeform (formerly ABC Family) stars Amy and Ricky, played by Woodley and Kagasoff, respectively. Additionally, Greg Finley as Jack, Francia Raisa as Adrian, Megan Park as Grace, and Ken Baumann as Ben were among the cast.

In the pilot episode, 15-year-old Amy discovered she was pregnant after losing her virginity to a 16-year-old at a music camp. The Divergent star previously said she joined the show and signed a six-year contract because the storyline “touched” her, but that has since changed.

Woodley's thoughts on Secret Life Of The American Teenager and her lasting friendships

Woodley and many cast members disagreed with certain plot points as the series progressed, feeling that her character had become more of a social outcast than someone who had reconsidered her decision.

She said one of her most difficult experiences in Secret Life was having to deal with different legal opinions. The job encouraged her to be more vocal about her own opinions.

Woodley has made lasting friendships and launched her career through her role on the show. She highlighted her longtime friendship with Megan Park, who played Grace on the show, in a 2018 interview with BuzzFeed.

The popular actress added that she recently had a dream that the entire group was having a reunion dinner. Woodley filled Megan in on the situation and explained that Megan had called Francia, while she had reached out to a few other cast members. She expressed optimism that a cast dinner could be arranged in the near future.

Park mentioned that she and Woodley collaborated again on her directorial debut, The Fallout, starring Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler. Park, 37, called Woodley “such a supporter” in an interview with PEOPLE.