Biography
Who is Olivia Wilde?
Early life and real name
Olivia Jane Cockburn was born in New York City on March 10, 1984. She grew up primarily in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., and spent summers in Ardmore, County Waterford, Ireland. She holds dual American and Irish citizenship. Her father, Andrew Cockburn, worked as a journalist, and her mother, Leslie Cockburn, worked as a television producer and journalist. Her grandfather Claud Cockburn and several other family members also worked in writing and journalism.
Olivia attended Georgetown Day School and Phillips Academy, graduating in 2002. She began using the stage name Olivia Wilde during high school to honor the authors in her family. She took the surname from Irish author Oscar Wilde and legally changed her name at age 18. She was accepted to Bard College but deferred her enrollment to pursue acting, later studying at the Gaiety School of Acting.
Television and early acting career
Olivia Wilde began her television career with early roles in the short-lived series Skin and the teen drama series The O.C., where she played the recurring character Alex Kelly. She also appeared in films such as The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and The Death and Life of Bobby Z during the mid-2000s. In 2007, she starred off-Broadway in the political thriller Beauty on the Vine and appeared in the drama series The Black Donnellys.
In September 2007, Olivia joined the cast of the medical drama television series House as Remy Thirteen Hadley, a bisexual internist handpicked for the medical team. She appeared on the show regularly until 2011, when she left to further pursue her film career. She later returned to the series for two episodes of the final season in 2012. During her active years on television, she also starred in films such as Tron Legacy, Cowboys and Aliens, and The Change-Up.
Film and directorial debut
Olivia Wilde continued appearing in feature films throughout the 2010s, including the romantic drama Her, the comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, and the horror film The Lazarus Effect. She also served as an executive producer on several documentary short films, such as Sun City Picture House and Body Team 12, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject. In 2017, she made her Broadway debut portraying the role of Julia in a theatrical adaptation of 1984 at the Hudson Theatre in New York City.
She made her feature directorial debut with the teen comedy film Booksmart, which was released in May 2019 and received critical acclaim. The project won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. She subsequently directed the thriller film Don't Worry Darling and the comedy drama The Invite, starring in both projects as well.
Birthday and age
Olivia Wilde was born on March 10, 1984, which makes Olivia 42 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Olivia shares the date with 33 other famous people.
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