We were lucky to catch up with Olivia Michael recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Olivia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Since I was a child, I think I always knew I was going to be an actor or something creative. I have many other artistic pursuits in my life such as sketching, painting, graphic design, dancing, and singing. But I don’t think there is anything in this world that can come close to acting for me. Throughout early high school, I suppressed my dreams of acting professionally. I instead focused on my visual art and planned on finding a more stable career in this field instead. This was not because there were any outside forces pressuring me to do so. Quite the contrary, I was raised by two parents who encouraged and supported my dreams fervently. I was afraid of the shaky waters that I would navigate if I chose to be a professional actor. Pursuing acting professionally is something else entirely. It’s risky. It is a life of uncertainty and little financial security. It requires a thick skin, tenacity, self- advocacy, and often, discomfort. But most of all, it requires a deep love of people and of telling stories. I figured that I would be happy and fulfilled doing something else with my life, but there was always this gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach that asked, ‘What if I could actually do this?’ I acted in plays and musicals in high school, but I had one particularly bad case of post-show depression at the end of my sophomore year. Once the curtain closed on this particular show, I felt this emptiness and a hunger for more. I sat in the back of my parent’s truck one spring evening, shaking, and said to them, ‘I think I want to be an actor. For real. I think I want to do this.’ To which they replied, ‘Okay. So do it.’ And I said, ‘Alright, I will.’ At that moment, I felt a wave of relief. It felt like I had finally admitted to myself what I had been longing for my whole life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born in a small town called Boone in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. I had a wonderful childhood with lots of space to roam and play. My imagination and creativity was always nurtured, whether I was demanding my parents read 10 books to me before bed, play dress up with me, or watch my impromptu productions of the Nutcracker ballet in our basement. I began dance lessons when I was just two years old. I fondly remember my first tap dance recital was set to the song ‘Sharp-Dressed Man’ by ZZ Top. Ever since then, I’ve been in love with performing. I continued to dance throughout my childhood and began doing community theatre at age ten, when I got to play my first lead as Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka. I continued to do theatre in my small mountain town into high school where I began to get serious about acting professionally. I was selected to attend the North Carolina Governor’s School East Campus in the summer of 2017, where I studied theatre. That same year, I was lucky enough to be admitted into the Theater Performance program at Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan for my senior year of high school. It was the opportunity of a lifetime. It was an immense financial sacrifice for my family to send me there, and with their support and the help of my Appalachian community through a GoFundMe page, I was able to attend. I am so grateful that they made that possible for me because Interlochen truly set me up to be on the artistic and professional path I’m on today. I was accepted to the BFA Acting Program at CalArts. I evolved so much as an artist, professional, and human being while I studied there. I was able to hone my craft there, getting to explore clown, Shakespeare, screen-acting, dance and stage movement. Halfway through my degree we had a global health crisis, which was extremely difficult, as I completed my entire third year of my degree online. But a huge silver lining of that? I was able to learn the art of self-taping auditions, which has really come in handy for how my industry operates at present. I graduated last May and hit the ground running building my team of representatives and performing as Helena in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum for the 2022 season. Since then, I’ve been in some commercials, joined AEA, and am studying at The Groundlings and Margie Haber Studio. I feel grateful and blessed to be managed by NOVA Talent Group and represented by NAVA Artists and FireStarter Entertainment. I’ve met so many incredible friends and mentors along the way. I think that’s one of the main reasons I do what I do. I love people. And I love telling their stories. This love has been the thread that runs through every career move I’ve made so far, and I know it will continue to carry me through in the future.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I always joke that since my parents are both mental health professionals that I received their empathy gene, but I’m selfish with it because I chose to become an actor. All jokes aside, being an actor is actually an act of generosity. We take on all aspects of humanity – the beautiful, the ugly, the hilarious, the weird, and everything in between. Our bodies and our minds are our medium. We volunteer our souls and make ourselves vulnerable in order to tell stories. Stories help us make sense of the world around us and they make us feel less alone. For me, the most rewarding part is feeling like I am a part of something that is bigger than me. Art quite literally has the power to save lives.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I have so many things I want to do in my career! I love all facets of acting – film/tv, commercials, musical theatre, classical theatre, voiceover, clown, comedy – and I want to be able to explore all of these realms in a professional capacity. With that being said, I think my ultimate goal is to be a working actor. And to be happy. These two things will definitely ebb and flow and will change depending on the seasons of my life, but I believe that if I remain focused on maintaining this with an open heart and mind, I can’t lose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theoliviamichael.com/
- Instagram: @theoliviamichael
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11414042/
Image Credits
Joanna DeGeneres, Ian Flanders, Dynasty Fashion Photography, Maiki Kayo, Cameron Rice