The story of Olivia Wilde in photos
Olivia Wilde went from acting as a teenager to directing some of today's most acclaimed movies. As for her private life, a lot has happened too! Let's revisit the actress' 20+ years in Hollywood!
This is Olivia Wilde at age 19. Born in New York in 1984, she had just begun her career on the big screen.
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She began in 2003 with the role of Jewel Goldman in 'Skin'. Her imposing presence earned her a role in one of the teen dramas of the moment - 'The O.C.' - in 2004.
Alex Kelly (Wilde's character) went through 'The O.C.' like a whirlwind. In just 13 episodes, she had time for romances with Seth Cohen and Marissa Cooper, i.e. Adam Brody and Mischa Barton.
Between 2004 and 2006, Olivia Wilde strung together a series of minor titles in Hollywood. They made her known as 'The Girl Next Door'.
In 2007, she entered 'House MD' as Doctor Remy Hadley, or 'Thirteen' to her friends in the series.
Image: FOX
Wilde's on-screen chemistry with Hugh Laurie was overwhelming. Moreover, the fact that her character was openly bisexual brought her great popularity for the three seasons she appeared in the series.
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In 2010, she ceased to be a main character in 'House, MD,' although she would appear as a recurring character in the last two seasons. It was clear to Olivia Wilde, though, that she wanted to make the leap to film.
She played in 'Year One' (2009), 'The Next Three Days' (2010), and the ambitious movie 'Tron: Legacy' (2010) where she gave life to Quorra. Olivia Wilde was so involved in the project that she even voiced Quorra herself in the film's videogame adaptation.
Jon Favreau turned her into Ella Swenson in 'Cowboys & Aliens' (2011), where she shared the screen with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.
That same year, she would have an important role in one of the most striking films of 2011: 'In Time'. She played the mother of Justin Timberlake, who was three years older than her in real life. Unfortunately, the interesting premise of the film was not executed accurately and it was no success.
Movies like 'Butter', 'The Change-Up', 'The Words' and 'Deadfall' led Olivia Wilde to share the screen with actors such as Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Bradley Cooper, and Eric Bana.
Around the same time, the actress filmed the final episode of 'House MD,' in which almost the entire cast took part. It was a memorable final episode that bid farewell to the series and to 'Thirteen' in style.
In 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' (2013) she coincided with Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. 'Her' by Spike Jonze, 'Third Person' by Paul Haggis and 'Rush' by Ron Howard were other impressive titles. In 'Rush', Olivia Wilde gave life to the 70s' supermodel Suzy Miller.
In 2016, the actress (by then in a relationship and a mother of two children) played in 'Richard Jewell,' 'Life Itself,' and the series 'Vynil'. She also got into directing, though, and it seemed that this would become her calling.
Apart from her work, Olivia Wilde's activism has also drawn attention. She's an outspoken feminist and defender of animal rights.
In fact, Olivia Wilde was one of the driving forces behind the 'Time's Up' campaign against harassment at work and in school.
In 2016, she had her first taste of directing with the music video for the song 'Dark Necessities' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In 2019 Olivia Wilde directed 'Booksmart,' a comedy that critics described as the best of the year.
'Don't Worry, Darling' (2022) got mixed reviews, especially because critics thought that the acting of Florence Pugh (image) and Chris Pine was much better than that of the inexperienced Harry Styles. Olivia Wilde's directing, however, was reviewed positively overall.
Image: still from 'Don't Worry, Darling'
The film was even more notorious because Olivia Wilde and her actor Harry Styles had begun a relationship on set.
Olivia Wilde had been with comedy actor and Saturday Night Live star Jason Sudeikis for a long time when they announced their separation in November 2020.
The couple began dating in 2011 and had two children together: Otis Alexander (2014) and Daisy Josephine (2016). Initially, it was not entirely clear why they had broken up.
Then, the news broke that Wilde had fallen in love with singer/actor Harry Styles.
The two seemed to be quite compatible, even though Olivia Wilde was a decade older than Harry Styles (born in 1994). But that hadn't stopped her with Jason Sudeikis either, because he was born in 1975 and nine years older than her. Yet, despite it all, the couple "took a break" in November 2022 and haven't been seen together since.
The media hype around her person has not deterred Olivia Wilde. She directed the 2024 sports drama 'Perfect', starring Mckenna Grace and Thomasin McKenzie.
She's also working on a new, yet unnamed project with Marvel, a Christmas movie ('Naughty'), and the fantasy film 'Avengelyne'. All of these are directing gigs and we won't see Olivia Wilde as an actress a lot anymore. Is she staying on this path? Time will tell...
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