Olivia Wilde is On Her Way Up
'I think everybody should be a revolutionary'
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
I recently attended the TRON: Legacy junket here in Beverly Hills. It was my first junket for RopeofSilicon and quite an eye-opener if I may say. I did a couple of one on ones that I will be delivering soon, but it was one of the round table sessions that floored me the most.
Olivia Wilde walked into a room filled with ten film journalists last Friday and, as my pals Curt and Cris Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets used to say, "charmed the pants right off of us". And it wasn't the first time. We had all watched the film the night before. Believe me she did the same thing in the film as well. There's a three-week moratorium on me giving a review of TRON: Legacy but I don't think Disney minds me saying that Olivia has big screen talent.
This could be a breakout year for Wilde. She's already had global success on the small screen playing Thirteen in Fox TV's "House", the show that overtook CSI: Miami as the world's most watched TV show a couple of years back, and now she has both Tron and the Jon Favreau directed Cowboys and Aliens coming out on July 29, 2011. If anyone wonders whether Wilde can make the jump, TRON: Legacy should dispel any doubts. Not only does she dazzle the big screen but also she holds her own with a couple of truly great actors, namely Jeff Bridges and Michael Sheen. A couple of actors Wilde said, "Always bring their A-game."
But it was her performance in the interview room that truly convinced me Wilde is going be around for the long haul. She handled every question from the borderline obnoxious ("Should we call you Princess?" and "Are you a shoe person?") to the serious ("Would you like to talk about Haiti?") with humor, thoughtfulness and an utter lack of pretense. She didn't just answer questions, she thought about them and then gave appropriate responses. When I asked her a particularly pointed question that stumped the TRON: Legacy writers (Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis) minutes before, Olivia knocked it out of the park like she was taking batting practice. I can't give her entire answer here as it contains spoilers, but she ended with my favorite line of the day, "As an activist myself, I think everybody should be a revolutionary." She meant it, too. Gotta love that.
Of course it makes sense that Wilde is more than just a pretty face. Her parents are Leslie Cockburn and Andrew Cockburn, one's a "60 Minutes" producer and the other is an author and journalist, not to mention Andrew is also the brother of Nation columnist Alexander Cockburn and a distant relative of novelist Evelyn Waugh. Intellectualism runs in her veins. She's also an activist is a board member of Artists for Peace and Justice, which provides education and health services in Haiti, and the ACLU of Southern California. Her work in Haiti lead to the question about that tortured country. She hit that one out of the park, too.
Wilde explained to us that things there are tough and getting tougher because of the recent cholera outbreak. She then went on to say that there is corruption and dysfunction in relief effort but that some charities are doing good work and that she advised everyone to do their research and find out who the good charities are and donate to them if they can. If only the politicians in DC where so honest and well spoken maybe we cold get more things done around the world.
The thing that was refreshing was that she didn't talk about Haiti until she was asked about it. She knew this was a Tron junket so she didn't try to mix politics with pop culture. She only answered those questions when asked.
Which brings me to her performance in TRON: Legacy. This is a breakout role in my opinion. I thought she was good on "House", but in this film she is a revelation. If you were looking for a new actress that can both hold the screen and kick butt at the same time, Wilde fits the bill. And her smile is especially infectious.
If it all sounds like the woman is a little too perfect, maybe she is. Then again, maybe she has ugly feet and flunked math in high school. Maybe her enthusiasm for this movie was a ruse and she dissed all of us as soon as she left the interview room. All I know is what I saw. And what I saw was a young woman who seemed to be enjoying life and happy to let the public in on it. What I saw was a star in the making.
Tron probably won't be the film that cements her status. After all she is only third on the billing card. But with all the hype behind this picture and her next flick, the aforementioned Cowboys and Aliens, I think it is only a matter of time before Wilde makes top billing. And I think it will pay off handsomely for whoever does it.
TRON: Legacy hits theaters on December 17, for more on the film click here.
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I absolutely agree with you. Although I don't watch House religiously or anything, I've noticed that Olivia is a very talented girl. And from what I can tell by her blog & Twitter, she's extremely sweet, intelligent and is quite the humanitarian (and not one of those people who become holier-than-thou because of their political/social beliefs either).
So yeah, definitely a fan and definitely looking forward to her in Tron.
Also, her Twitter pic is a photoshop of Dora the Explorer as Quorra, her character from Tron, which is totally awesome.
@Bill Cody: I usually try to be supportive but I have to ask if you are some kind of ingenue (or whatever the male equivalent is), or if this whole article is some kind of weird, tongue in cheek performance art???
Actors should avoid politics. In the same article that I think (?) you are trying to build support for Ms. Wilde, you undermine her by linking her name to politics that repel one third of the country, and is often questioned by another third. While this can arguably be good for her career in Hollywood, it is not helpful to her career with audiences. Actors rely on the good feeling towards them of their audience. You are not helping this girl.
OMG! I just checked and Bill Cody is the same one who wrote the article asking "Where Have All The Movie Stars Gone?". Hey Bill, maybe they alienated their audiences by getting involved with politics. Didn't you notice what happened to Opran Winfrey's ratings after she got publicly involved with politics?
I was so tired of politics, I stopped voting and stopped paying attention to it. Amazingly, I found the fighting about celebrities and movies can be just as intense. Personally, any actor getting involved with politics, on either side of the aisle, alienates me.
To a certain extent I agree with you but how can you hate on a girl who is helping out in Haiti when it seems every other young starlet is either looking for an excuse to throw another hissy fit or cocaine?
Many, many stars helped out in Haiti (see my icon). This is the kind of non-controversial charity work actors should be involved in. And I'm not hating on her; I'm saying it will be a turn off to people on the fence about seeing films she is in. I recently didn't see Knight & Day because the Charlie's Angels movies were such a turn off for me that it colored my view of the actresses involved. Public politics is just one of the things that can hurt an actor's career.
P.S. Once you hit 25 years old, I don't think you can be called a starlet anymore. Olivia is a few months away from being 27.
P.P.S. I really have nothing against her, I'm just trying to point out reality.
It seems as if you have a problem divorcing an actor/actress public image from their acting roles. I'm not trying to make a fuss out of your point but realise that your reaction is your own and that not everyone cares about actor/actress political motivations and whatnot.
Regardless of what i think of Scientology, it doesn't cloud my view Tom Cruise. What they do/support in their own time has nothing to do with me. Someone's association with political movements won't stop from seeing their performance.
I agree with Kob.
An actor's politics have no massive bearing on my decision about seeing their films nor does it alienate me from them. I think most can separate the two out. I'll see their movies if the film itself looks appealing.
I realize I believe in the star system. People generally don't pay attention to the politics of actors unless it is rammed down their throats. But I've seen lot's of negative comments about George Clooney on message boards as an example of an actor who has alienated some people with his politics. I guarantee you that if Sarah Palin turned out to be the best actress of the century, lot's of people wouldn't go to theaters to support her. Did you hear her daughter, Bristol, got death threats simply for making it to the finals of Dancing With The Stars? Do you think the people who sent those death threats would support Bristol in a movie?
I've read people say a lot of things about Hollywood stars on various boards who don't keep their politics quiet.
Good things AND bad things.
You can't focus exclusively on the negatively reported/interpreted aspects of some bloggers or online posters opinions about said political interests because their stances do not always generate negative opinions.
Obviously, at the end of the day, if anyone didn't go and see a film because of an actors politics it's entirely up to them.
It will either impact an actor's career or it won't and then it will be up to them to decide how to conduct their public persona.
To stay quiet (or neutral) on issues just to get roles, or to speak about what they believe and then deal with the consequences. If there are any.
In all honesty – I have no problem with her words or participation on the issues she has chosen to be involved in. I just can't understand why she's labelled as an up and comer. So far, everything I've seen her in (going back to 'The O.C.' up to and including 'House') she's actually been very bland and uninteresting to watch onscreen. But that's just my opinion watching her.
In real-life, she might be a true charmer. I don't know her.
Well, I didn't want to touch a nerve. I thought it was refreshing to hear someone check their politics at the door but still answer a question on it. As far as Kate Winslett being charming, I bet she is. I thought she was going to be a star up until she went the "Oscar bait" route that kills so many careers.
Anyway, I do believe Olivia has the stuff to break through but only time and screen audiences will tell for sure.
"As far as Kate Winslett being charming, I bet she is. I thought she was going to be a star up until she went the "Oscar bait" route that kills so many careers."
I'm sorry, but are we talking about the same Kate Winslet? You know, the one that appeared in the highest grossing film of all time and can probably get any type of movie of the ground just by her name alone? By what definition is Winslet not a "star"? I would consider that a 'star' is someone who is not simply famous and wealthy, but can ensure that films get made just on their name alone. For instance, I would argue that films like 'Little Children' and 'Revolutionary Road' would not have been made if her name was not attached to the production. (Futhermore, if you are arguing that an actor appearing in more successful films would make them a "star" then that must mean Sam Worthington is the biggest "star" on the planet right now). If Winslet is not a star, then that must mean that – with the exception of Will Smith and Jack Nicholson (whose films always gross big) – there are no stars left on the planet.
She's an actress! Actors are always performing; seeking admiration and praise. I had a similar reaction a couple of years back when I went to the press junket for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD here in London and Kate Winslet was the most charming chick I'd seen… but it was all an act. They're selling themselves and their movie by any means possible – convincing us to take note.
Good news to hear of how well she did in Tron: Legacy. From the 23 minute footage i saw last month she had…how do i put it, a beguiling presence in her short appearance.
I rather watch Olivia than Megan Fox. Producers keep trying to make Fox into some box-office draw; judging by Jonah Hex, that isn't going to happen.
Maybe Olivia's got some sense not to throw the movie that makes her a household name under the bus, a la Fox and Transformers, which was completely stupid.
Wilde > Fox.
I actually liked this article. I haven't seen Tron so I don't know if I agree, but the important part of this column was that it was so obvious you were INSPIRED. After meeting her, you knew you wanted to write about her and instead of treating this like a chore, you actually wrote from genuine inspiration. That's the only thing your other articles have been lacking.
More like these please. I like reading about opinions on actors and movies so I enjoyed reading this even more than what it seems. More like these and I'll definitely be looking forward to the next "Bill Cody" article. Good job.