Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde, born Olivia Jane Cockburn on March 10, 1984, in New York City, is an American and Irish actress, director, and producer. Raised in a family of journalists and writers, she entered screen acting in the early 2000s and adopted the surname Wilde as a professional name. Her early television work included Skin and The O.C., but she became widely recognized as Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley on the medical drama House, a role that gave her several seasons of high-profile network exposure.

Wilde's film career developed alongside her television work. She appeared in Tron: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, In Time, People Like Us, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Drinking Buddies, Rush, Her, The Lazarus Effect, Meadowland, A Vigilante, Richard Jewell, and Babylon, among other projects. Her performances often moved between studio genre films, comedies, and smaller dramas, while she also took producer credits on selected independent work.

Her career shifted significantly with directing. Wilde made her feature directorial debut with Booksmart, a coming-of-age comedy praised for its performances, pacing, and warm treatment of teenage friendship. The film won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature and established Wilde as a filmmaker to watch. She later directed and appeared in Don't Worry Darling, a psychological thriller that drew major public attention and confirmed her move into larger-scale studio directing.

Wilde has also worked on stage, including a Broadway appearance in 1984, and has used her public profile for political and humanitarian causes. Her career is best understood as a transition from actor-for-hire to filmmaker-producer: she remains a familiar screen performer, but her most consequential recent work has been in shaping projects from behind the camera, especially female-led ensemble stories and glossy genre dramas.