Born in Manila, Philippines, Olivia Rodrigo began her career singing commercial jingles and recorded songs for TV commercials and films. She moved to Los Angeles in 2000 where she became a regular cast member on the sitcom “That ’70s Show.” In 2002, she landed a role in the film version of the Broadway musical Rent. Her performance earned her rave reviews and nominations for several awards including Best Supporting Actress in a Musical at the 2004 Tony Awards.
She went on to star in the hit romantic comedy “The Wedding Planner,” opposite Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, as well as the sequel, “Wedding Crashers 2.” She recently starred alongside John Travolta in the thriller “Gotti” and next appears in the horror flick “A Quiet Place.”
Life and career
Rodrigo attended high school at Westlake Village Middle School and Thousand Oaks High School. She began taking dance lessons at age four, and continued throughout elementary school. At age eight, she joined the dance troupe of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, where she performed alongside professional dancers such as Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo, who choreographed some songs for the show.
She later auditioned for the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical 3: Senior Year and landed the role of Gabi Greer, one of the main leads. In 2012, she played the recurring character of Bianca Del Rio in the ABC Family comedy-drama series Baby Daddy. She also had a guest appearance on the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh.
In 2013, Rodrigo starred as Miley Cyrus’ younger sister Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel original movie Hannah Montana: The Movie. In December 2013, it was announced that she would star in the sequel to High School Musical, titled High School Musical 2: Showstoppers, along with Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel.
In June 2014, it was announced that Rodrigo would play the lead role of Gabi Grear in the Disney Channel Original Movie, High School Musical: The Final Jam. It aired on August 25, 2014.
In January 2015, it was reported that Rodrigo would join the cast of the Lifetime film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, based on the 2002 Tony Award winning revival of the same name. The film stars Dove Cameron as Millie Dillmount, Melissa Joan Hart as Ruthie Albright, and John Stamos as Nicky Barnes.
On April 15, 2015, it was announced that Rodriguez would portray the female lead in the upcoming live action/CGI remake of the animated film Despicable Me. On May 27, 2016, it was confirmed that she would reprise her role in the spinoff Minions, which was released on July 10, 2017.
In September 2015, it was announced she would co-star opposite Jason Sudeikis in the romantic comedy film We’re Together Again Co-Starring Amy Schumer. The film had been in development since 2011.