Whether she’s saving the world as a Marvel superhero in Cloak & Dagger or jumping between three separate timelines in Cruel Summer, Olivia Holt is a force to be reckoned with. She’s also provided some of the best car karaoke sessions we could ask for (has anyone else played “History” on repeat since 2016?).
In honor of her April 10 Broadway debut as Roxie in Chicago, we sat down with her in New York City to chat about the lasting impact of her characters, how she balances escapism and social commentary, and the amazing costume departments she’s worked with.
B+C: Roxie is a very bold and fierce presence onstage. What do you love about Roxie, both as a woman and as a character you get to play?
Olivia Holt: I love every quality about her, and I think just that even. Every quality. She has so many incredible qualities about her. I think even the bad, the naughty I really like. I think that she is so dimensional, and I think that as a female character in this day and age, we need to see that. We need to see that women can be all of these different things, and sometimes all these different things at once.
B+C: I'm wearing all black today in honor of Roxie — how have your characters made their way into your personal style?
OH: I feel like, maybe this is just because of trends [in general], but I did a show called Cruel Summer where it was all based in the ‘90s, and I feel like my style can sometimes go back to that era. Like, I was wearing chokers for a minute and I was like, “Who am I?” But it's fun to recreate the things that you've learned and the projects that you've done and put them into your own style. That's why I've stolen things from the wardrobe department — “Oh I'm taking this because I like it!”
B+C: You’ve done everything from cheerleading to gymnastics, and your role on Disney XD’s Kickin’ It was also incredibly physical. How have these experiences prepared you for tackling multiple shows every week?
OH: I feel like [everything that I've done has helped], from being a gymnast to a cheerleader [to] Kickin’ It — we did legit boot camps on that show. I never reached the level of being a Black Belt like my character, but we did so much of our own stunt work.
Even when I was working on Cloak & Dagger, that was a Marvel show full of constant stunt work and I did a lot of that too. I feel like so many of the roles that I've done have really helped me prepare for this because of all that physicality. And it's tricky, I'm still learning every single day in these rehearsals. I have to wake up every day, I have to do certain breath techniques, and have to do my vocal warmups and stretch. All of that’s so important before I walk into rehearsal.
Image via B+C
B+C: Pre-recorded music is so different from performing live show tunes. How do they compare?
OH: The instant feedback that you get from being on a stage performing live — there's really nothing like it. And when you're cutting vocals in a booth, it's just you and your producer and sound engineer, and they're like, “Cool, go again. Great. Can you try this?” And there is magic in that too, because sometimes you get a cool take and then you don't touch it again. But you can't compare [a studio experience to the instant feedback from an audience].
B+C: Performing live is also more spontaneous than filming multiple takes on a series. How else does performing live challenge you?
OH: I've kind of had to shift my perspective and be like, “Okay, every time we run through this number, believe there's an audience there. See the people who just can't wait until intermission to go to the bathroom and they're getting up. See that movement [because] that’s going to happen and you can't be distracted by it.” So I've had to shift my perspective in a way, and just prepare myself for all of those things.
B+C: From Chicago to Cruel Summer to Cloak & Dagger, your recent projects feature complex females in very serious situations. How do you balance allowing viewers to escape while also providing social commentary?
OH: When I was shooting Cloak & Dagger, I realized I really struggle with compartmentalizing. I would have a really emotional scene, or just an emotional day full of emotional scenes, and I would get home and kind of forget how to let that go, because that was the character and I had to tap into that space.
So I had to learn how to decompress and learn how to remove myself from those serious subjects. And it took a really long time to do that. I figured out, “Okay, this is how to decompress. This is how I remove myself from this character.” But I also learned so much through those roles, too, that I try to take that with me.
B+C: Is there anything you've learned from Roxie — or any of your recent characters — that you've brought back into your own life?
OH: I love [Roxie’s] wit. I love how clever she is, and she's very quick on her feet and thinks very quickly. And I feel like that has really inspired me to just be a really good listener and to constantly be thinking of my next move. And she is very present, but she's figuring out her life. She's like, “Okay, what's what's next? How am I going to get to where I want to be?” And she does it in a very specific [and smart] way.
Whether that's a week from now or a year from now, [she’s inspired me] to just be present and quick and know to be excited about life and what it has to offer.
You can see Olivia Holt in Chicago, now through June 4, 2023. And make sure to check out our interviews with A Doll’s House’s Jesmille Darbouze and Six’s Leandra Ellis-Gaston!
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Lead image via B+C
