Meet Katie Oliver | Actor, Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Oliver and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As a young child, I was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz. My cousin and I would watch it and then try to reenact scenes outside. I started to remember lines, which made it easier to act the scenes out, and then I just memorized the whole film. I could be any of the characters, which I found to be so exhilarating. My mother was also big into making home videos, and as soon as the camera came on, I just immediately wanted to perform. I would play with accents, create stories. It would have been a no-brainer to get me into theatre. BUT, we didn’t have one where I grew up. In a working class city like Taylor, that just wasn’t something available to us. So I was just the little actress with nowhere to perform except at family parties or when my mom turned the camcorder on. I dreamt of being an actress. I loved directing my friends and family in my little plays we would perform in our little pink clubhouse. But that was all I had.
Freshman year of High School I saw an elective for an acting class. I was so excited, and I signed up immediately. My teacher, Mrs. Koenig, was marvelous. She loved me, and always told me how natural I was. But it was her last year, she was retiring. Before she left, she had me promise her I wouldn’t give up.
But in that city, in the world I lived in, hopes became a thing of disappointment. All of us kids in the neighborhood had broken homes, and we would find that drinking and drugs helped us escape. I didn’t believe anything could happen for me again.
But in my heart I knew I had to get out of there. It was for me, a clear future of unhappiness.
Luck came to me in the form of sports- I joined a soccer team and in 2 years I was able to go to college on a partial scholarship. My roommate freshman year was a Theatre major and she convinced me to do my work-study in the Theatre department. I was in love. It was like I made sense finally!
But I was so afraid to fail. I loved it so much, and gave it so much power that I didn’t think I could ever be as good as all the other students who had grown up in community theatre. I felt hopeless, so I dropped out. I studied Abnormal Psychology at a new school closer to Detroit, and started looking for my path.
I found it in designing clothes. I started finding events I could showcase my designs, and finally started feeling again like I was part of something in the Detroit art scene. And then, a friend of mine got me to do background work on a big budget feature that was filming in Detroit: ‘Real Steel’.
That was it- I felt like I knew this was the door I was always meant to walk through. Within a year I was the lead in 2 big Indie features, several shorts and some hosting. I felt so alive! I decided I needed to make the journey to LA once the Michigan Film incentive ended. If I was going to really do this, I needed to go to the film mecca and compete in that arena.
Now, this was in MY hands. I would be able to take classes and find opportunity for myself, fully confident and full speed ahead!
I threw myself into everything I could find. Short films, a feature, and an acting studio. I found my voice as an actor and my strengths that came from just being who I was and where I was from. I stood out from the other more refined kids, and that helped me a lot. BUT, I also realized I was starting later than my classmates, and I need to start making my own films to have more footage. This is when I decided to start my own production company, Pink Clubhouse Productions. Named for the little pink clubhouse I used to bring my imagination to life in as a kid.
I started writing and producing. Then directing. Film festivals and awards. Things I never dreamed would’ve been possible before.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What I believe sets me apart from others is the strength I have acquired on my journey through life. Starting from a working -class world, witnessing the honesty and complexities of the world with the struggles of making enough money to just survive.
I had to work really hard to change the course of my life. I believed I could have more and Ive had to overcome so many obstacles to keep going.
So I never stop learning everything I can. I started my production company so I could have say over my work on Indie films. I started writing so I could share my experience, and I started directing because I was terrified of it. I never wanted to be stuck waiting for acting roles when I could create my own.
Today I am producing two documentaries, something I never thought I would do! But I am in love with the journey you go on filming a documentary, and getting to share in the stories told to me through the process.
I love people. I love learning about them and connecting to their experiences.
And I love filmmaking.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was coming to visit, the first thing we would do is take a hike up to the Hollywood Sign! Ive been working as a hiking guide in Griffith Park for 5 years now, and the biggest joy is witnessing someones excitement when I share the history of such an iconic sign. And the view from the top is-spectacular.
We have to eat at Toi on Sunset, because that has been my most beloved neighborhood restaurant for years. The ambiance is eclectic and funky and totally rock n roll! (and the food is incredible.)
The ferris wheel on Santa Monica Pier, a stroll down Venice boardwalk, and standing in the ocean.
Going to see a film at the iconic Chinese Theatre, because that is our most beloved cinema and has so much special history in Hollywood.
And for sure, the Griffith Observatory, at 8pm so we can look into space through the most viewed lens in the world!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First I want to shoutout my Mom. She may not have had the ability to get me into a theatre, but she enjoyed watching me perform so much that she was always happy to turn on the camcorder and give me the chance to do what I loved to do. We watch those movies sometimes and just laugh at how much of ham I was.
Second is my Acting teacher, Benjamin Byron Davis. He has taught me how to harness my strengths as an actor, and how to believe in myself. I can never say thank you enough to him!
And lastly is Lee Aronsohn-he helped me find myself in comedy as both an actor and writer. He even did a cameo in a short film I directed. I was so honored! He also shared with me advice about the business when I was facing a huge heartbreak with a project I had been working on. I keep those words close to my heart through all of the wins and losses in this business.

Website: https://vimeo.com/klynnoliv

Instagram: @katieoliveroriginal

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-oliver-pcp/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katie.oliver.7355/

Image Credits
Kristen Hansen, Johnny Otto, Evan Morton