Olivia DeJonge has risen overnight to fame in Hollywood. Nevertheless, the road wasn’t that easy. But people might not know about it. Everyone is gushing about her stellar performance as Priscilla Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s musical biopic blockbuster, Elvis which was released nationwide and in the U.K. on June 24, 2022.
We know that is the recent talk among the people. However, those who knew about DeJonge and followed her on her social media will know that her road to success isn’t that smooth. Like every other actor, she too had to make her impression with laborious dedication over the years. In this article, we will take you on a journey of DeJonge’s Life, career and rise to fame. Stay with us throughout the end if you are interested.
Although DeJonge has indeed been making her way into Hollywood since the age of eight, it took her years to get her first on-screen role. According to the Daily Telegraph, before that, she was mostly doing voiceovers. Besides, she worked quite steadily all along, even while completing her primary and secondary school education. However, most of her projects back then were pretty obscure. But then she got a role in a teen film thriller, The sisterhood of night.
It’s clear that Olivia DeJonge has always had a certain kind of appeal that cannot be described. Did you know that her teachers had reported to her parents that she had a “flair” for the dramatic? However, her transformation into a full-fledged actor and poster girl for women’s issues has been quite stunning.
From Where Did She Get Her Acting Prowess?
Olivia DeJonge was born on April 30, 1998, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. However, according to our sources, she moved to Perth by the time she was six years old. We know that neither Melbourne nor Perth is famous for the film industry, unlike Sydney. Hence we understand that neither of DeJonge’s parents was involved in the entertainment industry. We know very little about them though and her early life.
Firstly, she is the daughter of Robyn and Rob DeJonge, a businessman. Secondly, she moved to Perth, Western Australia with her parents at the age of five. Thirdly, she grew up in Peppermint Grove. Fourthly, she has studied at the Presbyterian Ladies College, Perth. Fifthly, she is the eldest of the two siblings.
Since she didn’t have any show business role models in the family, DeJonge isn’t quite sure when she wanted to act. She told this to the Daily Telegraph in 2015. “When I was younger I did lots of plays. Put on shows for Mum and Dad. Made my brother dress up in ridiculous tutus and whatnot to perform in front of them. … I think it’s a means to self-expression for me. Somewhere I can find myself if that makes sense.”
Blessing Of Supportive Parents
Fortunately, DeJonge’s parents were supportive of her acting career, as she told W Magazine. Furthermore, when she expressed an interest, her parents put her for acting lessons. In addition, by the time she was eight, they were taking her to auditions, and other minor professional acting gigs that she got a chance. In fact, when she was only 13, she signed on with Hollywood’s esteemed Creative Artists Agency. That is when her parents realised the reality that their daughter might become a star. “I got lucky, though,” she told W, “because my parents encouraged me — but they never pushed me.”
Beginning Of Olivia DeJonge Career
Oliva DeJonge’s professional acting career began when she was eight, as a voice actor, according to IMDb. Her first voiceover gig was in a radio ad for a “prominent hardware chain,” presumably in Australia. That led to lots more voiceover work, including as many as 40 radio advertisements overall. However, that phase of Olivia’s career lasted only until 2010. She nabbed the starring role in a short film by Australian filmmaker Maziar Lahooti, a Good pretender for which she won “Best Actress” at the 24th Annual Western Australian Screen Awards.
She did more roles in other short films over the next few years. However, it wasn’t until 2012 that big things started to happen. Fifthly, that was the year she was cast in the American feature film, The sisterhood of night. which premiered in 2014. Secondly, It was also the year when the paparazzi took her pictures with her first Australian agent. We got this information from the Daily Telegraph. Thirdly, soon after she was in the Australian television limited series, Hiding which aired in 2015.
DeJonge got her “big” break when M. Night Shyamalan cast her in his quirky thriller, The Visit. “I’ve done more than 70 auditions in about four years,” she told PerthNow. Of course, there were plenty that did not pan out”.
Olivia DeJonge Auditioned Twice For Elvis
Earlier Olivia DeJonge had acted in two series. Will, which was cancelled after one season. And The society which too had to be cancelled due to the covid issues. However, after “The Society” got cancelled, DeJonge “did not miss a beat,” according to W Magazine. “Instead, she booked the role of Priscilla Presley in one of the most anticipated films of 2022.” We are talking about Elvis, which is Baz Luhrmann’s musical re-telling of the rise to fame of history’s King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Furthermore, in Elvis, we see the relationship between Elvis and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. However, DeJonge’s performance as Elvis’ wife has touched the hearts of people, USA Today reported.
Olivia DeJonge had serious doubts about whether she could even get the role. “I was desperate to throw my name in there, but I knew that everybody was going for it,” DeJonge told this W Magazine. In fact, DeJonge felt so insecure about her audition that she did something no actor might ever have dared: She requested a “do-over.” After several months in which she heard nothing about the film or who had been cast in it, she thought the role had gone to someone else. However, she was wrong.
How Did Elvis Transform Olivia DeJonge?
DeJonge said that she likened herself at the start of filming to a “newborn,” per Fashion Magazine. Besides, in an interview with Backstage, she recalled that while coming to the production she felt like “Bambi.” Moreover, was worried about whether she was mature enough in her womanhood to portray Priscilla Presley. Olivia DeJonge sees her as a “veritable icon of femininity.”
What’s All That Rumour About Her Elvis Co-Star?
Indeed we have heard rumours that Olivia DeJonge was dating her “Elvis” co-star, Austin Butler, all through filming, per MTV Australia and PopSugar. The actress has certainly said DeJonge quite highly of her co-star. Take, for example, what she told Grazia Magazine about her first day on the “Elvis” set. She had no lines, but she did have the “pleasure of watching Austin” performing diligently. “To watch somebody go out on a limb like that and really pull it off was such a masterclass in commitment to the role and being brave. It was spectacular.” Well isn’t that sweet!
Ending Note
Olivia DeJonge has outdone herself in Elvis. However, she has done all her roles in all her works wonderfully. We wish the actor more success in her future projects.
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