Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Dennis.
Hi Olivia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Ever since I was little, my mom knew I was a performer. She used to take me to shows and there I was, just bopping along to the beat in the aisle. My first love was dance but grew into my love for acting.
High school was not easy for me. I have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. I used to be the shy kid with zero to no confidence. But once I stepped on that stage, I turned into a different person. Teachers would tell me they wouldn’t even recognize me; the stage was my home. After high school, I went off to Bowling Green State University for a year to study theatre but then decided to transfer to the University of Cincinnati. Three years later, I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
Once college was over, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my life. I knew acting was the one thing I was truly passionate about but didn’t have the confidence or resources to even begin. I struggled for the first couple of years after graduation with odd jobs and even found a corporate 9-5 job that paid well, but it completely sucked the life out of me. I made a leap of faith and quit the corporate job with absolutely no backup plan or job lined up. It was risky, but at the end of the day, I had to do what was right for me and my mental health.
A couple months later, I found The Cincinnati Reds. This was a job that didn’t even feel like work… I started to feel like myself again. (For reference, I’m on the rally pack, so I get to shoot t-shirts for a living.) As fun as this job was, it wasn’t solely able to cover my finances, so I then found the radio station B-105.1. I started out as a promotions assistant. I would go to different country concerts, events, etc. to promote the station. One day my boss comes up to me and asks if I’d like to be on air. I of course jumped at the opportunity but knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I had to work the graveyard shift for a good 2 years on the weekends, on top of my job at the Reds and acting whenever I could.
Alongside of those 2 jobs, I still wanted to focus on acting. I decided to try and join some film Facebook groups to try and make some connections in the Ohio film community. I remember the very first short film I ever did; it was with Kyle Shaw the wonderful human that recommended me and was previously interviewed, and my performance was absolutely terrible. It was overacted and just not believable. I was so used to acting on a stage and not in front of a camera and those are two COMPLETELY different things. I remember after that feeling so discouraged. I wholeheartedly didn’t think I had it in me to be an actress. I was ready to fold in the towel, no matter how much I really loved it. That was until a girl named Erica Bock took a chance on me…she saw something in me that didn’t even know was there. She casted me as the lead in her first short film. That was the true start of my journey. Once we shot that film, I started making more and more connections. Since then, I have been in 10+ films/projects and have a Best Supporting Actress award from a local film festival. I actually just found out today I have another nomination for the same category for a film festival in New Jersey.
Looking back, I never thought I would be here. Where I’m at today. Right this moment I talk on a country radio station, I shoot t-shirts at Reds games, and I’m a working actress that’s learning and growing every single day. All I can say is… you have to work for it. It’s not going to be easy; it still isn’t. But if you truly truly want it, you can make it happen. I am so thankful and so blessed. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been the easiest road. Over the years working 3 jobs, I’ve had many sleepless nights. I’ve had to miss fun nights with friends and some special events, but you have to sacrifice in order to get to where you want to be. You have to be able to prioritize the things that are important to look at the end goal. I’ve also struggled with my anxiety. It’s held me back from a lot of opportunities, but learning to push and work through it has been so rewarding.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Through and through, I am a performer. I’m an actress, a dancer, and a singer. I would say I’m known for acting in as many films as I can in many parts of Ohio. I’m proud of how far I’ve come in such a short period of time. I think what sets me apart is how much I always want to improve and be the best I can be. I always want to take in my film friends’ criticism and run with it. Instead of the criticism tearing me down, I use it as motivation and it lights a fire in me to get better. I’m so insanely proud of how far I’ve come in a year.
How do you define success?
Success, I feel, has many dimensions. You can feel successful if you get a college degree, but you can also feel successful when you finally get that dance step you’ve been working on. Success comes in all different shapes and sizes. It’s the feeling of knowing you overcame some. That your hard work, your sweat, your tears, finally paid off. Your time and energy made some amazing happen.
Contact Info:
- Email: odennis518@gmail.com
- Website: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm10917465/
- Instagram: Livv518
- Twitter: Livv518
Image Credits
Taren Frazier Photography
Carter Kennedy
