Olivia Jordan

Last updated

Olivia Jordan
Olivia Jordan, 2015 Miss USA, at Operation That's My Dress.jpg
Jordan in 2015
Born
Olivia Jordan Thomas

(1988-09-28) September 28, 1988 (age 35)
Alma mater Boston University (BS)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
  • television presenter
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm) [1]
Spouse
Jay Hector
(m. 2019)
Children1
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Eye colorBlue [1]
Major
competition(s)

Olivia Jordan Thomas (born September 28, 1988 [2] ) is an American actress, model, television host, and beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned Miss USA 2015. She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2015, where she placed as the second runner-up. Jordan also represented the United States at Miss World 2013 where she finished in the top 20. She is the first woman from Oklahoma to be crowned as Miss USA.

Contents

Early life and education

Olivia Jordan Thomas was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Bob and Jill Thomas. She is a fourth generation Tulsan, and attended Bishop Kelley High School. [3] After graduating, Jordan moved to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Boston University. While a college student, Jordan became SAG-eligible through featured extra work in the movies Ted and Here Comes the Boom . While becoming a SAG member, Jordan learned that someone had already used the name "Olivia Thomas", and began using Jordan as her professional surname. [3] She graduated in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in health sciences, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling and acting. [4]

Career

Pageantry

Jordan represented Beverly Hills in the Miss California USA 2013 on January 13, 2013, where she finished as first runner-up to Miss California USA 2013, Mabelynn Capeluj. Later that year, Jordan was appointed as Miss World America 2013 and competed at Miss World 2013, where she finished in the top 20 [5] and was also first runner-up for Top Model. [6]

On December 21, 2014, Jordan won the title of Miss Oklahoma USA 2015 by outgoing titleholder Brooklynne Young and later won the title of Miss USA 2015 on July 12, 2015, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, making her the first entrant from Oklahoma to win and the first winner from the South since Kristen Dalton who won representing North Carolina in 2009 (though Nana Meriwether of Maryland was appointed as Miss USA following Olivia Culpo’s Miss Universe win in 2012). [7] Her question as a Miss USA finalist asked who she would choose as an American woman to put on the next new bill design. She named Harriet Tubman. [8] On April 20, 2016, the U.S. Treasury officially announced that it had chosen Tubman to be featured on the new $20 bill. [9] During her reign, Donald Trump sold his stake in the Miss Universe Organization ending his affiliation with the beauty pageant. Jordan represented the United States in the Miss Universe 2015 pageant held on December 20, 2015, where she was named the second runner-up. [10] Jordan wore a custom Berta Bridal dress to the evening gown portion of the competition, and was chosen among the top ten dressed in the competition. [11]

Jordan was the third person from the United States to compete at two major international beauty pageants after Brucene Smith, who competed in Miss World 1971 and won Miss International 1974, and Andrea Neu, who previously competed at Miss International 2013 and Miss Earth 2014. However, she had the distinction of being the first woman to represent the United States at two of the largest and oldest international pageants in the world: Miss World and Miss Universe.

Personal life

In August 2018, Jordan became engaged to British actor Jay Hector, and they later married in November 2019. They have one child. [12] [13]

Politics

After finishing her reign as Miss USA 2015, Jordan was vocal about her political beliefs. During the 2016 United States presidential election, Jordan was an outspoken critic of Republican candidate Donald Trump, and supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. [14] Following the 2019 passage of the Human Life Protection Act in Alabama and the Georgia heartbeat bill, Jordan publicly stated that she was molested as a child and raped as a teenager, and since "decisions were made for [her] body without [her] consent", she saw the passage of heartbeat bills as no different from her experience. [15] [16] [17]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2012Four QuestionsJosephine CohenShort film
2012 Ted Party GuestUncredited
2012 Here Comes the Boom Ring GirlUncredited
2013 Jobs Girl in Bedroom EstateCredited as Olivia Johnson
2014SophieAttractive Park Bench WomanShort film
2014ThinspirationThin Chic Woman
201410.0 EarthquakeFelicia
2015 Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Bridesmaid
2018Destined to RideCoach Matthews
2019AngelRobbie
2021Attraction to ParisAstrid
2022Escape from LoveSadiePost-production
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2014 Murder in the First Jessica2 episodes
2016 Miss Teen USA 2016 Herself (host)
2017 Small Shots Supermodel 1Episode: "Over My Head"
2017This is LAHerself (host)6 episodes
2018This is SFHerself (host)Episode: "Art & Fashion"
Sports Illustrated Swim Search Herself / Finalist3 episodes
Hawaii Five-0 Girlfriend – 1980Episode: "A 'ohe mea 'imi a ka maka"
2019Hearts on FireVanessaMiniseries
Dollface Blond WomanEpisode: "Fun Friend"
2022 NCIS: Hawaiʻi Vessela ToskaEpisode: "Stolen Valor"
2023 Miss Universe 2022 HerselfPreliminary judge [18]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 "Olivia Jordan". Brink Model Management. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  2. "Celebrating this birthday with the greatest gift". Olivia Jordan. September 28, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Tramel, Jimmie (July 14, 2015). "Pop culture: Tulsans know Miss USA by another name". Tulsa World . Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  4. "Local News - Columbus Ledger Enquirer". ledger-enquirer.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  5. SONYA SORICH. "Miss World 2013". Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  6. "News". missworld.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  7. "Olivia Jordan is Miss USA 2015". pageantsnews.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. Miss USA Chooses Harriet Tubman
  9. Treasury Secretary Lew Announces Front of New $20 to Feature Harriet Tubman, Lays Out Plans for New $20, $10 and $5 (4/20/2016)
  10. "Miss Universe: Miss Colombia mistakenly crowned as winner". BBC News. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  11. Norwin, Alyssa. "Miss Universe 2015: The Top 10 Slay In Gorgeous Evening Gowns". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  12. Hallare, Katrina (August 31, 2018). "LOOK: Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan engaged to actor BF". Inquirer.Net. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  13. Nardino, Meredith (November 8, 2019). "Former Miss USA Olivia Jordan Marries Actor Jay Hector: 'We're Both Really Ready for This Next Step'". Us Weekly.
  14. "Olivia Jordan says she is 'hurt, but not defeated' by Trump win". GMA. November 10, 2016.
  15. "I was molested as a child and raped as a teenager". Olivia Jordan. May 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
  16. Owen, Charlene J. (May 26, 2019). "Pia Wurtzbach Reacts To Miss USA Olivia Jordan's Sexual Assault Revelation". Cosmopolitan Philippines.
  17. Severo, Jan Milo (May 21, 2019). "Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan: 'I was molested, raped'". Philippine Star.
  18. "LOOK: Miss Universe unveils all-female selection committee for 2022 pageant". Rappler . January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.


Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss Universe 2nd Runner-Up
2015
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Nia Sanchez (Nevada)
Miss USA
2015
Succeeded by
Deshauna Barber (District of Columbia)
Preceded by
Brooklynne Young
Miss Oklahoma USA
2015
Succeeded by
Alexandra Miller
Preceded by
Claudine Book (California)
Miss World America
2013
Succeeded by
Elizabeth Safrit (North Carolina)