Olivia Olson | |
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![]() Olson at GalaxyCon Oklahoma City in 2024 | |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | May 21, 1992
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Years active | 2003–present |
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Musical career | |
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Labels | RoseGold |
Olivia Olson (born May 21, 1992) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and writer, largely known for her voice roles as Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in Phineas and Ferb and Marceline the Vampire Queen in Adventure Time . She also played the character of Joanna in the 2003 film Love Actually and its 2017 short sequel Red Nose Day Actually .
Along with this, she is also a writer, having written the Boom! Studios graphic novel Marcy and Simon, co-authored Adventure Time: The Enchiridion and Marcy's Super-Secret Scrapbook, and contributed writing to the best-seller Adventure Time Encyclopedia for Cartoon Network. In 2023, she began writing for the Phineas and Ferb revival.
Olson was adopted at birth and raised in Los Angeles, California. She lives with her father, Martin Olson, mother Kay Olson, and brother Casey Olson. Olson graduated from Agoura High School in 2010. She is of Afro-Jamaican descent through her biological father. [1]
Olson has appeared as a singer and actress on television shows and in live theatre, including Comedy Central Stage, the HBO Theater, and The Fake Gallery.
Olson moved into the mainstream with her role as Joanna Anderson in the 2003 holiday film Love Actually , singing the song "All I Want for Christmas Is You". [2] [3] Her singing was praised, with director Richard Curtis stating in the commentary in the music section of the Love Actually DVD that Olson's singing was so perfect, they were afraid the audience would not believe that a ten-year-old could really sing the way she did and would assume she was lip-synching. They had to train her so her singing would sound more believable, and add the sounds of inhalations to the track. [4] This led to guest spots on The Ellen Show , The Tracy Morgan Show and singing with stars Jack Black and Kristin Chenoweth. Olson also posted original songs on her YouTube account. In 2017, Olson reprised her role as Joanna in Red Nose Day Actually , a short film which is a sequel to Love Actually. [2]
From 2008 to 2015, Olson voiced the recurring character Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb along with actor Thomas Sangster (Ferb Fletcher), who played Joanna's love interest Sam in Love Actually. [5] [6] [7] Olson said that she and Sangster talked "about the whole Ferb-Vanessa situation 'cause it's pretty funny." [4]
In Phineas and Ferb, she sings a number of songs, including the duet "Busted!" with Ashley Tisdale as well as popular solo songs, including "I'm Me", "Not So Bad a Dad", "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun", "Happy New Year" and many others, including her song in the Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation special "Got That Christmas Feeling". She has written songs for Phineas and Ferb and has written and recorded her own songs with renowned music producers Rick Nowels, Camara Kambon and Hollywood jazz great Rob Mullins, while Olson's father wrote "over 200 songs for the series" and various episodes. [8] In 2011, Olson voiced Vanessa in a deleted scene of Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension , which included a musical number, but sang a song for the film "I Walk Away". [9]
Her role as Vanessa led to her role as Marceline the Vampire Queen in Adventure Time . During the show's production, the show creator, Pendleton Ward, contacted Olson's father, Martin Olson, then writing for Phineas and Ferb, asking if he knew who played Vanessa in the show. [10] [11] He was not aware, at the time, that Martin was Olson's father. [11] She would also voice Marceline in the 2012 video game, Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!! . [9]
In 2010, Olson got the role of Marceline the Vampire Queen on the animated Cartoon Network series Adventure Time . Olson said she was impressed by her character's fashion design and the costuming for Marceline, saying she occasionally admired the unique designs for the character in episodes. [12] During the audition for the role, Olson first read for Princess Bubblegum, but later read for Marceline. [12] Reportedly when getting into character for the role she often dressed similar to Marceline when she recorded her lines [10] In the show, her father played Hunson Abadeer, the father of Marceline. [13] In the series, Olson also sings Marceline's songs, which were written by storyboard artists, or other people affiliated with production. [14] [15] [16] [17] As such, The Guardian praised Marceline as a character, noting in particular that "she's ... responsible for some of the show's best songs." [18]
The series was a commercial and popular success and her character attracted positive critical attention from critics, [19] [20] and fans alike, [21] along with the production crew of Adventure Time. [22] [23] This popularity was even recognized by the company that owns Adventure Time with the official press release for the Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens companion comic book referring to Marceline as a "fan-favorite". [24] Olson later said she was "honored" to be voicing a character in a show pushing the limits, including on "what a female character in a TV series brings to the table." [25]
In the Adventure Time mini-series "Stakes", Olson performs the popular song "Everything Stays", which was revealed by Olson and Rebecca Sugar at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. [26] In 2015 Olivia and her father, Martin Olson, co-authored a book adapted from the series Adventure Time, Adventure Time: The Enchiridion & Marcy's Super Secret Scrapbook. [8] Olivia wrote her section in first person as her character Marceline. The book was illustrated by artists including Mahendra Singh, Tony Millionaire, Renee French, Celeste Moreno and Sean Tejaratchi.
Olson also performed the song "Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star)", which was featured on the September 17, 2015 episode of Steven Universe entitled "Sadie's Song". [27] It was later featured in the Steven Universe mini-episode "Gem Karaoke", released on October 3, 2016. She appears at Comic-Cons and pop conventions around the world as do other Adventure Time cast members. [28]
Olson frequently posts original music on her YouTube and TikTok account. On July 18, 2013, Olson released her debut EP Beauty Is Chaos . [29] [8] By December 2015, she had over 19,000 followers on her YouTube channel. [29]
From 2016 to 2019, Olivia voiced the fourth Powerpuff Girl Bliss on Cartoon Network's reboot of The Powerpuff Girls , [30] [31] The character's initial announcement was met with negative reactions from some fans, [32] [33] but when rumors began to spread that the character would be black, fans began to express a more optimistic tone. [34] Reviewers later called the character a great step forward in terms of racial diversity and a good addition. [35] [36] [37] Reactions to the character were mainly positive, while others argued she was a stereotype and that the inclusion of the character seemed like tokenism. [38]
In 2019, Olson voiced Jun and PizzaRave in Fast & Furious: Spy Racers . [9] In 2020, she voiced Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in the Phineas and Ferb film, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe , and Marceline in the "Obsidian" episode of Adventure Time: Distant Lands . [9] In the film, Olson sang the song "The Universe Is Against Me" with Ashley Tisdale, who voiced Candace, and Laura Dickinson while in "Obsidian", she sang "Woke Up" and "Monster" with other performers.
On June 22, 2018, Olson released the album Nowhere Land. [39] She worked with K-pop producers Kairos Music Group and producer/singer/songwriter John Defeo on the project. In October 2019, she began competing in The X Factor: Celebrity , being the second act to be evicted from the live shows on October 26, 2019. [40] In 2023, it was revealed that she would be a writer for the Phineas and Ferb revival, in addition to reprising her role as Vanessa. [41]
Olson reprised her role as Marceline the Vampire Queen in the 2023 Adventure Time spin-off series Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake . [42]
Title | Details |
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The Father-Daughter Album of Unspeakable Beauty (with Martin Olson) |
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Nowhere Land |
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Title | Details |
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Beauty Is Chaos |
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Title | Year | Album |
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"Anyone Who Had a Heart" (X Factor Recording) | 2019 | Non-album singles |
"Crows" | 2021 |
Year | Show | Role | Notes |
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2003 | Love Actually | Joanna Anderson | |
2011 | Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension | Vanessa Doofenshmirtz | Voice [43] |
2020 | Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe | Vanessa Doofenshmirtz | Voice [43] |
Year | Show | Role | Notes |
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2004 | The Tracy Morgan Show | Julia | One episode, "Career Day" |
2006 | Zoey 101 | Girl #1 | Episode: "Broadcast Views" |
2008–2015, 2024–present | Phineas and Ferb | Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, additional voices | Voice [43] |
2010–2018 | Adventure Time | Marceline the Vampire Queen, additional voices | Voice [43] |
2017–2019 | Milo Murphy's Law | Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, additional voices | Voice |
2017–2019 | The Powerpuff Girls | Blisstina Utonium | Voice, 4 episodes [43] |
2017 | Red Nose Day Actually | Joanna | |
2019 | The X Factor: Celebrity | Herself / Contestant | |
2019–2021 | Fast & Furious Spy Racers | Jun, additional voices | 9 episodes [43] |
2020 | Adventure Time: Distant Lands | Marceline the Vampire Queen | Voice, episode: "Obsidian" [43] |
2020 | Robot Chicken | Mal, Yellow Power Ranger | Voice, episode: "Sundancer Craig in: 30% of the Way to Crying" |
2023 | We Baby Bears | Ursa Major | Voice, episode: "Little Fallen Star" |
2023 | Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake | Marceline the Vampire Queen | Voice, 2 episodes [43] |
Year | Title | Role |
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2012 | Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!! | Marceline [43] |
2013 | Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know! | Marceline |
2015 | Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations | Marceline, Huntress [43] |
Lego Dimensions | Marceline | |
2018 | Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion | Marceline, Candy Person [43] |
2020 | Chex Quest HD | Wheatney Chexworth |
2021 | Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R | PizzaRave [43] |
Phineas and Ferb is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. It aired on the networks for four seasons between 2007 and 2015, and is expected to return for two additional seasons. The series follows stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher during summer vacation. Every day, the boys undertake the construction of a grand project, or embark on a spectacular adventure, to make the most of their time on vacation. This annoys their controlling older sister, Candace, who frequently tries to expose their schemes to her and Phineas's mother. The series follows a standard plot system; running gags occur in every episode.
Martin Olson is an American comedy writer, television producer, author and composer. He is known for his unusual subject matter, and is an original member of the Boston Comedy Scene. He is the father of actress Olivia Olson.
Phineas Flynn is one of the two title characters from the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. He is voiced by Vincent Martella. Phineas, along with his quiet but intelligent stepbrother Ferb Fletcher, stars in the A-Plot of most episodes.
Ferbs "Ferb" Fletcher is one of the two main protagonists in the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Voiced by British actor Thomas Sangster on Phineas and Ferb and American actor David Errigo Jr. on Milo Murphy's Law and Candace Against the Universe, with a singing voice by series composer Danny Jacob, he was created by Phineas and Ferb co-founders Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. He first appeared in the show's pilot episode, "Rollercoaster". Ferb was born on February 29.
"Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together" is the 22nd broadcast episode of the American animated television series Phineas and Ferb. It originally aired on Disney Channel in the United States on March 8, 2008. The plot concerns an attempt by Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher to reform the band Love Händel for their parents' wedding anniversary.
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, often called "Doof" for short, also known as Professor Time, is a fictional character from the American animated television series Phineas and Ferb. He was created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, and is voiced by Povenmire. He was originally depicted as an incompetent evil scientist intent on conquering the "entire Tri-State Area" by creating obscure but nefarious inventions. Despite being a villain, Doofenshmirtz is shown to have a good side on some occasions. By the end of the fourth season of the series, the character is redeemed, using his inventions for the good of the world and looking after his daughter Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. Dr. Doofenshmirtz speaks with a caricature of a German accent and is from the fictional European country Drusselstein.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension is a 2011 American animated science fantasy action-adventure comedy-drama television film based on the American animated TV series Phineas and Ferb. The film premiered on August 5, 2011 in the United States. It was first announced by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh during a January 2010 interview with the Daily Telegraph. The events of the film take place during the third season of Phineas and Ferb. It is the first feature-length film of the Phineas and Ferb series, and the third animated Disney Channel Original Movie, following Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama and The Proud Family Movie.
"Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!" is the 54th broadcast episode of the second season and the 101st broadcast episode overall of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. It aired on Disney XD on August 2, 2010. It is the first one-hour special, and is longer than "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation", which is 45 minutes long. This episode was first seen at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2010.
Marceline the Vampire Queen is a fictional character in the American animated Cartoon Network television series Adventure Time and resulting franchise, created by Pendleton Ward. She is voiced by Olivia Olson in most appearances, by Ava Acres as a child, and by Cloris Leachman as an older woman. Marceline is a fun-loving 1,000-year-old vampire queen, as well as a musician who plays an electric bass that she made from her family's heirloom battle-ax. Ward created the artistic design for Marceline, with small changes and additions added by Phil Rynda, the former lead character and prop designer for Adventure Time.
Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum is a fictional character in the American animated television series Adventure Time and resulting franchise, created by Pendleton Ward. She is voiced by Hynden Walch.
"It Came from the Nightosphere" is the first episode of the second season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The series follows the adventures of Finn, a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake, a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. In this episode, Finn releases Marceline's dad from the Nightosphere after Marceline sings a song about the relationship between her and her estranged father. However, Finn—who is begrudgingly aided by an enraged Marceline—is forced to stop him from stealing all the souls in Ooo.
"What Was Missing" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The episode was written and storyboarded by Adam Muto and Rebecca Sugar, from a story by Mark Banker, Kent Osborne, Patrick McHale, and series creator Pendleton Ward. It originally aired on Cartoon Network on September 26, 2011.
"Evicted!" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The episode was written and storyboarded by Bert Youn and Sean Jimenez, from a story by Adam Muto. It originally aired on Cartoon Network on March 18, 2010 as a preview for the series; it later officially aired that same year on May 17. The episode guest stars Erik Estrada as King Worm. The episode marks the first appearance of Marceline the Vampire Queen, who would go on to play a larger role in the series as a friend and companion to Finn and Jake.
"I Remember You" is the twenty-fifth and penultimate episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The episode was written and storyboarded by Cole Sanchez and Rebecca Sugar, from a story by Patrick McHale, Kent Osborne, and Pendleton Ward. It originally aired on Cartoon Network on October 15, 2012. The episode later re-aired on March 25, 2013, together with the fifth season episode "Simon & Marcy", and as such was advertised as a half-hour special.
"Return to the Nightosphere" and "Daddy's Little Monster" are the fifth and sixth episodes of the fourth season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. "Return to the Nightosphere" was written and storyboarded by Ako Castuera and Jesse Moynihan, whereas "Daddy's Little Monster" was written and storyboarded by Rebecca Sugar and Cole Sanchez. Both episodes' stories were developed by series creator Pendleton Ward, Patrick McHale, and Kent Osborne. Originally airing on Cartoon Network on April 30, 2012, both episodes feature the return of Martin Olson as Hunson Abadeer.
Stakes is an American animated television miniseries comprising eight episodes from the television show Adventure Time, created by Pendleton Ward. It aired as part of the show's seventh season from November 16, 2015 to November 19, 2015 on Cartoon Network. Adventure Time follows the adventures of Finn, a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake, a dog with magical powers to change shape, grow and shrink at will. In this limited event series, Princess Bubblegum removes the vampiric essence from Marceline the Vampire Queen, which unleashes five recently resurrected vampires into The Land of Ooo. Marceline, Bubblegum, Finn, Jake, and Peppermint Butler are forced to deal with the fallout.
Milo Murphy's Law is an American animated comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016, on Disney XD. It revolves around the title character, Milo Murphy, who is a descendant of the “Original Murphy” of Murphy’s law, which states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. The series takes place in the same universe as Povenmire and Marsh's previous series Phineas and Ferb, with multiple references to the show occurring across season one, culminating in a crossover at the beginning of the second season and continuing throughout with other plot threads from the former series.
"Marcy & Hunson" is the seventh episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The episode was written and storyboarded by Graham Falk and series showrunner Adam Muto, from an outline by Muto, Jack Pendarvis, head writer Kent Osborne, and Julia Pott. The episode, which debuted on December 17, 2017 on Cartoon Network, guest stars Martin Olson as Hunson Abadeer.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe is a 2020 American animated musical science fiction comedy film based on the animated television series Phineas and Ferb, created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Directed by Bob Bowen, who co-wrote it with Povenmire, Marsh, and several other writers, it is the second film based on the series following Across the 2nd Dimension (2011). Set at some point during the summer depicted in the series and before the fourth season finale, "Last Day of Summer", the film follows Phineas and Ferb as they rescue their sister Candace and Dr. Doofenshmirtz's daughter Vanessa from the planet Feebla-Oot. However, Candace becomes tempted to stay on the planet when she is treated with respect by its people, not knowing that they harbor a dark secret which involves her presence.