The actors she's referring to include Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Glynn Turman, Ben Schwartz, and Josh Lawson, who are co-starring in Showtime's new series "House of Lies." The raunchy, dark comedy recounts the nasty shenanigans of a hot management consulting firm, headed by a delightful sleaze played by Cheadle. Olivieri is his ex-wife and business competitor, who's at the top of her game in the boardroom and totally messed up in every other aspect of her life.
"The show pushes the envelope and people's comfort level, but for me, Dawn, the script is more truthful than most of those I've read and worked on," she continues. "But the acting challenges are the same. You try to do what you have in front of you and then dive into that black hole that you're usually covering up."
"House of Lies" represents a major career step for Olivieri, though she credits the cult NBC series "Heroes" with putting her on the map. Playing Lydia, the tattooed woman, from 2009 to 2010, she gained an international audience. Still, she can't bear to look at herself in that show now.
"I came to the role with an idea of who Lydia was, but I didn't fuse my—Dawn's—idiosyncrasies into the character, which would have brought her to life," she says. "I created the beautiful shell of a human being. Since that time I've learned to take the importance off the outer shell and go deeper inside the character."
Olivieri landed the role after responding to a breakdown seeking pretty girls who were willing to audition in a bikini. That was precisely the kind of casting call Olivieri would not usually consider, she says with a laugh. But since it was summer, and not much was happening in her career, she decided to give it a shot. Lydia was not yet developed and had no dialogue; the audition consisted of reading scenes from previous seasons written for other characters. A callback followed, and she booked the role. "I guess the bikini paid off," she notes. "Maybe we shouldn't prejudge auditions."
Olivieri says frankly that sometimes she nails a part, and other times her auditions stink. "I have the mentality that sometimes a role is just meant for someone else," she says. "If you're supposed to get a part, the light will shine on you. And if not, nothing you do is going to help."
Nonetheless, she advocates preparation and analysis but has given up sticking to the dialogue verbatim. "You have to figure out what's important and keep the main points, though I will swing a little outside the box," she says. "It affords me the freedom to find out who the character is, and it's been a positive technique for me. I'm not saying everyone should change words, but if you can do it with confidence, you may nail it."
A Model Career
Born in St. Petersburg, Fla., and raised in Seminole, Olivieri performed in school plays as a youngster but never conceived of acting as a career. Though she landed a modeling contract that brought her to Milan when she was in high school, she had her sights set on becoming a veterinarian. She then earned a full academic scholarship to the University of South Florida, where she majored in chemistry. Ultimately, however, Olivieri found school suffocating, dropped out, and launched a modeling career in New York and Miami. "It was not glamorous at all," she recalls. "I was what you call a workhorse or showroom model, meaning I modeled designers' new collections for buyers who would then decide what they wanted to order."
After struggling for six years, Olivieri reviewed her options. "I wanted to find something I was passionate about, something with the possibility of upward movement, and I wanted freedom," she says. "I need to be outside living life, not stuck in an office. I figured I could either be out selling condos in Miami, or I could move to L.A. and chase after that elusive actor's job. I knew no one who had done it, but I knew there were actresses who had modeled, and I thought I could do it too."
She drove across the country to L.A. and jumped right into the fray, starting with extensive Internet research into acting classes. Finding the right teacher was a matter of trial and error, and after several false starts she clicked with Lesly Kahn, with whom she studied for four years. "From her I learned the technique of comedy and the license to allow myself to be funny," she says.
Seeking representation was frustrating, but Olivieri remained undaunted because she was familiar with rejection from her modeling days and had overcome the experience. "You need to cultivate your talent, and then it'll blossom," she says. "You need to keep negativity out of your ecosystem."
Indeed, Olivieri believes all actors should come up with a list of activities outside acting that are truly enjoyable, boost well-being, and ward off reliance on casting directors for self-worth. Further, she contends that if she brings a good mood into an audition, it's intoxicating for CDs.
As for the future, Olivieri is optimistic, looking forward to horseback riding in New Zealand, enjoying quirky exchanges with local cashiers, and appearing in a sci-fi flick with elves and wizards and princes who push the boundaries of reality. Even if none of that happens, she's feeling pretty heady right now.
"Six years ago, I knew nobody," she says. "Today Don Cheadle thanks me for my work. That blows my mind."
Outtakes
Appeared in such high-profile shows as "How I Met Your Mother," "Cold Case," "Entourage," "True Blood," and "The Vampire Diaries"
Is the voice of Pepper Potts in the new "Avengers" animated series
Played the bassoon with her high school band
