Born in England on 27 December 1993, Olivia Cooke is an actress known mostly for her role of Emma in the American psychological horror drama series Bates Motel. She began acting at the age of eight at the Oldham Theatre Workshop. Despite being English-born, Cooke can mask her accent and play a range of convincing American roles. Her skills as an actor have earned her leading roles in a variety of popular television shows and films. We’ve put together a selection of some of Cooke’s best career moments so far, where her acting talents shine through:
House of the Dragon
Since its launch in August, the prequel to the hit show Game of Thrones has taken the world by storm. The show depicts the story of the Targaryen family civil war, where the children of King Viserys I battle it out for control of the Iron Throne. One of the most difficult-to-follow elements of this universe is the various characters and how their paths cross. For those who are new to George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world, ExpressVPN’s Targaryen family tree gives a helpful overview of the Targaryen family history. Cooke plays the part of Queen Alicent, who became the second wife to King Viserys I Targaryen. She makes for a compelling watch, and her relationship with Raenyra Targaryen is a particularly enthralling part of the overall storyline.
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Ready Player One
In this film, James Halliday designs a virtual reality in which he hides the keys to his fortune. One teenager, Wade, embarks on a quest to find the keys and, therefore, the fortune. Cooke plays the main role, Art3mis, the love interest Wade. She is knowledgeable of the “gunter” culture, and she’s both a brave and forthright character. Steven Spielberg directed the film, and it was his biggest success since Paramount Pictures’ Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008, grossing $137.7 million in the United States and Canada alone.
Ouija
A sequel to Universal’s Ouija: Origin of Evil, Ouija is a horror film following Cooke’s main character, Laine. After the sudden death of her friend, Debbie, Laine discovers an old Ouija board in Debbie’s room, which she tries to use to contact her to say goodbye. Instead, she contacts an evil spirit who goes by the name DZ. As a result, strange happenings begin to occur, leading Laine to ask for the help of others to find out who DZ is. They discover that Debbie’s death wasn’t unique, and to avoid meeting the same fate, they must find a way to put the spirit to sleep. Cooke plays the role of Laine. While this movie didn’t perform so well, the concept behind it is great, and its level of suspense keeps the viewer entertained throughout. Additionally, Cooke does an excellent job of playing her character convincingly.
Looking back over Cooke’s career so far, she’s played a variety of roles across different genres. Given the success of House of Dragon so far, it’s fair to assume that Cooke’s career will be a long and successful one, as her appearance in the show will expose her to an even wider audience.