Olivia Wilde has shaken off her ”bad ass” reputation for her new role in ‘Drinking Buddies’.
The 29-year-old actress was thrilled to be cast in the romantic comedy – in which she plays Kate, a young brewery owner alongside New Girl’s Jake Johnson – as it allowed her to break away from her usual parts.
Olivia – who recently announced she is expecting her first child with her husband actor Jason Sudeikis – claims she was instantly typecast after appearing as bisexual bar owner Alex in teen drama ‘The O.C.’.
She said: ”I got cast in ‘The O.C.’ and even initially in ‘House’ as a very icy, confident, emotionally reserved woman, which is not me. I can’t really analyse why. People thought I could only play the bad ass so I’d always got those roles.”
She added: ”It just doesn’t feel very human. People saw I could do it but it takes more courage to play someone vulnerable.”
Despite a number of high-profile roles – including a five-year stint on medical drama ‘House’ and a part in the new blockbuster ‘Rush’ with Chris Hemsworth – Olivia says ‘Drinking Buddies’ is one of her only films she’d recommend people watch and she credits director Joe Swanberg for creating such a great movie.
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, she said: ”I feel it’s the first time I’ve hit a real nerve. It’s the only film of mine that I’d tell people, ‘Please, please see it!’ I think it’s a really honest piece of work … There was no script! Nothing was written down. I never got so much as a piece of paper. You improvise to find out what the scene is about. Then you start again, but you reach the point sooner … It feels like the first time I’ve been able to loosen up and let it go.”