Olivia Wilde is featured in the April edition of Instyle magazine. Her real name is Olivia Jane Cockburn. Yes, her last name is Cockburn. Now that I have your attention, let’s learn a bit more about this talented actress.

Olivia was raised in Washington, D.C. by journalist parents and graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, MA where she studied acting and starred, directed and produced over two dozen school productions! After graducation, she moved to L.A. and, while working at a casting agency, landed a small role in the feature “The Girl Next Door” starring Elisha Cuthbert. Wilde decided to pursue acting full-time and was soon therafter cast as the female lead in Skin

As luck would have it, “Skin” was cancelled after only 3 episodes (with 5 more still yet unaired). However, Olivia moved onto another, more successful Fox show and portrayed wild child Alex Kelly on “The O.C.” for 13 episodes. She also filmed three new feature films that are set to be released in 2005: “Alpha Dog” with Emilie Hirsch and Justin Timberlake, “Bickford Shmeckler’s Cool Ideas” with Patrick Fugit and “Conversations with Other Women” with Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart.

In addition to her acting work, Olivia is also a team member of the Los Angeles Filmmaker’s Cooperative. She serves as the editor in chief of LAFCO NEWS, and as a chair member of the education department. She was the project manager for the LAFCO production of The Lysistrata Project, the first-ever world wide theatrical event for peace held in hundreds of cities world wide.

Olivia is now in the midst of planning the first annual LAFCO Future Filmmakers Festival made up entirely of work produced by people between the ages of 6 and 18.