All The Babes
Olivia Cheng
Career
Active 2000 – present
Biography
About Olivia Cheng
Olivia Cheng is a Canadian actress of mixed-race (primarily Asian) heritage, born in Edmonton, Alberta. Raised by Cantonese-speaking immigrant parents who co-founded the Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association's Mandarin program, she credits that experience with her fluency in Mandarin and her deep connection to her culture. She took her first acting class at age six, but her path to the screen was winding, including time as a broadcast and print journalist.
After high school, Olivia earned a scholarship to the University of Alberta's commerce program, but she found it unsatisfying and enrolled at NAIT's Radio and Television Arts program instead. That led to jobs as a videographer for Global TV Lethbridge and later as a journalist in Edmonton. A casting call for AMC's miniseries "Broken Trail" changed her trajectory: Robert Duvall saw her audition, and she was cast in the series, which went on to win four Primetime Emmys. That push led her to move to Vancouver and pursue acting full time while working as a stringer for ET Canada.
Olivia's breakout came in 2014 with a leading role in Netflix's "Marco Polo," one of the most expensive series ever produced. She later appeared in SYFY's "Deadly Class," and in 2022 she reprised her role in the HBOMax series "Warrior," inspired by Bruce Lee's writings, from director Justin Lin and Jonathan Tropper. She also starred in another season of AppleTV+'s "See" in 2022. Her short film as writer-director, "Dinner with Dex," premiered at the London International Film Festival in 2021 and won awards at the Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival and the Tokyo International Short Film Festival.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Years Active
- 2000-present (started around 20 years old; 26 years active)
- Birthplace
- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Ethnicity
- Mixed-race (primarily Asian)
Body
- Hair Color
- Black
- Eye Color
- Brown
- Weight
- 130 lbs (or 59 kg)
- Measurements
- 34–27–34 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.79
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
Performances
- Solo
- Nudity (Full)
Frequently asked
How did she become an actress after working in journalism?
Olivia was working as a journalist when AMC came to Alberta with the mini-series "Broken Trail." She auditioned, was cast, and the show's success convinced her to move to Vancouver and pursue acting full time.
What languages does she speak?
She speaks English and Mandarin. She credits the Mandarin program her parents helped found in Edmonton's public schools for her language ability.
What was her first major television role?
Her first major role was in the AMC miniseries "Broken Trail," which won four Primetime Emmys including Outstanding Mini-Series.
Has she worked behind the camera as well?
Yes, she wrote and directed the short film "Dinner with Dex," which won awards at several festivals.
Did you know
- Olivia took her first acting class at age six, and landed her first local commercial at age 19.
- She attended NAIT's Radio and Television Arts program before becoming a videographer and journalist.
- Her breakout role in "Marco Polo" helped set a precedent as one of the most expensive TV series ever produced.
- "Warrior" is inspired by the work of martial arts icon Bruce Lee.
- Her short film "Dinner with Dex" won awards at the Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival and the Tokyo International Short Film Festival.
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