Olivia Cooke Can't Help But Be Herself

“God, I think I’ve played every role there is at this point,” Olivia Cooke quips over Zoom. “I mean, I’m even playing a grandma on House of the Dragon.”

To be fair, the 31-year-old’s playing older is a result of the show’s decades-spanning story, which has seen her character age from a young woman to, well, a young grandma. But Cooke’s right to tout her extensive resume, from her early breakthroughs in Bates Motel and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl to more recent fare like Sound of Metal and the Game of Thrones prequel series — the latter of which has made her a household name.

She’s approached that spotlight with down-to-earth affability and some very relatable nerves, too, voicing her discomfort with celebrity and, recently, telling Jimmy Fallon that her first reaction to booking House of the Dragon was dread: “Because then you have to do it, don’t you?” And while Cooke knows her tendency to be an open book can have its snags, it’s also led to sweet moments — see: recently sharing a kiss with co-star Ralph Davis at Wimbledon.

And broad experience or no, there are still plenty of boxes she’d like to check as an actor. With her new Prime Video thriller series, The Girlfriend, she fulfilled one such goal: working with star and director Robin Wright. “She’s formidable. I’ve loved her since I was conscious enough to know who she was and to watch Forrest Gump,” Cooke says.

Based on Michelle Frances’ novel of the same name, the new series (now streaming in full) stars Cooke as Cherry, a young real estate agent dating a privileged Londoner, Daniel (Laurie Davidson). Daniel’s mother, Laura (Wright), is suspicious of Cherry — and her doubts, not unfounded, soon give way to a tense, violent struggle between the two women.

The series shifts between Cherry and Laura’s points of view, illustrating how they experience key events (like their first meeting) in disparate ways. “The characters are living vicariously through these different perspectives — getting to dial up their aggression, their suspicion, dial down their love,” Cooke says. “It’s all these things that you want to exercise out of the characters that you play, but usually there’s no room for it in the arc of the story.”

The Girlfriend finds a way to make space — and Cooke is doing the same for life’s big moments. Below, she details her perfect night out, a work trip she’s manifesting, and the role that changed her career.

As a kid, who was your biggest inspiration?

My best mate, Sam [Glen]. He’s still my best mate. He had an agent at a really young age. He was so funny, so talented, an amazing performer. He was a year older than me — when you’re a kid, that’s a big deal!

Name something you used to think was a big deal, but really isn’t.

Ringing up the doctor. It used to take me about three weeks to work up the confidence — and then, by the time you make the appointment, the symptoms have gone and you’re just like, Well, that was a waste of time.

What was your last big splurge?

It was today, and it was a birthday present for my partner. I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s amazing you can spend that much money on Apple Pay. I have never done that before, and I was shocked and appalled. And then you convince yourself that it never happened. Just a little doop and then walk out of the shop? Now that I’ve reminded myself, I just got goosebumps.

Who’s your biggest fan?

My manager, Josh. He was my first American agent’s assistant, and then we lived together in LA for a bit. We’re really, really close friends. He’s driven me to auditions — like for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I was like, “I’ve got to be really upset for this audition. Can you tell me a sad story?” And he was just like, “I keep thinking about my mum at my funeral, because I’m going to get cancer because I drink too many Diet Cokes.” And then he starts crying, and I was like, This isn’t helping.

Who are you the biggest fan of?

I’m his biggest fan as well. He’s my manager, he’s producing films, we’re producing stuff together. He’s a very wonderful, kind, generous individual, which is sometimes hard to find in this industry.

What big goal are you still working toward?

A big goal... why does that scare me? I’d love to work with some of my favorite directors. I don’t want to jinx it. But watching how these masters make their art — I want to just absorb it.

Who gave you your biggest break?

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who directed Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. It was the first time I’d been allowed to have such beautiful writing and a beautiful character. And be treated as an adult, even though I’m playing a senior in high school — it was such an amazing experience. Alfonso is a genius and works in such a beautifully artistic and kind way. That was the film that changed my career, and maybe changed how people saw me.

What’s the biggest mistake you made early in your career?

It begins with an “O,” and sounds like “smeeja.”

On a date, what’s your biggest red flag?

If they don’t ask a single question. If they’re either silent, or they monologue at you. That’s happened way too many times.

Has a big gesture ever changed your mind about someone?

I’m sure this has happened to me, but I have the memory of a 117-year-old.

What’s your biggest irrational fear?

People chewing loudly, or people brushing their teeth next to me. It makes me feel like my teeth are going to fall out.

What helped you heal from your biggest heartbreak?

Time. But also, like... Phoebe Bridgers.

Who’s the big star of your camera roll?

My partner in very compromising positions — like him naked on an inflatable unicorn.

What’s your biggest regret?

It all happens for a reason — I’m a big proponent of that. But maybe not getting therapy sooner in my life, and not asking for help when I needed it. Even now, it’s hard for me to ask for help. I like to be so hyper-independent, because I’m avoidant. But I realized that people are actually really flattered when you ask them for help.

What does your ideal big night out look like?

We’re gonna go to Ducksoup on Dean Street, line our stomachs and have some really nice food. Ask Bertie, the sommelier, “What should we drink?” Maybe a nice cocktail or a light, fizzy frizzante. Then, we’re gonna go to Leicester Square. We’re gonna watch Magic Mike — it will be my third time. Hopefully, my best mate Sam will get a lap dance. If he doesn’t, all good — just happy to see the artistry. Then karaoke. I love a quite scream-y sing. Maybe “What’s Up?” [by] 4 Non Blondes. And no matter the season, “Fairytale of New York.” And then hopefully I’ll be in bed by 12:30.

What’s the biggest trip you’ve ever taken?

I went to Japan in January. It was amazing. I’m trying to manifest a job that films in Tokyo, or anywhere in Japan, really. We went to Tokyo, Hakone, and Kyoto, and it was so beautiful. The food was amazing. The people were incredible. I just want to live there.

What’s worth getting into a big fight over?

I’m so avoidant. But if you’ve repressed and repressed, sometimes you do need a bit of a blowout so people can know where you’re coming from. Maybe injustice — what is going on in the world right now. Anyone who is justifying the genocide in Gaza, that’s worth having a massive fight about. There’s an absence of humanity.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the past year?

It’s ongoing, but it’s really hard at the moment with media scrutiny over women’s bodies, and Ozempic, which has a real place for some people. But if you’re just using it — and you’re already fit — to fit into a size zero, what is that messaging? I’ve put on quite a lot of weight this year for the first time, so I hadn’t really thought about my body in that way. I’d been sort of lucky to bypass that stuff.

But now, reckoning with certain beauty standards, especially within my industry, and seeing ever-shrinking people and athletes who are at their physical peak still reckon with their body size, and promote injections that suppress appetite, it’s been a big lesson in self-persecution and self-monitoring. I lament with my friends about it, because I thought we were on such an upward curve of embracing people’s bodies, no matter what shape or form they came in. And it’s rapidly done a 180.

Describe a big moment that had you sweating.

Any first day on a set has me sweating, but particularly my first day on Ready Player One, where I was being directed by Steven Spielberg and opposite Mark Rylance. I was wearing a Velcro, skin-tight suit with dots all over my face, a helmet, and four cameras, just trying to be in the moment, floating above myself, bird’s-eye view.

Tell us a (big) secret.

I’m sort of, to my own detriment, very unfiltered — and it’s not good for me or my life. [Laughs.] But I’m an open book, I don’t really have any secrets.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.