Love Actually’s Olivia Olson unrecognisable after ditching acting for pop career and X Factor appearance

LOVE Actually fans will remember Olivia Olson for singing Mariah Carey's hit All I Want For Christmas Is You in the iconic festive film.

But after ditching acting for a pop career – the movie's cult following may not recognise the singer more than 18 years after first seeing her in cinemas.


Olivia, now 29, was first spotted as a fresh-faced pre-teen in Love Actually, playing American student and singing sensation Joanna Anderson.

Fans will know that the then ten-year-old represented the beauty of young and innocent love alongside character Sam – played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

The young drummer had a huge crush on Joanna throughout the film, and they shared a quick kiss on the cheek in one sweet scene from the movie.

It followed Olivia's performance of Mariah Carey's hit as party of a cheesy school play – but her vocal performance wowed audiences outside of the film too.

After her Love Actually appearance, Olivia quickly swapped acting for singing as she was offered a number of record deals thanks to her stunning voice.

However, Olivia didn't take up any of the offers as she and her family worried that becoming a child star would "see her have a breakdown".

Speaking to the Family That Geeks blog, she explained: "Looking at the grand scheme of things, I could have been some child star and had a total breakdown by the age I am now.

"I probably wouldn't have had the opportunities I have now. I might have been a has-been by now instead of still trying to build up my career. So, I don't regret it not working out that way."

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Instead, Olivia decided to knuckle down in becoming a voice actor – starring as Marceline the Vampire Queen in hit kids show Adventure Time.

Her most famous role saw her voice Vanessa Doofenshmirtz on Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb, which aired from 2008 to 2015.

She also lended her voice to characters in The Powerpuff Girls, as well as the Lego Dimension video game in 2019 and Zoey 101.

Olivia also made a brief acting return in 2017 for Red Nose Day Actually, a brand new, ten-minute sequel to Love Actually.

Elsewhere, the singer also released her debut EP, Beauty in Chaos in 2013 – following up with a second album, Nowhere Land, five years later.

As if acting and singing weren't enough, Olivia is also a talented writer, having written a part of the best selling adventure Time Encyclopedia.

More recently, Olivia appeared on The X Factor: Celebrity, taking to the stage for the first time in years and more than a decade after Love Actually.

She explained of the show in October 2019 that she hoped to "shed the image of Joanna" by appearing as herself as a solo artist.

Unfortunately, she failed to impress the judges and was sent home in the first episode – seeing her disappointed.

She opened up to her Instagram fans: "I'll keep smiling. I knew going into @thexfactor anything could happen & the level of talent was so high this year!

"I'm grateful for the opportunity as it has completely pushed me out of my comfort zone, reminding myself I love to be up on that stage.

"That being said, yes my elimination came as a shock. I was confused why Simon would tell me I could win this competition and then ultimately send me home.

"It was a punch in the gut. People have emotions and mine got the best of me because I REALLY wanted this."


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