With a practical outlook on life, a biting sense of
humor (with lightning-fast delivery) and a fierce
drive to be nothing if not herself, actress Olivia
Munn already has earned legions of (mostly male)
fans as the co-host of “Attack of the Show!” on the
G4 cable network. Devoted to men between the
ages of 17 and 36 and covering topics such as video
games, gadgets and geek culture, G4 has given
Munn the playground she needs to stretch her legs
as a comedienne and make her the object of many
a fan boy’s fantasy. But with roles in several highly
anticipated films coming out this year plus her very
own book soon to hit shelves, Munn is about to
enter a whole new level of fame.
It’s 7 p.m. local time in Munich, Germany, when Olivia Munn’s cell phone rings. “Hey, can
you call me back in like one minute?” she asks, whispering furtively into the phone. I take five
before calling back. The 28-year-old actress apologizes, explaining her desire to retreat to the
hotel lobby so that our interview wouldn’t disturb her fiancé, professional tennis player Tommy
Haas, in a particularly deep slumber upstairs. She’s already working on being a good wife; not
unlike the saying about dogs, it’s best to let a sleeping man lie.
Foster’s role as Jen on The CW network’s “90210” makes Cinderella’s stepsisters seem
perfectly angelic, and the conniving twists and turns her addition to the cast brings to the show’s
second season have earned her a regular role. Here’s what she had to say about the life of a
Malibu-born actress and her latest works in progress.
JEZEBEL: How old were you when you moved to Los Angeles?
OLIVIA MUNN: I was just out of college, so I was 23.
JEZEBEL: What was your first Hollywood gig?
OLIVIA MUNN: I had a Nickelodeon TV show called “Beyond the Break.” It
was my first major job, but G4 put me on the map.
JEZEBEL: Are you a big gamer yourself?
OLIVIA MUNN: [Compared to] everyone at G4, I’m the one who games the
least, but I game more than the normal person, and definitely more
than the normal girl. But it’s hard to call myself a true gamer when
I’m around people that it’s everything they love and do.
JEZEBEL: You’re in the movie “Date Night,” which comes out in
April and stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey. What was it like
working with such funny actors?
OLIVIA MUNN: Oh my gosh. They are the nicest people in the world! If
you can support anybody, support these people. For the amount of
talent and success that they have, Tina and Steve are so down-toearth.
Tina is definitely my idol when it comes to people in Hollywood.
To be somebody that has stayed true to her own sense of
humor and her own sensibilities and [to have] made good work that
people love and are excited about, and then be so sweet and downto-
earth at the same time. My goal [is to] be successful and to stay
true to the things I find entertaining and be able to do all the work I
do, but at the same time remain grounded.
JEZEBEL: We’ll get to see you in “Iron Man 2” next summer, and I
hear you didn’t even have to audition for your part?
OLIVIA MUNN: I think everyone auditioned for the part, even girls that had
like one line here or there, but Jon Favreau liked my work and
offered me the role, and from what I hear, I think I was the only
person who was offered a role, I mean besides like Gwyneth Paltrow.
So it was very exciting.
There's Much More! For the full article,
pick up a copy of the January-Feburary 2010 JEZEBEL Issue today!