Olivia Olson
American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1992)
title: "Olivia Olson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1992-births", "living-people", "21st-century-african-american-actresses", "21st-century-african-american-women-singers", "21st-century-american-actresses", "21st-century-american-women-singers", "actresses-from-los-angeles", "african-american-child-actresses", "african-american-women-singer-songwriters", "agoura-high-school-alumni", "american-actors-of-jamaican-descent", "american-adoptees", "american-child-actresses", "american-child-singers", "american-film-actresses", "american-musicians-of-jamaican-descent", "american-voice-actresses", "american-women-pop-singers", "american-women-singer-songwriters"] description: "American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1992)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_Olson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1992) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Olivia Olson |
| image | Olivia Olson (53800426813).jpg |
| caption | Olson at GalaxyCon Oklahoma City in 2024 |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| occupation | {{flatlist |
| father | Martin Olson |
| years_active | 2003–present |
| module | {{Infobox musical artist |
| background | solo_singer |
| instrument | {{flatlist |
| genre | {{flatlist |
| label | RoseGold |
| :: |
| name = Olivia Olson | image = Olivia Olson (53800426813).jpg | caption = Olson at GalaxyCon Oklahoma City in 2024 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = {{flatlist|
- Actress
- singer
- songwriter
- screenwriter | father = Martin Olson | years_active = 2003–present | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | background = solo_singer | instrument = {{flatlist|
- Vocals
- piano
- guitar
- bass | genre = {{flatlist|
- Acoustic
- R&B
- pop | label = RoseGold
Olivia Olson (born May 21, 1992) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and screenwriter, largely known for her voice roles as Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in Phineas and Ferb and Marceline the Vampire Queen in Adventure Time. She also played the character of Joanna in the 2003 film Love Actually and its 2017 short sequel Red Nose Day Actually.
Along with this, she is also a writer, having written the Boom! Studios graphic novel Marcy and Simon, co-authored Adventure Time: The Enchiridion and Marcy's Super-Secret Scrapbook, and contributed writing to the best-seller Adventure Time Encyclopedia for Cartoon Network. In 2023, she began writing for the Phineas and Ferb revival.
Early life
Olson was adopted at birth and raised in Los Angeles, California. She lives with her father, Martin Olson, mother Kay Olson, and brother Casey Olson. Olson graduated from Agoura High School in 2010. She is of Afro-Jamaican descent through her biological father.
Career
Olson has appeared as a singer and actress on television shows and in live theatre, including Comedy Central Stage, the HBO Theater, and The Fake Gallery.
2003: ''Love Actually''
Olson moved into the mainstream with her role as Joanna Anderson in the 2003 holiday film Love Actually, singing the song "All I Want for Christmas Is You". Her singing was praised, with director Richard Curtis stating in the commentary in the music section of the Love Actually DVD that Olson's singing was so perfect, they were afraid the audience would not believe that a ten-year-old could really sing the way she did and would assume she was lip-synching. They had to train her so her singing would sound more believable, and add the sounds of inhalations to the track. This led to guest spots on The Ellen Show, The Tracy Morgan Show and singing with stars Jack Black and Kristin Chenoweth. Olson also posted original songs on her YouTube account. In 2017, Olson reprised her role as Joanna in Red Nose Day Actually, a short film which is a sequel to Love Actually.
2008–2017: ''Phineas and Ferb'', and ''Beauty Is Chaos''
From 2008 to 2015, Olson voiced the recurring character Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb along with actor Thomas Sangster (Ferb Fletcher), who played Joanna's love interest Sam in Love Actually. Olson said that she and Sangster talked "about the whole Ferb-Vanessa situation 'cause it's pretty funny."
In Phineas and Ferb, she sings a number of songs, including the duet "Busted!" with Ashley Tisdale as well as popular solo songs, including "I'm Me", "Not So Bad a Dad", "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun", "Happy New Year" and many others, including her song in the Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation special "Got That Christmas Feeling". She has written songs for Phineas and Ferb and has written and recorded her own songs with music producers Rick Nowels, Camara Kambon and Hollywood jazz great Rob Mullins, while Olson's father wrote "over 200 songs for the series" and various episodes. In 2011, Olson voiced Vanessa in a deleted scene of Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, which included a musical number, but sang a song for the film "I Walk Away".
Her role as Vanessa led to her role as Marceline the Vampire Queen in Adventure Time. During the show's production, the show creator, Pendleton Ward, contacted Olson's father, Martin Olson, then writing for Phineas and Ferb, asking if he knew who played Vanessa in the show. He was not aware, at the time, that Martin was Olson's father. She would also voice Marceline in the 2012 video game, Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!.
2013–2018: ''Adventure Time'', ''Steven Universe'', and ''Phineas and Ferb''
In 2010, Olson got the role of Marceline the Vampire Queen on the animated Cartoon Network series Adventure Time. Olson said she was impressed by her character's fashion design and the costuming for Marceline, saying she occasionally admired the unique designs for the character in episodes. During the audition for the role, Olson first read for Princess Bubblegum, but later read for Marceline. In the series, Olson also sings Marceline's songs, which were written by storyboard artists, or other people affiliated with production. As such, The Guardian praised Marceline as a character, noting in particular that "she's ... responsible for some of the show's best songs."
The series was a commercial and popular success and her character attracted positive critical attention from critics, and fans alike, along with the production crew of Adventure Time. This popularity was even recognized by the company that owns Adventure Time with the official press release for the Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens companion comic book referring to Marceline as a "fan-favorite". Olson later said she was "honored" to be voicing a character in a show pushing the limits, including on "what a female character in a TV series brings to the table."
In the Adventure Time mini-series "Stakes", Olson performs the popular song "Everything Stays", which was revealed by Olson and Rebecca Sugar at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. In 2015 Olivia and her father, Martin Olson, co-authored a book adapted from the series Adventure Time, Adventure Time: The Enchiridion & Marcy's Super Secret Scrapbook. Olivia wrote her section in first person as her character Marceline. The book was illustrated by artists including Mahendra Singh, Tony Millionaire, Renee French, Celeste Moreno and Sean Tejaratchi.
Olson also performed the song "Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star)", which was featured on the September 17, 2015, episode of Steven Universe entitled "Sadie's Song". It was later featured in the Steven Universe mini-episode "Gem Karaoke", released on October 3, 2016. She appears at Comic-Cons and pop conventions around the world as do other Adventure Time cast members.
Olson posts original music on her YouTube and TikTok account. On July 18, 2013, Olson released her debut EP Beauty Is Chaos. By December 2015, she had over 19,000 followers on her YouTube channel.
From 2016 to 2019, Olivia voiced the fourth Powerpuff Girl Bliss on Cartoon Network's reboot of The Powerpuff Girls, The character's initial announcement was met with negative reactions from some fans, but when rumors began to spread that the character would be black, fans began to express a more optimistic tone. Reviewers later called the character a great step forward in terms of racial diversity and a good addition. Reactions to the character were mainly positive, while others argued she was a stereotype and that the inclusion of the character seemed like tokenism.
2018–present: ''Nowhere Land'', ''The X Factor'', ''Adventure Time'', and ''Phineas and Ferb''
On June 22, 2018, Olson released the album Nowhere Land. She worked with K-pop producers Kairos Music Group and producer/singer/songwriter John Defeo on the project. In October 2019, she began competing in The X Factor: Celebrity, being the second act to be evicted from the live shows on October 26, 2019. She also voiced several characters in Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, in 2019, specifically, Jun and PizzaRave.
Olson reprised her role as Marceline the Vampire Queen in Adventure Time: Distant Lands, which aired from 2020 to 2021, and later in the first season of the Adventure Time spin-off series Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, which aired in 2023. In the "Obsidian" episode of 'Adventure Time: Distant Lands, entitled "Obsidian", she sang "Woke Up" and "Monster" with other performers.
In 2020, she reprised the role of Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in the 2020 film Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe. In the film, Olson sang the song "The Universe Is Against Me" with Ashley Tisdale, who voiced Candace, and Laura Dickinson. In 2023, it was revealed that she would be a writer for the Phineas and Ferb revival, in addition to reprising her role as Vanessa. This was later confirmed in June 2025 by Entertainment Weekly, after the fifth season of the Phineas and Ferb revival began.
Discography
Studio albums
::data[format=table title="List of studio albums, with selected information"]
| Title | Details | The Father-Daughter Album of Unspeakable Beauty (with Martin Olson) | Nowhere Land |
|---|---|---|---|
| :: |
Extended plays
::data[format=table title="List of extended plays, with selected information"]
| Title | Details | Beauty Is Chaos |
|---|---|---|
| :: |
Singles
::data[format=table]
| Title | Year | Album | "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (X Factor Recording) | "Crows" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Non-album singles}} | |||
| 2021 | ||||
| :: |
Soundtrack appearances
- Love Actually (2003)
- Phineas and Ferb (2009)
- Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites (2010)
- Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011)
- Phineas and Ferb: Across the 1st and 2nd Dimensions (2011)
- Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You (2012)
- Phineas and Ferb-ulous: The Ultimate Album (2013)
- Phineas and Ferb: Rockin' and Rollin (2013)
- The Music of Ooo (2016)
- Marceline the Vampire Queen – Rock the Nightosphere (2015)
- Steven Universe, Vol. 1 (Original Soundtrack) (2017)
- Adventure Time – Come Along with Me (Original Soundtrack) (2018)
- Adventure Time, Vol. 1 (Original Soundtrack) (2019)
- Adventure Time, Vol. 2 (Original Soundtrack) (2019)
- Adventure Time, Vol. 3 (Original Soundtrack) (2019)
- Adventure Time – The Complete Series Soundtrack (2019)
- Adventure Time: Distant Lands – Obsidian (Original Soundtrack) (2020)
Filmography
Film
::data[format=table] | Year || Show || Role || Notes | |---| | 2003 | | 2011 | | 2020 | ::
Television
::data[format=table] | Year || Show || Role || Notes | |---| | 2004 | | 2006 | | 2008–2015, 2025–present | | 2010–2018 | | 2017–2019 | | 2017–2019 | | 2017 | | 2019 | | 2019–2021 | | 2020 | | 2020 | | 2023 | | 2023–present | ::
Video games
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!! | Marceline |
| 2013 | Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know! | Marceline |
| 2015 | Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations | Marceline, Huntress |
| Lego Dimensions | Marceline | |
| 2018 | Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion | Marceline, Candy Person |
| 2020 | Chex Quest HD | Wheatney Chexworth |
| 2021 | Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R | PizzaRave |
| 2024 | Multiversus | Marceline |
| :: |
References
References
- (April 4, 2021). "Olivia Olson on Instagram: Happy Easter! ❤️💛💚 I have a resurrection story for ya...".
- Hough, Q.V.. (July 5, 2021). "Love Actually Cast Guide: Every Actor & Cameo".
- Fletcher, Henry. (December 24, 2015). "Here's what the Love Actually kids Joanna and Sam look like now".
- O'Brien, Conor. (April 2, 2020). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Phineas and Ferb".
- (November 20, 2019). "What Your Favorite Christmas Movie Stars Look Like Now".
- Rosa, Christopher. (December 2, 2015). "The Little Girl From Love Actually Is Gorgeous Now—And Still Singing".
- Bierly, Mandi. (December 17, 2009). "All 'Love Actually' scene-stealer Olivia Olson wants for graduation is a record deal".
- Frauenfelder, Mark. (August 21, 2013). "Gweek 108: Adventure Time with Martin & Olivia Olson".
- Chevat, Zoe. (August 2, 2013). "The Mary Sue Exclusive Interview: Olivia Olson, Voice of Marceline the Vampire Queen".
- Lloyd, Robert. (August 23, 2018). "As 'Adventure Time' Wraps, a Look Back at How the Series Broke Barriers and Changed the Genre". [[Los Angeles Times]].
- Orange, B. Alan. (July 25, 2011). "SDCC 2011 EXCLUSIVE: Adventure Time Cast Interviews". MovieWeb.com.
- Gaddy, Laura. (July 28, 2011). "Comic-Con Interview with Adventure Time!".
- Muto, Adam [MrMuto]. (June 14, 2012). "Does Olivia Olson play the bass and sing for Marceline?".
- Sugar, Rob. "Robsugar's Channel". [[YouTube]].
- Seibert, Fred. (October 12, 2010). "The Original Nightosphere Song by Rebecca Sugar". [[Frederator Studios]].
- Seibert, Fred. (October 13, 2010). "Fry Song". [[Frederator Studios]].
- O'Neill, Phelim. (December 19, 2013). "Adventure Time – Box Set Review". [[The Guardian]].
- Shea, Cam. (October 21, 2012). "Our Top 10 Adventure Time Moments – Season 1". [[News Corporation (1980–2013).
- Anders, Charlie. (October 18, 2012). "How Did Adventure Time Become Better Than Most Live-Action TV Shows?". [[Gawker Media]].
- Ward, Pendleton [buenothebear]. (June 22, 2010). "How do you feel about the ridiculously massive fanbase Marceline has gained after only one episode with her?".
- Ward, Pendleton [buenothebear]. (July 3, 2010). "Who plays Marceline's voice? And why is she your favorite character?".
- Rynda, Phil [philrynda]. (September 9, 2010). "What's your favorite character that you've designed?".
- Wright, Eddie. (August 19, 2012). "'Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens' #1 Gets a Badass Baltimore Comic-Con Variant". [[MTV]].
- Rearick, Lauren. (August 30, 2018). ""Adventure Time" Showrunner Adam Muto and Olivia Olson on the Show's Legacy".
- robsugar. (July 13, 2015). "Everything Stays".
- (September 17, 2015). "Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star)". [[Spotify]].
- Todd, Carolyn L.. (December 1, 2016). "What This Adorable Love Actually Actress Looks Like 13 Years Later".
- (December 3, 2015). "Olivia Olson, who played the singing schoolgirl in Love Actually, is all grown up".
- "Fifteen Celebrities to Voice Fourth Powerpuff Girl in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Australia".
- Grant, Stacey. (October 19, 2017). "The Fourth Powerpuff Girl Posing with Her Voice Actress Will Make You Want More Bliss ASAP".
- Valente, Danielle. (September 20, 2017). "There's A New Powerpuff Girl But Twitter Can't Get Over This Major Detail".
- "What You Need to Know About Bliss, the Newest Member of The Powerpuff Girls". geeks.media.
- Warner, Sam. (September 7, 2017). "Powerpuff Girls fans are not happy about a new member".
- McCreesh, Louise. (September 20, 2017). "The fourth Powerpuff Girl has been revealed and it's an important step forward for diversity". [[Digital Spy]].
- Herstik, Gabriela. (September 20, 2017). "Introducing the fourth Powerpuff Girl: Bliss!". [[HelloGiggles]].
- Anderson, Kritsty. (September 29, 2017). "Bliss's Story Should Have Been Told Over A Full Season, Not Just One Special". [[Moviepilot.com]].
- Heisler, Adina. "Diversity in Kid's Cartoons".
- Macke, Johni. (August 23, 2020). "'Love Actually' Cast: Where Are They Now? Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and More".
- Duke, Simon. (October 12, 2019). "When is X Factor: Celebrity on? ITV show returns with star lineup".
- "Oliva Olson".
- Uzoije, Adaeze. (September 20, 2023). "'Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake' returns to the land of Ooo".
- Long, Rebecca. (November 19, 2020). "The new Adventure Time special is the scary, sad, sweet payoff that fans demanded".
- Muncy, Julia. (July 4, 2020). "The Phineas and Ferb Movie Has a Release Date on Disney Plus".
- Cons, Roddy. (December 19, 2024). "What happened to the young actress who sang “All I want for Christmas” in ‘Love Actually’? This is Olivia Olson now". Diario AS S.L..
- Campione, Kate. (January 13, 2023). "‘Phineas & Ferb’ Revival In The Works With Creator Dan Povenmire As Part Of Overall Deal With Disney Branded Television".
- DeGrushe, Dan. (June 7, 2025). "Phineas and Ferb cast: See which fan-favorite voices are returning for the revival".
- "Olivia Olson (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
- (February 7, 2025). "Time to continue where we left off! This time we will be posting only ONE #MultiVersus Voice Actor card at a time. But it will be worth it, trust me 🙏For now... @OliveOlson is Marceline! 🧛♀️💜 #SaveMultiVersus #MVS #SMVS @multiversus @Player1stGames".
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