Olivia Munn
When did you first realize you were…well, kind of a nerd.
Olivia Munn: "I think it was eighth grade. I was in a military family, so by the time I was 13 I’d lived in six different places. I remember looking around that year and realizing that the one group that always takes you in is the geeks."
Did you have a geek idol growing up?
You’re in The Slammin’ Salmon, and Iron Man 2. Has the jump to film been intimidating?
Olivia Munn: "I was a big fan of Super Troopers, so working with the Broken Lizard guys was so much fun. For Iron Man I had to improv with Robert Downey Jr., which is like going up against LeBron in basketball. At one point he stopped and said, “Can we give a round of applause to Olivia, because she’s rocking it right now.” I was so happy I went through a McDonald’s drive-through on my way home and ordered two cheeseburgers and some fries."
We have to ask: Are you dating anyone—or is there hope for us?
Olivia Munn: "I just broke up with my boyfriend, so I’m officially single. But one thing I find unbelievably annoying is all these guys in my life who want to save me. They’re like, “Do you feel alone?” Everyone’s turned into Oprah!"
Olivia Munn Early life
Lisa Olivia Munn was born in Oklahoma. She is of Chinese descent on her mother's side (though her mother was raised in Vietnam) and of German-Irish descent on her father's. When Munn was two, her mother re-married, this time to a man in the United States Air Force. Although the family relocated many times, Munn was predominantly raised in Tokyo, Japan, where the military assigned her stepfather. During this time, she had appeared in a number of local theater productions, and later became a model within the Japanese fashion industry. She also attended the University of Oklahoma, majoring in journalism and minoring in Japanese and dramatic arts.
When did you first realize you were…well, kind of a nerd.
Olivia Munn: "I think it was eighth grade. I was in a military family, so by the time I was 13 I’d lived in six different places. I remember looking around that year and realizing that the one group that always takes you in is the geeks."
Did you have a geek idol growing up?
Olivia Munn: "Punky Brewster. At the time I found her I was living in Utah—Mormon central, all these blond-haired, blue-eyed, all-American people. Then there was me, a complete tomboy with natty hair and polyester pants. I saw this girl on TV who looked and talked just like me and played with boys and didn’t care about getting dirty."
You’re in The Slammin’ Salmon, and Iron Man 2. Has the jump to film been intimidating?
Olivia Munn: "I was a big fan of Super Troopers, so working with the Broken Lizard guys was so much fun. For Iron Man I had to improv with Robert Downey Jr., which is like going up against LeBron in basketball. At one point he stopped and said, “Can we give a round of applause to Olivia, because she’s rocking it right now.” I was so happy I went through a McDonald’s drive-through on my way home and ordered two cheeseburgers and some fries."
We have to ask: Are you dating anyone—or is there hope for us?
Olivia Munn: "I just broke up with my boyfriend, so I’m officially single. But one thing I find unbelievably annoying is all these guys in my life who want to save me. They’re like, “Do you feel alone?” Everyone’s turned into Oprah!"
Olivia Munn Early life
Lisa Olivia Munn was born in Oklahoma. She is of Chinese descent on her mother's side (though her mother was raised in Vietnam) and of German-Irish descent on her father's. When Munn was two, her mother re-married, this time to a man in the United States Air Force. Although the family relocated many times, Munn was predominantly raised in Tokyo, Japan, where the military assigned her stepfather. During this time, she had appeared in a number of local theater productions, and later became a model within the Japanese fashion industry. She also attended the University of Oklahoma, majoring in journalism and minoring in Japanese and dramatic arts.
Munn moved back to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, California to pursue an acting career. In 2004, she interned at Fox Sports Net and worked as a sideline reporter for college football and women's basketball. She has gone on to say that she disliked the experience, explaining "I was trying to be something I wasn't, and that made me really uncomfortable on live TV."
