If you ever considered yourself to be a Nickelodeon​ kid, then there's a good chance you remember
Larisa Oleynik, the superpowered star of The Secret World of Alex Mack.
She's all grown up and absolutely gorgeous now.
Let's find out what she's been up to since her days as a child star in the '90s.
Bored by high school
Fame can be overwhelming if you encounter it at a young age, something Oleynik knows
all too well.
"When your head was a puddle, I fixed it, didn't I?"
"Yeah, well the next time my head's a puddle I won't ask for your help, okay?"
After four successful seasons starring on The Secret World of Alex Mack, Oleynik decided
to leave the hit show in 1998 and try out normal life as a high school student.
She told BuzzFeed,
"Something was instilled in me very early on that you keep doing a thing as long as
you want to do a thing.
Then I went back to high school and I was bored."
Although she wasn't impressed with high school life, the actress stuck with it as she picked
up acting roles here and there, including a recurring role on NBC's 3rd Rock From the
Sun, alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Cult classic
Oleynik reunited with Gordon-Levitt for 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You, an adaptation
of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
Oleynik was immediately impressed with the project, telling the New York Times in March
2019,
"I remember being pretty smitten with it right away.
The script was unabashedly feminist and really of the riot grrrl era of the Pacific Northwest."
Oleynik's intuition proved spot-on because the movie became a cult classic that's beloved
by older and younger generations alike.
In real life, Oleynik went on to study at the college Julia Stiles' character aspires
to attend, Sarah Lawrence.
The actress gushed about the school in an interview with BuzzFeed, telling the outlet
she was able to indulge her creative side.
"I didn't study theater while I was there.
I just wrote a lot of really bad poetry."
Hey, at least she tried something new!
Mad about Mad Men
Years after graduating Sarah Lawrence, Oleynik began the transition into a respected adult
actor.
Although she had slayed the teen movie star thing, the mature side of acting was something
that remained to be conquered.
Her hard work paid off when, in 2010, she landed the role of Cynthia Cosgrove on AMC's
Mad Men.
Oleynik received widespread praise for the part, a reception that meant a lot to Oleynik.
She told AMC:
"When people recognize me from Mad Men specifically, it's just the coolest feeling…
I don't really know if I'm being seen differently, but I know that, just in terms of confidence,
it has helped immensely…
After a long round of trying to establish myself as an adult actor, booking this job,
I was like, 'Yes!
They don't hire bad actors on Mad Men.'
It was huge sigh of relief."
Oleynik went on to score a recurring guest role on Pretty Little Liars in 2012, a job
that introduced her to a new and younger audience.
Around that same time, she also nabbed a recurring gig on CBS's Hawaii Five-0.
Dark days
Although Oleynick mentioned having a boyfriend in a 2013 interview with AMC, there's not
much out there about her current or past romantic history.
It's possible the actress is low-key due to the drama she endured with an alleged stalker
named Josh Hathaway.
Not only did the perpetrator reportedly change his last name to Oleynik in 2010, but he also
called the actress' mother "nonstop" and left "gifts for her at her mom's apartment," according
to TMZ.
Additionally, Hathaway allegedly wrote letters to Oleynik, telling her:
"You are very beloved by me everyday.
You are very precious to me… keep me on your wheel of love."
The situation was understandably upsetting for Oleynik, who wrote in court docs:
"I feel that I am being stalked.
I am worried he is unstable and could snap at any moment."
In January 2013, the actress was granted a three-year restraining order against Hathaway.
Let's hope that's the end of this ordeal.
"Basic common courtesy is always appreciated."
The next big thing
Although Oleynik doesn't want to be exclusively remembered for her teenage roles, it doesn't
mean she can't appreciate them.
Case in point: When the 20th anniversary of 10 Things I Hate About You rolled around in
March 2019, she took to Instagram to wish the movie a happy birthday.
She captioned a cute shot of the cast.
"Happy Birthday 10thingsihateaboutyou!
In a year you can congregate around Mr. Cuervo with us.
But first #wearthebelly."
Just days later, Oleynik promoted her new role in the television comedy Half Life, which
airs on NYC Life in the New York City area and was funded by the Mayor’s Office of
Media and Entertainment.
Oleynik plays "Patty, a working mom trying to realize her dream of becoming a screenwriter
while balancing the demands of her family and her day job as a location manager."
Oleynik has a refreshing knack for melding the past and the present effortlessly, paying
homage to her past roles while still taking artistic risks.
Bravo!
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