By My good friend, Sean Walsh, is known to like it hot. I, however, am known to like it cute. Or, more accurately, pretty. Or maybe gorgeous? Perhaps beautiful? I can finger stutter for ages, but the fact remains that I’m not the biggest fan of the term “hot.” The word has become too generic and bastardized in unnecessary ways (thanks a lot, Paris Hilton). Anyways, I digress…
Some of you might be familiar with my blurbs in previous SLIH installments: I’ve mentioned how amazing Natalie Portman is and how a Christmas cuddle with Rashida Jones would have made for a happy holiday. Yet, nobody will ever match how enamored I am with my first featured SLIH female, Olivia Thirlby.
My good friend, Sean Walsh, is known to like it hot. I, however, am known to like it cute. Or, more accurately, pretty. Or maybe gorgeous? Perhaps beautiful? I can finger stutter for ages, but the fact remains that I’m not the biggest fan of the term “hot.” The word has become too generic and bastardized in unnecessary ways (thanks a lot, Paris Hilton). Anyways, I digress…
Some of you might be familiar with my blurbs in previous SLIH installments: I’ve mentioned how amazing Natalie Portman is and how a Christmas cuddle with Rashida Jones would have made for a happy holiday. Yet, nobody will ever match how enamored I am with my first featured SLIH female, Olivia Thirlby.{{page_break}}
All it took was a self-aware, ironic pun to hook me in: “Honest to blog.” I knew she was gonna be different than the previous actresses who’ve had their temporary stays in my heart. Maybe it was Diablo Cody’s amazing dialogue writing, Thirlby’s over-enthusiastic BFF role, or a combination of the two, but something was triggered the first time I watched Juno. Since then, I’ve been hooked, gutted, cooked, and served.
Born in 1986 and raised in New York, Thirlby has always been surrounded by the solid acting scene the city has to offer. While she made her film debut in 2006’s United 93, the film recounting the 9/11 attacks, it was 2007’s indie darling, Juno, that put her on the map. However, unlike her Juno co-stars, Ellen Page and Michael Cera, Thirlby hasn’t made the same jump into mainstream minds the way they have.
To be honest, not making that jump into mainstream films has benefited Thirlby. Being just underneath the radar has allowed her to move her career along a path that wouldn’t have been available to her otherwise. For example, Thirlby was able to show off her live-action acting chops in the Off Broadway play, Farragut North, in 2008 and 2009.
Perhaps Thirlby’s highest acclaimed role to date was playing popular girl, Stephanie, in 2008’s The Wackness alongside Famke Janssee, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Josh Peck, among others. In the film, she plays a recent high school graduate befriending her high school’s weed dealer, Shapiro (Peck), in mid-90s New York. It’s in The Wackness where Thirlby showcases her innocent, but sexy side.
Following a string of minor, supporting roles over the past few years (including, but not limited to, The Answer Man, Uncertainty, and What Goes Up), Thirlby is being primed to make her strongest push towards the mainstream with her role as Judge Anderson in the upcoming reboot/adaptation of Judge Dredd.
If you’re like me and into raspy, mysterious voices, soft facial features, friendly and inviting smiles, and an overall girl-next-door demeanor, you’ll find yourself in the Olivia Thirlby Fan Club. More than being an amazing actress with HUGE potential, Thirlby is like that cool, yet underrated girl you’d see in high school that you regret never talking to when you had your chance. Do yourselves a favor and jump on the bandwagon now, because Liv THRILLby is gonna be the next big actress of our generation.
Second Opinion: Just a scant four days younger than me, the fetching Olivia Thirlby has accomplished quite a bit since her debut in United 93. I didn’t take any notice of her until she popped up as Ellen Page’s BFF in Juno and since then, she’s appeared in almost a dozen movies, with a handful more in the tubes. She’ll appear in next week’s No Strings Attached as one of Natalie Portman’s character’s family members, raising my interest in the movie by at least 50%. Far more tantalizing, however, is her role in the upcoming Judge Dredd reboot, Dredd. I expect her to kick ass, take names, and be all out of gum. Geoff’s infatuation with this woman is not unfounded. She’s gorgeous, she’s funny, and she’s talented to boot. The future is bright for Ms. Thirlby, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her.
Tune in next week for my triumphant return! I’ll be covering the belle of the ball herself, Mae Whitman! Don’t miss out. – Sean Walsh
Top Three Some Like It Hot Selections for Olivia Thirlby
1. The Wackness
2. The Answer Man
3. Juno
Also, if there are any attractive, talented film actresses you’d like to see in a future installment of Some Like It Hot, check out the Some Like It Hot thread in the forums and let Sean know!
Previous Some Like It Hot installments: