Addison O'Dea facts for kids

Addison O'Dea (/oʊˈdeɪ/, OH-day; born June 15, 1979) is an American filmmaker and writer. He is known for his work in anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures. His projects have been shown on channels like National Geographic and Discovery.

Early Life and School

Hugh Addison White O'Dea was born in New York City on June 15, 1979. His parents were Sara and Hugh Patrick O'Dea Jr. He has two younger brothers. His family lived in New York City but traveled a lot around the world.

Addison went to boarding school at Indian Mountain School in Connecticut. He also attended the Dwight School in Manhattan. Later, he earned a science degree from New York University.

Exploring the World Through Film

Addison O'Dea used to be an editor for National Geographic Traveler magazine. He has written and directed many virtual reality (VR) documentary films. These films explore interesting topics and cultures.

• He made films about the origins of voodoo in Togo and Benin, West Africa.
• He also filmed ancient Quranic libraries hidden in the Sahara desert.

As of 2019, O'Dea was working on an action film. It is set in the Sahara and features a Tuareg character. He is also writing and producing a documentary series called Beat Nation. In 2021, it was reported that O'Dea is directing a movie called Unlikely Heroes.

Discovery TRVLR Series

One of his biggest projects is a series called Discovery TRVLR. He wrote and directed all 36 episodes for Discovery and Google. This series was filmed on all seven continents.

The show focuses on a "Guru, Renegade, Entertainer, or Explorer" in each place. They show viewers different rituals, unique traditions, and exciting quests. At the time, Discovery TRVLR was Discovery's largest virtual reality project ever.

O'Dea designed the series to visit very remote places. He wanted to show how people around the world are similar. The goal was to highlight local cultures without forcing Western ideas on them. For example, "defying convention" in Communist Vietnam is very different from doing it in Catholic Mexico.

Addison shared his thoughts about the show in an interview:

A main goal of TRVLR is to get access to places. We wanted to enter communities that are usually closed to visitors. Travel shows are popular, so we had to work hard to find these groups. We had to earn their trust. This meant filming in places where we needed to negotiate safe passage. Sometimes, we even needed armed security.

Personal Life

In September 2019, news reports said that Addison O'Dea was engaged to actress Minnie Driver.

Additional reading

• Essay by O'Dea on the principals of Vietnamese Buddhism in the afterlife in OZY
• Essay by O'Dea on the religious cult of Santa Muerte in Monster Children
• O'Dea being interviewed on Cheddar