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Kaitlin Olson
Kaitlin Olson by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg
Olson at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Kaitlin Willow Olson

(1975-08-18) August 18, 1975 (age 49)
Alma mater University of Oregon
Occupation
  • Actress
  • comedian
Years active 2000–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 2008)
Children 2

Kaitlin Willow Olson McElhenney (born August 18, 1975) is an American actress. She began her career in The Sunday Company at the Groundlings, an improvisational theatre and school in Los Angeles, California. She had minor roles in several television series before being cast as Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds on the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–present).

Olson starred as Mackenzie "Mickey" Molng in the Fox comedy series The Mick (2017–2018) and as Cricket Melfi in the Quibi comedy series Flipped (2020), which earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. She has also appeared in films, including Leap Year (2010), The Heat (2013), Vacation (2015), Finding Dory (2016), and Arizona (2018). In 2022, Olson earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as DJ in HBO's Hacks.

Early life

Olson was born in Portland, Oregon, on August 18, 1975, to Donald Lee Olson, a publisher, and Melinda Leora, a nurse. Shortly after her birth, Olson relocated with her family to Spokane, Washington, then to Vashon Island, Washington, in Puget Sound, 13 mi (21 km) west of Seattle, where she lived until age eight. Her family subsequently relocated back to the Portland area, settling in Tualatin, where Olson grew up on a farm. Her father worked as the publisher of the Portland Tribune from 2000 to 2001.

At age twelve, Olson was involved in a serious bicycle accident involving a vehicle, resulting in a fractured skull requiring reconstructive surgery. She graduated from Tigard High School in Tigard, Oregon in 1993.

Olson studied theater at the University of Oregon, graduating with a bachelor's degree in theater arts in 1997. After college, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting professionally.

Career

Olson was a member of The Groundlings Sunday Company along with Dax Shepard. She toured with the USO to Bosnia, Kosovo and Norway. In 2000, she made her debut television appearance on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm as the recurring role of Cheryl Hines's sister. Olson has also made several guest appearances in films and television series such as The Drew Carey Show, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Out of Practice, Miss Match, Family Guy, and Punk'd. She had a minor role in the film Coyote Ugly.

In 2004, she was cast as Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds in the FX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She also voiced Ethel in the first season of the Comedy Central animated series Brickleberry. .....

She played a recurring role as Hartley Underwood, the "one-armed" neighbor in the FX series The Riches. In June 2016, the Human Rights Campaign released a video in tribute to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting; in the video, Olson and others told the stories of the people killed there. Also in 2016, Olson provided the voice of Destiny in Disney's Finding Dory.

She starred in the Fox sitcom The Mick, which premiered in January 2017. She also served as an executive producer for the series. The second season of The Mick premiered in September 2017. Fox cancelled the series after its second season ended in April 2018.

Olson appears in Hacks as DJ, Deborah Vance's troubled daughter.

Personal life

Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson (12063880473)
Olson with husband Rob McElhenney, 2010

Olson married her It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-star, Rob McElhenney, in California on September 27, 2008. The couple started dating secretly during the second season of the series.

In 2009, McElhenney and Olson announced their purchase of Skinner's Bar in Philadelphia. It was renamed Mac's Tavern. In 2010, Olson went into labor at a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies, and their son was born in their California home as planned. They have a second son born in 2012.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Eyes to Heaven Unknown
2000 Jacks Jocelyn
2000 Coyote Ugly Bidding Customer
2001 Fugly Cha Cha Short film
2003 Scapegoats Jeannie Short film
2009 Weather Girl Sherry
2010 Leap Year Libby
2010 Held Up Rocky II
2012 Trading Up Barbara Manzer Short film
2013 Escape from Planet Earth 3D Movie Girl (voice)
2013 The Heat Tatiana
2015 Vacation Arizona Cop
2016 Finding Dory Destiny (voice)
2018 Arizona Vicki
2023 Champions Alex

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2000–2020 Curb Your Enthusiasm Becky 7 episodes
2002–2004 The Drew Carey Show Traylor 12 episodes
2002 Meet the Marks Kaitlin Marks Main role; 7 episodes
2003 Punk'd Field Agent 2 episodes
2003 Miss Match Jillian Episode: "Who's Sari Now?"
2003 The Man Show Crazy ... in the Bar Season 5, Episode 20
2004 Significant Others Lauren Episode: "The First Time"
2004 George Lopez Janet Episode: "Home Sweet Homeschool"
2005 Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show Various roles 6 episodes; writer
2005–present It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds Main role; 162 episodes
2006 Out of Practice Debbie Episode: "Model Behavior"
2007 The Riches Hartley Underwood 5 episodes
2009–2011 Family Guy Brenda Quagmire (voice) 2 episodes
2012 Unsupervised Carol / Danielle (voice) 7 episodes
2012 Brickleberry Ethel Anderson (voice) Main role; 10 episodes
2014–2015 New Girl Ashley 2 episodes
2015–2019 Bob's Burgers Helen (voice) 2 episodes
2016 Cassius & Clay Ordwood Cassius (voice) Unsold pilot
2016 The Simpsons Quinn (voice) Episode: "The Girl Code"
2017–2018 The Mick Mackenzie "Mickey" Molng Lead role; 37 episodes; executive producer
2018 Mean Jean Birdie Unsold pilot
2020 Flipped Cricket Melfi Main role; 11 episodes
2020 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Herself Episode: "Dr. Phil, Kaitlin Olson & Lauren Lapkus"
2020 Space Force Edison Jaymes Episode: "Edison Jaymes"
2021–present Hacks DJ Vance Recurring role, 6 episodes
2023 Agent Elvis CeCe Ryder (voice) Main role
2024 High Potential Morgan Main role, producer

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Disney Infinity 3.0 Destiny (voice)

Web

Year Title Role Notes
2022 The Always Sunny Podcast Herself 3 episodes

Music videos

Year Artist Title Notes
2021 Imagine Dragons "Follow You" Co-starring with Rob McElhenney, both appearing as themselves

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kaitlin Olson para niños

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