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Olivia Rodrigo is a soulful artist with a rare gift for emotive and empathetic songwriting. "I think I'm good at knowing how people feel, how I feel, and being able to capture that," the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter-actor shares. Her father had Filipino ancestry. Her mother had is German, English, Irish, and some Austrian ancestry.

Her keen sense for conveying feeling has served her well, thus far. Olivia is the star of the first two seasons of the Disney+ High School Musical series. Acting has been something of a new development for her. Singing since she was 4, Olivia took up acting based on a recommendation from her vocal coach. "Acting and music relate in that they are both about capturing feelings and moments as accurately as you can," she shares.

Olivia exudes an intriguing paradox of being both exuberantly youthful and, sagely, an old soul. She seeks authenticity and bold expression in her music. "My favorite songs are brutally honest and give a vivid look into the artist's life and mind," she says. "Honest storytelling is my ultimate goal." A select cross section of her influences include artists as diverse as Fiona Apple, Jack White, PJ Harvey, and Phoebe Bridgers. Olivia's worlds of acting, singing and songwriting meet when she performs two original songs she wrote, as well as HSM classics, on the series.

"Writing for HSM was surreal, to say the least. The fact that they gave a 16-year-old a shot to write for such a big project is so awesome." She continues: "I think the perspective of a teenage girl is so powerful, and something that doesn't always gets harnessed in its full capacity, too."

As a kindergarten-er, Olivia took voice lessons, and then later piano lessons. At age 12, she began playing guitar. It was during this time that she began writing songs. "I remember coming up with melodies and lyrics and writing them down in this pink fluffy notebook that I had won at some arcade. I still keep that notebook on my bedside table," she says, laughing.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Her mother had English, as well as German, Austrian, Irish ancestry. Her father is from the Philippines, and is of Filipino descent.

Friends with <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt4800624/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Bizaardvark (2016)</a> co-star <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm5462166/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Madison Hu</a>, <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm10443481/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Conan Gray</a> and <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm4911194/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Jenna Ortega</a>.

Named after <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0000556/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Olivia Newton-John</a>.

She was cast as Gabriella Montez in the first season of <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt8510382/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019)</a> . Gabriella Montez was played by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm1227814/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Vanessa Hudgens</a> in the High School Musical film series. Both of the actresses are from a Filipino descent.

Rodrigo has a lot to be proud of. One thing that she&#39;s especially happy to represent is her family heritage. Rodrigo is Filipino through her father&#39;s side of the family. She has spoken admiringly about her great-grandfather&#39;s immigration to the United States. Apart from passing on her family story, Rodrigo continues to celebrate her heritage in her own life. She has stated that her paternal great-grandfather emigrated from the Philippines as a teenager and her family follows Filipino traditions and cuisine.

Her major influences include Taylor Swift, Lorde, Alanis Morrissette, Jack White, Avril Lavigne, Kacey Musgraves, St Vincent, Cardi B, Pearl Jam, Fiona Apple, Lana Del Rey and Gwen Stefani.

Resemble to <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm12528485/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Lola Tung</a>.

Trivia

Olivia Rodrigo

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