Grab Your Popcorn—Olivia Rodrigo Says She's Ready to Dive Deeper Into Acting

"I just love telling stories, whether that be in a song or a movie."

Olivia Rodrigo
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hot on the heels of her latest album, Guts, being declared a critics' favorite album of 2023, Olivia Rodrigo seems ready to take a break from music and delve deeper into acting.

Rodrigo is only 20 years old, and yet her career has already proven more successful than many that are double her age. This urge to focus on acting may seem like a surprising one, but let's not forget that's where the young star got her start.

Rodrigo starred in two Disney series: Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Rodrigo left the latter in 2022 to pursue her music.

She spoke to Variety on the red carpet of the Governors Awards, where she was supporting her recent single, "Can't Catch Me Now," from the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Rodrigo expressed that she misses acting and said, "I love movies, I love telling stories."

This is fitting for the songwriter who was named Storyteller of the Year at the Variety Hitmakers brunch last year.

What kind of movies does Rodrigo want to star in?

“I really want to do a coming-of-age thing maybe before I’m actually of age," she said.  "Maybe I am of age already. I just love telling stories, whether that be in a song or a movie, that’s really something that really excites me.”

Judging from the star's emotion-filled performances and heartfelt lyrics, we have no doubt she'll be excellent in whatever role she pursues next. Directors, you better jump in while she's still available!

Rodrigo also discussed her dream collaboration, which would be with Noah Kahan: "I think he’s so great, and he’s very inspiring," she said. "One of these days.”

Kahan is nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Rodrigo already covered one of his most popular songs, "Stick Season" in the BBC Live Lounge. Kahan then sang a cover of "lacy" from Rodrigo's latest album. So, it seems a collaboration is already in the works...

Olivia Rodrigo Governors Awards

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Now, we can't finish discussing this informative interview without covering how incredible she looked.

Rodrigo wore a sleek black strapless gown, which gave us serious Old Hollywood vibes. The vintage Yves Saint Laurent dress appeared to be velvet on top and led into a shimmering satin.

She paired this look with a very natural face, except for the bold red lipstick to pull it all together.

For the hair, Rodrigo consulted the 'it' trend for 2023 and wore a sleek ponytail with a side parting—very Ariana Grande.

When Rodrigo's film debut comes out, I'll be first at the theatre to watch it, with a massive bucket of popcorn beside me!

Olivia Rodrigo at the Governors Awards

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Olivia Rodrigo at the Governors Awards

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fleurine Tideman
Freelance Writer

Fleurine Tideman is a freelance writer who is always ready to discuss celebrities, entertainment, mental health, relationships and anything else her busy brain comes up with. She comes from the small, rainy land of the Netherlands, but she uses the flexibility of her work to travel around Europe and explore new places. She spent several years working in the travel industry, which taught her how to fit insane amounts in her hand luggage. She has a degree in Psychology and Anthropology, which she uses to psychoanalyse herself and others. She’s a regular contributor for Betches, and you can also find her work on Pop Sugar, Insider, Time Out or her own blog, Symptoms of Living. At Marie Claire, she’ll be covering celebrity news, usually written to the sounds of Taylor Swift.