Emma Stone and Jonah Hill are at the center of a debate raging about the new Netflix original series Maniac. Audiences seem to be confused and critics can’t decide if the series was too weird or not quite weird enough. There’s also a lot of talk about elements of the show you might have missed and whether or not they’re significant for the overall meaning of the show. But one thing is beyond debate: the supporting actors aren’t getting nearly the attention they deserve, which has left many people asking (among many questions), who is Olivia in Maniac? Let us introduce you to Grace Van Patten.
Wait, which one is Olivia in Maniac?
There are a lot of characters and a lot going on, so don’t worry if you lost track of this one for a couple episodes. Olivia, a girl Owen (Jonah Hill) liked but only interacted with once, is mentioned a couple times in his conversations with his family. She’s the one who bore the brunt of his extreme outburst spurred by a mental break, and she also pops up throughout the simulations. This is the “blip” Owen keeps mentioning in which his imaginary “brother” Grimsson appears for the first time and warns him that Olivia is being paid by his family. Grimsson paints a paranoid picture of the two of them marrying at the behest of his family and having 7 kids.
Catch her in the “Full Moon Séance” simulation as the mysterious woman who talks to Owen (then Oliver, or “Ollie”) about owls. She tries to team up with him to find the lost chapter of Don Quixote and ultimately gives him the clue he needs to find it, but he tells her to scram. She pops up again in the confrontation simulation in which Owen’s family is a mob and he’s an informant. She works as a waitress at a diner he frequents and is also in a class with him. He convinces her to marry him and go into witness protection with him. We later see them in what looks exactly like Owen’s Roosevelt Island mini apartment with 7 kids. (Yes, exactly like Grimsson warned him during his “blip.”) He leaves her to find Annie.
Olivia is played by Grace Van Patten, and overwhelmingly trying to make contact with Owen as if the outburst never happened. (We only have clues about what is actually supposed to have happened between the two of them. Perhaps the biggest hint we get is when Owen talks to Annie about his fears in the end sequence when he’s at the mental hospital.) But who is Grace Van Patten?
Who is Grace Van Patten?
So who is Grace Van Patten, the actress that caught your eye but not much online attention? Here’s everything you need to know about the actress that looks a bit like Shailene Woodley (apparently she’s told this a lot).
You’ve probably seen her on screen before
Although she’s been overshadowed in Maniac, Grace Van Patten actually got attention for stealing the show in The Meyerowitz Stories, a 2017 film distributed by Netflix. Grace Van Patten attracted a lot of attention in the critically acclaimed film, especially as she starred alongside huge names: Dustin Hoffman, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and Emma Thompson.
Her first acting appearance was in The Sopranos
Grace got her start early. When she was just 8 years old, she had a role in an episode of The Sopranos. It doesn’t hurt that her dad is TV director Tim Van Patten. You might recognize that name as a director on The Sopranos. He also directed the first two episodes of Game of Thrones.
Acting runs in her family
It’s not just her dad who’s part of Hollywood. Grace Van Patten is the niece of actor Dick Van Patten. Dick appeared in several cult classic films, like Space Balls and Robin Hood: Men In Tights. His entire TV career spanned an impressive seven decades before he passed away in 2015.
She’s dating Nat Wolff
You might have seen Nat Wolff in Paper Towns, The Fault In Our Stars or the more recent Death Note, but you’ll also catch him on the arm of this young actress. You can find plenty of adorable photos of the couple together on Grace Van Patten’s Instagram account.
