Who is Olivia Munn?

Celebrity Q&A, Featured Article
on July 2, 2013
Olivia-Munn-2013
Olivia Munn in "The Newsroom"
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What can you tell me about Olivia Munn from “The Newsroom”?
—Hollis Roberts, Queens, N.Y.

Born Lisa Olivia Munn in Oklahoma City, Okla., the actress began her career as Lisa Munn, but began using Olivia Munn as her personal and professional name in 2006.

She is of mixed heritage: German and Irish on her father’s side and Chinese on her mother’s. Her stepfather—her mom remarried when Munn was 2—was in the U.S. Air Force. Munn, 33, grew up in a lot of different places, but spent a great deal of time in Tokyo, Japan.

She made it back to the U.S. for the last two years of high school, graduating from Putnam City North High School, and then attended the University of Oklahoma, where she majored in journalism and minored in Japanese studies and theater.

Munn began her career as an intern at Fox Sports Net, but also pursued acting, landing a small role in the straight-to-video “Scarecrow Gone Wild.”

She became co-host of the G4 network’s “Attack of the Show” in 2006 and spent 2010 as a correspondent on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” before getting her first big role in the sitcom “Perfect Couples” in 2011.

Munn’s recent film credits include “Magic Mike,” “The Babymakers” and “I Don’t Know How She Does It.” Her other movie credits include “The Road to Canyon Lake,” “Big Stan,” “Insanitarium,” “Date Night” and “Iron Man 2.”

In addition to her role as Sloan Sabbith on “The Newsroom,” her TV credits include “Greek,” “Beyond the Break,” “New Girl,” “Chuck” and “Accidentally on Purpose.”

She also wrote the book, “Suck It, Wonder Woman: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek,” which became a “New York Times” bestseller.

Munn, whose work as a model includes campaigns for Nike, Pepsi and Neutrogena, twice posed for PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign.