# Olivia Holt
**Olivia Holt** (full name Olivia Hastings Holt) is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence on [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) properties before moving into Marvel television, the Freeform thriller *[Cruel Summer](https://www.edgepedia.org/cruel-summer-tv-series)*, film, and Broadway musicals.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Olivia-Holt/) Born in 1997 in Germantown, Tennessee, and raised in [Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mississippi), she trained as a gymnast, booked commercials by age 10, and moved to Los Angeles with her parents at 11 to audition for film and television.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Breakout role | Kim Crawford, the martial artist of Disney XD's *Kickin' It* (2011–2015), a role she held for all four seasons[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) |
| Marvel role | Tandy Bowen / Dagger in Freeform's *Cloak & Dagger* (2018–2019), canceled after two seasons[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) • [3](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cruel-summer-stars-olivia-holt-chiara-aurelia-on-90s-culture-and-being-a-teenage-girl) |
| Signature thriller role | Kate Wallis in *Cruel Summer* (2021), which became Freeform's most-watched series debut at the time[4](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37502283/olivia-holt-interview-bachelor-in-paradise-cruel-summer-season-2/) |
| Music | Signed to Hollywood Records in 2014; debut EP *Olivia* (2016); singles include "Generous," "Love U Again," and "Next"[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) • [5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/olivia-holt-mn0003001305) |
| Broadway debut | Roxie Hart in the revival of *Chicago*, April 10 to June 4, 2023[6](https://playbill.com/person/olivia-holt) |
| Recent work | *Totally Killer* (2023), *Heart Eyes* (2025), *Jingle Bell Heist* (2025), and *This Is Not a Test* (2025) on screen[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) |
| Return to Broadway | Connie Francis in the Bobby Darin musical *Just in Time*, beginning performances May 30, 2026[7](https://playbill.com/article/olivia-holt-will-join-just-in-time-on-broadway) |
## Early life and start in performing
Holt grew up in Tennessee and Mississippi and performed in community theater throughout childhood, winning several auditions for national television commercials along the way.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/olivia-holt-mn0003001305) Her early acting included community productions such as Annie in *Annie* and Alice in *Through the Looking Glass* before her first film role in the indie drama *Black and Blue* (2009).[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3127051/)
## Disney Channel years
**Kickin' It.** Her gymnastics background helped her land her first television role quickly: Kim Crawford on [Disney XD](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-xd)'s martial arts comedy *Kickin' It*, which she described in early interviews as a confident fighter who could go toe-to-toe with the boys in the dojo.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3127051/) She played Kim across all four seasons, through the show's end in 2015.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/)
While still on the series she starred in the Disney Channel original movie *Girl vs. Monster* (2012) and performed three songs for the film, which appeared on the [Walt Disney](https://www.edgepedia.org/walt-disney) compilation *Make Your Mark: Ultimate Playlist*.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/olivia-holt-mn0003001305) She followed with the Disney Channel sitcom *I Didn't Do It* (2014–2015).[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Olivia-Holt/) ELLE has described this period as one in which she churned out music for the network through film soundtracks and a Disney-branded holiday album before releasing her own debut single with [Hollywood Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-records) in 2016.[4](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37502283/olivia-holt-interview-bachelor-in-paradise-cruel-summer-season-2/)
## Cloak & Dagger and Cruel Summer
*Cloak & Dagger* cast Holt in her first starring role outside Disney Channel programming: Tandy Bowen, a teenager who channels light energy into deadly daggers of light, opposite Aubrey Joseph as Tyrone Johnson, who manipulates dark energy.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) • [9](https://d23.com/olivia-holt-shines-light-burning-questions-marvels-cloak-dagger/) The Marvel series premiered on Freeform in June 2018 and ran for two seasons, dealing with subjects including police brutality, drug addiction, human trafficking, and sexual assault.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) • [9](https://d23.com/olivia-holt-shines-light-burning-questions-marvels-cloak-dagger/) • [3](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cruel-summer-stars-olivia-holt-chiara-aurelia-on-90s-culture-and-being-a-teenage-girl) Holt read the script for *Cruel Summer* in early 2020, a few months after Freeform announced *[Cloak & Dagger](https://www.edgepedia.org/cloak-and-dagger-tv-series)* would be canceled after two seasons.[3](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cruel-summer-stars-olivia-holt-chiara-aurelia-on-90s-culture-and-being-a-teenage-girl)
**Cruel Summer.** In this '90s-set mystery-thriller, executive produced by [Jessica Biel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessica-biel), Holt played Kate Wallis, a popular teenager who is abducted, while Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia) seemingly steps into her life across the summers of 1993, 1994, and 1995 in small-town Texas.[10](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/cruel-summer-season-3/) The series premiered on Freeform in April 2021 and became a word-of-mouth hit and, at the time, the network's most-watched series debut.[4](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37502283/olivia-holt-interview-bachelor-in-paradise-cruel-summer-season-2/) • [10](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/cruel-summer-season-3/) The show then became an anthology with an all-new cast for season 2, in which Holt did not appear.[10](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/cruel-summer-season-3/) Season 3 has since been in development with Holt reprising Kate Wallis.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/)
## Music
Holt signed with Hollywood Records in 2014 and released her self-titled debut EP *Olivia* in 2016, which includes the track "Phoenix."[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) • [5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/olivia-holt-mn0003001305) • [12](https://www.hollywoodrecords.com/press/oliviaholt/) Her singles include "Generous" (2017), "Love U Again" with R3HAB (2020), and "Next," co-written with [Meghan Trainor](https://www.edgepedia.org/meghan-trainor), which earned her a performance spot on ABC's *Bachelor in Paradise*.[4](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37502283/olivia-holt-interview-bachelor-in-paradise-cruel-summer-season-2/) She has also been featured on [We the Kings](https://www.edgepedia.org/we-the-kings)' "Sad Song" and released further music in 2021 with *In My Feelings* and "Do You Miss Me."[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/olivia-holt-mn0003001305)
## Film and recent television
Her film work since leaving Disney includes the comedy *Status Update* (2018) and the voice role of Brittany in *Gnome Alone* (2017).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) A run of 2023–2025 projects broadened her screen profile: she played Pam Miller in the horror comedy *Totally Killer* (2023), guest-starred as Merci in the Peacock comedy *[Laid](https://www.edgepedia.org/laid-american-tv-series)* (2024), and in 2025 appeared as Ally McCabe in the horror film *Heart Eyes*, as Sophia in the Netflix holiday romantic comedy *Jingle Bell Heist*, which began streaming November 26, 2025, and as Sloane in *This Is Not a Test*, adapted from Courtney Summers's young adult novel.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/) • [1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Olivia-Holt/) • [11](https://images.amcnetworks.com/www2.amcglobalmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2026/04/May-2026-Programming-Highlights.pdf)
## Broadway
**Chicago.** Holt made her Broadway debut as [Roxie Hart](https://www.edgepedia.org/roxie-hart) in the long-running revival of *Chicago*, playing the role from April 10 to June 4, 2023.[6](https://playbill.com/person/olivia-holt)
**Just in Time.** In May 2026 she returned to Broadway, succeeding [Isa Briones](https://www.edgepedia.org/isa-briones) as [Connie Francis](https://www.edgepedia.org/connie-francis) in the [Bobby Darin](https://www.edgepedia.org/bobby-darin) biomusical *Just in Time* at the Circle in the Square Theatre, beginning performances May 30, 2026, opposite Jeremy Jordan as Darin.[7](https://playbill.com/article/olivia-holt-will-join-just-in-time-on-broadway) The show had recouped its $12.5 million capitalization during its run.[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Olivia-Holt/)
## References
1. [Olivia Holt biography, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Olivia-Holt/)
2. [Olivia Holt, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/olivia-holt/)
3. ["Cruel Summer" Stars Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia on '90s Culture and Being a Teenage Girl, Teen Vogue (2021)](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cruel-summer-stars-olivia-holt-chiara-aurelia-on-90s-culture-and-being-a-teenage-girl)
4. [Olivia Holt Is Still Finding Herself, ELLE (2021)](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37502283/olivia-holt-interview-bachelor-in-paradise-cruel-summer-season-2/)
5. [Olivia Holt Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/olivia-holt-mn0003001305)
6. [Olivia Holt performer page, Playbill](https://playbill.com/person/olivia-holt)
7. [Olivia Holt Will Join Just in Time on Broadway, Playbill (May 2026)](https://playbill.com/article/olivia-holt-will-join-just-in-time-on-broadway)
8. [Olivia Holt, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3127051/)
9. [Olivia Holt Shines a Light on our Burning Questions About Marvel's Cloak & Dagger, D23 (2019)](https://d23.com/olivia-holt-shines-light-burning-questions-marvels-cloak-dagger/)
10. ['Cruel Summer' Season 3: Everything We Know, Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/cruel-summer-season-3/)
11. [May 2026 Programming Highlights, AMC Networks (This Is Not a Test)](https://images.amcnetworks.com/www2.amcglobalmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2026/04/May-2026-Programming-Highlights.pdf)
12. [Olivia Holt - Hollywood Records](https://www.hollywoodrecords.com/press/oliviaholt/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames He to Hs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license