Inspired to try acting at a young age and single-mindedly focused on it ever since, Olivia Cooke has appeared in some of the most acclaimed film and TV projects of the last decade, reinventing herself on screen each time. Her \u201cIn the Envelope\u201d interview is a crash course in several key tricks of the trade: accent work, self-tape advice, even the nuances of crying. Inhabiting a character inside and out, she says, requires selfless collaboration and detailed backstories. \u201cOtherwise, you\u2019re coming in as you and you\u2019re wearing funny clothes.... You\u2019ve got to convince yourself.\u201d\n\nHailing from Oldham, Greater Manchester, Olivia acted onstage in youth theater groups before booking BBC miniseries \u201cBlackout\u201d and \u201cThe Secret of Crickley Hall.\u201d After not being accepted to drama training programs, she focused on screen work, breaking out in \u201cThe Quiet Ones\u201d and, across the pond, the \u201cPsycho\u201d prequel series \u201cBates Motel.\u201d She\u2019s starred in \u201cOuija,\u201d \u201cMe and Earl and the Dying Girl,\u201d \u201cThoroughbreds,\u201d \u201cReady Player One,\u201d \u201cVanity Fair,\u201d and recently, \u201cPixie,\u201d \u201cLittle Fish,\u201d and Darius Marder\u2019s Gotham Award\u2013winning film \u201cSound of Metal.\u201d Next she\u2019ll lead the \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d prequel series \u201cHouse of the Dragon.\u201d For more, read Olivia\u2019s 2018 Backstage cover story: https://bit.ly/2NtUNDf\n\nThis episode is brought to you by Amazon Studios. For more on \u201cSound of Metal,\u201d check out the interview with star Riz Ahmed over at Backstage.com: https://bit.ly/2Ku7BrS\n---\nBackstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage\u2019s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today\u2019s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ\n\nFollow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:\n- https://www.facebook.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope\n- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast\n\nLooking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe\nBrowse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e\nCheck out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0\nBackstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5\n\nSpecial thanks to...\n- Host: Jack Smart\n- Producer: Jamie Muffett\n- Social media: Katie Minard, Alysa Cirelli\n- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins\n- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis