If you've already heard the song 'Drivers License,' then you probably know by now that it's a song by Olivia Rodrigo. But who exactly is Olivia Rodrigo?
Well, aside from having a record-breaking song on Spotify--and also a chart-topping hit as it already debuted at number one in the U.K.--Olivia Rodrigo is basically one of the rising stars in Hollywood to watch for, both as a singer and an actress. And you just might gain a little more interest in her since she actually is half-Filipina.
Olivia Rodrigo is a Filipino-American actress and singer, who has starred in a couple of series on Disney+ and the Disney Channel.
Olivia's showbiz career began when she starred in an Old Navy commercial. After that, in 2015, she played the lead role of Grace Thomas in direct-to-video movie 'An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success.'
Her first big break came in 2016 when she was cast as Paige Olvera in the Disney Channel series 'Bizaardvark.'
In 2019, she landed the starring role of Nini Salazar-Roberts on the Disney+ series 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.'
Then in 2020, Olivia signed with Interscope Records and Geffen Records.
Her biggest shining moment came this year on January 8, when her debut single 'Drivers License' was released.
Just a week after its release, Olivia's song already broke Spotify's record twice for most daily streams ever for a non-holiday song.
On January 11, 'Drivers License' had over 15.7 million global streams on Spotify, and on the very next day, Olivia surpassed her own record with over 17 million global streams for her debut single.
Aside from being an actress and singer, the young Filipino-American celebrity is also a songwriter. Her greatest musical influences and idols are Taylor Swift and Lorde.
Get to know more about 2021's breakout star and 'Drivers License' singer Olivia Rodrigo in the gallery below.
Olivia Rodrigo is proving to be the biggest breakout star of 2021 so far. It's only a week after the release of her debut single 'Drivers License,' but it has already become record-breaking and chart-topping.
'Drivers License,' which was released on January 8, had already broken Spotify's record twice for most daily streams ever for a non-holiday song. On January 11, it had over 15.7 million global streams on Spotify, and on the very next day, Olivia surpassed her own record with over 17 million global streams for her debut single. Plus, it debuted at no. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart on January 15.
Yes, Olivia Rodrigo is half-Filipino. She has Filipino blood on her father's side.
Her father is a Filipino-American, while her mother is American of Irish and German descent.
Olivia's Filipino heritage comes from her great-grandfather, who moved to the U.S. from the Philippines on a boat when he was a teenager. Here's a photo of Olivia and his Filipino grandpa and great-grandpa.
Olivia says her great grandfather is a good cook and that one of the Filipino dishes he would make was the lumpia and she says they're really yummy.
Olivia calls herself a “Spicy Pisces” on her Instagram bio. She was born in 2003 and will turn 18 on February 20.
Many netizens have noticed her resemblance to Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray.
She has a scar on her chest which she says she got from accidentally spilling hot tea.
Olivia began taking acting and singing lessons at the age of six and her first on-screen appearance was in an Old Navy commercial.
In 2015, she played the role of Grace Thomas in the direct-to-video film 'An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success.'
In 2016, she became part of the cast of Disney Channel's series 'Bizaardvark,' where she played Paige Olvera for three seasons.
In 2019, she landed the starring role of Nini Salazar-Roberts in 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' (HSMTMTS), which aired on Disney+.
Aside from being an actress and singer, Olivia is also a brilliant songwriter. She wrote the song “All I Want,' which her character Nini performed on HSMTMTS.
Olivia considers herself the biggest Swiftie or Taylor Swift fan in the world.
Olivia is also a stan of singer-songwriter Lorde, and many actually notice the great influence the latter has in Olivia's music.
Olivia is also a certified “plantita.” She posted this photo on IG and captioned it: “me ft my hanging plant that is DEFINITELY NOT ALREADY DYING IM A GR8 PLANT MOM.”
Olivia took part in the student-led demonstration 'March for Our Lives' on March 24, 2018. It's a protest against gun violence, which pushes for gun control legislation. She's also an environmental advocate, who promotes reducing waste by limiting single-use products.
Some speculate that Olivia is dating 'March for Our Lives' activist Cameron Kasky, since they are always seen together. However, some think that they're just friends.
Olivia used to date her Bizaardvark co-star Ethan Wacker. They reportedly broke up in 2019.
Many believe that Olivia also dated her HSMTMTS co-star and on-screen love interest Joshua Bassett and that the song 'Drivers License' is also about him.
Speaking of 'Drivers License,' when Olivia raved about being next to Taylor Swift on the U.S. iTunes chart, her idol Tay-Tay replied and said, “I say that's my baby and I'm really proud.”
Olivia heard her song 'Drivers License' on the radio for the first time, and she was clearly stunned and ecstatic at the same time.
This is Olivia's first IG photo that she posted on February 25, 2015. She captioned it: “Big things always have small beginnings......” Indeed, they do. Olivia seemed to have foretold the future.
Congratulations, Olivia! You deserve all the success and recognition. We're proud of you and we can't wait to hear more of your music and watch your future films and series.
On February 5, 2021, Olivia performed her debut single for the first time on TV at 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.'
Olivia also made it to the 'TIME100 Next 2021' list of emerging leaders who are shaping the future.
Grammy winning-singer and producer Gwen Stefani wrote about Olivia's exceptional talent in an essay published by 'TIME.'