Olivia Wilde Calls The Shots

Being a Boss Comes Naturally to This First-time Director

After 16 years in showbiz, Olivia Wilde is finally living out her dream and going behind the lens to call the shots. Like her favourite coming-of-age flicks The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the New York native wanted Booksmart, her directorial debut, to strike a chord not only with audiences but with herself, too. ‘We wanted the film to accurately represent this generation,’ says Olivia, whose stage name pays homage to (playwright) Oscar Wilde. ‘You have to make something you enjoy and hopefully there will be an audience for it.’

Not only is there an audience for the uproarious teen drama – which follows two academic overachievers on the eve of their graduation as they try to cram in all the high school antics they missed out on – there’s bound to be a following.

Here, Olivia, 35, talks about her own impulsive high-school memory and finding the confidence to pursue her aspirations.

How would you describe the coming-of-age flick Booksmart?

I like to describe it as Training Day with high school kids in a high-stakes adventure to have one crazy night. Booksmart is a comedy, it’s a buddy movie in the realm of Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop but with female friendship.

Did you have crazy nights back in your school days?