Olivia Cooke Movies and TV Shows: Best Roles & Full List
If you’ve been watching Olivia Cooke grow from a Bates Motel newcomer to a House of the Dragon queen, you’re probably curious about the arc that got her here. She shaved her head for a Sundance drama, starred opposite Spielberg, and currently holds one of the most talked-about roles on HBO. Here’s a look at the filmography that shows exactly how she made that jump.
Top IMDb Rating: 7.7 (Sound of Metal) · Breakout Film: Ready Player One (Art3mis) · Key TV Role: House of the Dragon (Queen Alicent) · Indie Hit: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl · Recent Series: Slow Horses
Quick snapshot
- Whether she has Irish heritage (sources conflict)
- Rumors about cystic fibrosis connection lack confirmation
- The Girlfriend miniseries (2025) upcoming with Robin Wright
- Season 3 of House of the Dragon still unconfirmed
- The Girlfriend psychological thriller set for 2025 release
- Potential expansion of her indie filmography
The table below summarizes her major roles across television and film, with verified ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.
| Role Type | Project | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Breakout TV | Bates Motel | Emma Decody (2013–2017) |
| Major Film | Ready Player One | Art3mis/Samantha Cook |
| Highest Rated | Sound of Metal | Lou — 7.7 IMDb, 97% RT critics |
| Current Series | House of the Dragon | Queen Alicent Hightower (2022–) |
“Cooke brings a fierce elegance and an underlying unraveling to her character.”
What is Olivia Cooke best known for?
Olivia Cooke built her career on roles that demand physical and emotional transformation. Three performances stand out as career-defining: her Sundance breakthrough in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, her blockbuster debut as Art3mis in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, and her commanding turn as Queen Alicent Hightower in HBO’s House of the Dragon. According to MovieWeb, Cooke’s portrayal of Alicent ranks as her best performance to date.
Ready Player One
Cooke played Art3mis, the fierce warrior and love interest in Spielberg’s OASIS adventure, released in March 2018. The film grossed over $582 million worldwide and earned Cooke two Teen Choice Award nominations. Collider ranked the role #6 in her best performances. The character was a key anchor in a cast that included Tye Sheridan and Simon Pegg.
“Cooke left a lasting impression playing Samantha Cooke and her avatar, Art3mis.”
House of the Dragon
Cooke took on the adult version of Alicent Hightower, the manipulative queen at the heart of Westeros political intrigue. The series, set 200 years before Game of Thrones, premiered in 2022 and was renewed for a second season. Collider ranks House of the Dragon at #5 in Cooke’s best work, noting her “fierce elegance and underlying unraveling” that defines the character.
Sound of Metal
The 2019 drama earned Cooke widespread critical praise as Lou, a mother grappling with her partner’s sudden hearing loss. The film holds a 97% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics widely cite it as one of her finest performances. Cooke brought raw emotional depth to a role that required restraint rather than dramatic gestures.
Cooke’s highest-profile roles tend to be in ensemble or franchise projects, but her most acclaimed work comes from indie dramas where she has room to disappear into character.
Olivia Cooke’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows
Her filmography spans horror, comedy thrillers, prestige television, and blockbuster sci-fi. The pattern is clear: Cooke chooses roles that challenge her physically and emotionally, not ones that simply build her following.
Top Films
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) — Rachel Kushner, a leukemia patient; Cooke shaved her head and earned an Empire Award nomination for Best Female Newcomer. Rotten Tomatoes critics scored it 81%.
- Sound of Metal (2019) — Lou; 97% RT critics score, Oscar-nominated film.
- Thoroughbreds (2017) — Amanda, a teenage girl plotting murder with Anya Taylor-Joy; 87% RT critics score.
- Ready Player One (2018) — Art3mis; blockbuster directed by Spielberg.
- Ouija (2014) — Laine Morris, the protagonist; modest box office success.
- Little Fish (2020) — Emma Ryerson in post-apocalyptic romance; 91% audience score.
- Vanity Fair (2018 miniseries) — Becky Sharp; 89% Rotten Tomatoes score.
- Pixie (2020) — comedy thriller; 75% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The Limehouse Golem — grieving widow opposite Bill Nighy.
- Fireheart (2022) — voice role as Georgia Nolan in animated film.
Top Series
- House of the Dragon (2022–) — Queen Alicent Hightower; ongoing HBO prestige drama.
- Bates Motel (2013–2017) — Emma Decody, Norman Bates’ best friend opposite Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga.
- Slow Horses (2022–) — Sidonie “Sid” Baker in Apple TV+ spy series.
- Modern Love (2019) — Karla, a pregnant homeless woman.
The pattern is unmistakable: Cooke gravitates toward characters who are complex, often damaged, and always compelling. Her indie film work consistently scores higher with critics, while her TV roles tend to be the ones that define her public profile.
Olivia Cooke Movies and Shows
Breaking down her filmography by career phase reveals a deliberate strategy. She built credibility through indie drama, expanded reach with horror and thriller roles, then transitioned to prestige TV and blockbuster franchises.
Early Films
Cooke’s earliest credited work includes The Signal (2014), a sci-fi thriller, and Ouija the same year. These roles established her in genre fare before she pivoted to more demanding material.
Blockbusters
Ready Player One marked her entry into big-budget studio filmmaking. The Wikipedia filmography notes her role as one of the few female leads in a major Spielberg production. She appeared in a voice episode of Axe Cop during this period as well.
Indies
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl remains her most emotionally demanding role, filmed at Sundance in 2015. The success opened doors to Thoroughbreds and eventually Sound of Metal, where her stock as a serious actress solidified.
For viewers new to Cooke, start with Sound of Metal for her dramatic range, then House of the Dragon to see her in a long-form fantasy narrative.
Olivia Cooke House of the Dragon
Cooke’s casting as adult Alicent Hightower was announced alongside Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith, creating immediate buzz around her addition to the Game of Thrones universe. According to Murphy’s Multiverse, the trio represented a mix of established talent and newcomers.
Role Details
Alicent Hightower is the most politically ambitious character in the series, and Cooke’s portrayal emphasizes her intelligence and ruthlessness. Emily Carey played the younger version in season 1, with Cooke taking over for the adult Alicent in season 2.
Season Impact
Cooke’s scenes with Matt Smith’s Daemon and Paddy Considine’s Viserys defined much of season 2’s political tension. The role requires her to navigate complex power dynamics while maintaining audience sympathy for a character who makes increasingly difficult choices.
Olivia Cooke TV Shows like Bates Motel and Slow Horses
Television gave Cooke her first sustained success. Bates Motel ran from 2013 to 2017, and her role as Emma Decody introduced her to a wide audience. The show, a modern reimagining of Psycho, ran on Universal Television and aired on A&E before moving to Netflix.
Bates Motel
Cooke played Norman Bates’ best friend Emma Decody, a character who navigated the toxic dynamics of the Bates family home. Collider notes she starred opposite Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga in the five-season series. This role marked her transition from British television to American productions.
Slow Horses
The Apple TV+ spy drama features Cooke as Sidonie “Sid” Baker, one of the junior agents in Gary Oldman’s MI5 office. The series, based on Mick Herron’s novels, has earned consistent critical praise and a dedicated audience across its three seasons.
The Girlfriend
The 2025 psychological thriller miniseries pairs Cooke with Robin Wright in a project that represents her first starring role opposite an established veteran. According to Wikipedia, The Girlfriend is set to release in 2025, giving viewers a dark character study that plays to Cooke’s strengths.
Related reading: Cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Film and Stage Cast Guide · One Piece Live Action: Season 2 Trailer, Season 3 2027 News
Olivia Cooke’s path from early British TV projects to international acclaim unfolds in her career and film guide, cutting across genres like House of the Dragon.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Olivia Cooke?
Olivia Cooke was born on 27 December 1993, making her currently in her early thirties. She began her professional acting career in her late teens with roles in British television before transitioning to film and U.S. productions.
Is Olivia Cooke married?
As of the most recent verified information, Olivia Cooke has not publicly confirmed a marriage. She has been linked to actor Christopher Abbott, though details about her current relationship status are not extensively documented in public sources.
What is Olivia Cooke’s role in Ready Player One?
Cooke played Art3mis, a skilled warrior and one of the leading characters in the OASIS virtual world. The role required motion-capture work and positioned her in a major blockbuster alongside Tye Sheridan and director Steven Spielberg.
What is The Girlfriend TV series?
The Girlfriend is a psychological thriller miniseries scheduled for 2025, starring Olivia Cooke alongside Robin Wright. The series marks a return to dark character study territory that Cooke has explored throughout her career.
Has Olivia Cooke been in The Originals?
Olivia Cooke has not appeared in The Originals. Her television work includes Bates Motel, Modern Love, Slow Horses, and House of the Dragon.
What are Olivia Cooke’s upcoming projects?
The Girlfriend (2025) is her most confirmed upcoming project. House of the Dragon season 3 remains unannounced, and no further film projects have been officially confirmed as of this writing.
Is Olivia Cooke in Slow Horses?
Yes. Olivia Cooke plays Sidonie “Sid” Baker in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, a spy drama series starring Gary Oldman. She has appeared in multiple seasons of the show.
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