- Vivian Olyphant stars in Justified: City Primeval.
- Vivian is Timothy Olyphant’s daughter.
- Justified: City Primeval is her debut role.
There’s another Olyphant taking over Hollywood! Vivian Olyphant is having a breakout moment with the premiere of Justified: City Primeval, the long-awaited Justified revival. The 20-year-old is part of the incredible ensemble cast of the FX series, which premieres July 18.
So, who is Vivian Olyphant? She’s an actress on the rise and making her TV debut with her famous dad. HollywoodLife has 5 key facts you need to know about Vivian.
Vivian Olyphant is Timothy Olyphant’s daughter.
Vivian is the youngest child of Timothy Olyphant and Alexis Knief. The couple, who met in college, have been married since 1991. Vivian has two older siblings: Grace and Henry.
Vivian plays Willa Givens in Justified: City Primeval.
Vivian stars as Willa Givens, Raylan’s 15-year-old daughter, in Justified: City Primeval. The role marks Vivian’s onscreen acting debut. Willa is the daughter of Raylan and his ex, Winona, played by Natalie Zea. Willa was previously played by Eden Henderson.
Timothy suggested Vivian audition for the role of Willa.
At first, the Justified: City Primeval showrunners were very hesitant about Timothy’s idea. “In fact, we were horrified when Tim was like, ‘I’m going to put my daughter on tape for the role of my daughter,'” Dave Andron told EW back in 2022. “And we were like, ‘This is a no-win. This is brutal. If it’s not good, what are we going to do?’ And she was great.”
Vivian auditioned and won the role of Willa Givens. “It was an incredible experience,” Timothy said on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2022. “She was remarkable, and it was a joy to work with her. She worked very hard. She auditioned for it, and I wasn’t surprised that they hired her, and it was really special.”
Vivian has studied acting and singing.
Vivian studied acting at William Esper Studio in New York. She also attended Berklee College of Music where she studied songwriting. She currently lives in New York.
Vivian never watched the original Justified.
Vivian was a bit young during Justified’s original run from 2010 to 2015. In an interview with The Wrap (which took place before the SAG-AFTRA strike), Vivian admitted that she “never” watched Justified but “did visit the set. But, I was 8 when the show ended. And by the time I was allowed to watch the show, I think that was a time where I stopped caring about my dad.”