We have a wealth of wonderfully talented actors who got their start making Disney shows and films. But, as often discussed on Collider Ladies Night, this is an industry with a habit of boxing artists in to the first they do well. One particularly popular box? The Disney box, and that’s the one I focused on with Heart Eyes star, Olivia Holt.

Holt’s star started to rise with not one, but two Disney shows and a Disney Channel Original Movie. First it was Disney XD’s Kickin’ It, then came the movie Girl vs. Monster, and after that it was the Disney Channel Original Series, I Didn't Do It. All fantastic opportunities for a young actor getting a foothold in the industry, but all projects that would wind up labeling Holt as a particular kind of actor. When the time came to grow beyond Disney projects, Holt cared a good deal about that carrying label - until she didn’t. “I just couldn't care anymore. I think I cared so deeply about people not wanting to view me as a Disney star, and now I just embrace it.”

Embracing it has served Holt exceptionally well since the end of I Didn’t Do It. While making the most of the invaluable lessons learned on those Disney sets, Holt has gone on to headline the short-lived but beloved Marvel series Cloak & Dagger. She also delivered big starring in the Hulu series Cruel Summer. She starred opposite Kiernan Shipka in Prime Video’s horror comedy Totally Killer, and now she leads yet another slasher movie that’s a total blast, Heart Eyes. 

Holt plays Ally in the Josh Ruben-directed romantic comedy slasher film. After a setback at work, Ally agrees to have dinner with Jay (Mason Gooding), the hotshot designer her boss brought in to oversee her assignment. Trouble is, it’s Valentine’s Day and the Heart Eyes Killer is out for blood. When HEK suspects Ali and Jay are on a date, they become HEK’s next target.

With Heart Eyes now playing in theaters nationwide, Holt took the time to swing by the Collider Ladies Night studio to recap her journey to becoming an undeniable force in the genre space.

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