About Me

Ever since I was a wee lad growing up in the BIG Canadian city of Toronto, I've always found myself trying to find new ways of expressing myself. During recess in elementary school, you wouldn't find me outside; you'd find me in the library writing stories (or playing games) on the computers. When I would get hold of my dad's phone while my friends were over, you would catch me filming an iMovie of my friends. And the first time I ever made real money, I bought a TV and then some makeup, which started a whole 6-year journey of creating content on YouTube and learning how to do makeup.

However, before all of this, I had to go through the life-altering pandemic caused by COVID-19. At the time, I was in Grade 9 and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. So to keep myself entertained, I watched movies and tried to start a YouTube channel.

But my mental health had other plans. I ended up stepping away from trying to become a viral sensation so I could focus on myself. However; during that time I kept practicing my makeup skills and watched Harry Potter—and that’s when I had an epiphany.

I wanted to be an actor.

It felt perfect. I had always wanted to write and create my own stories, but according to my teachers, that wasn’t realistic because of my “poor” writing skills. As they said I wrote “the way I talk.”

Well… jokes on them—I wrote a book (spoiler alert).

Anyway, that’s when I realized acting was the perfect way for me to express myself and tell stories. I could even act in my own stories if I wanted to (subtle foreshadowing). So my journey began.

I started by taking courses at Young People’s Theatre, enrolled in drama classes in high school, and even played the main character in one of our school productions. Eventually when the time came, I choose to apply to universities: York University, Capilano University, and my top choice, TMU in hopes to master my craft. Unfortunately, I wasn’t accepted into TMU—but I was accepted into York.

“There is no such thing as rejection, only redirection.”

That’s something I hear a lot now as an actor, and honestly, it’s a great mindset—especially in an industry where rejection is so common.

After just two days at York University, I realized it wasn’t the right place for me. I cried—a lot. I felt like a failure for wanting to drop out. I had believed York would be life-changing for my career, and there I was, ready to leave after only two days.

It was a challenge. There’s a strong stigma around university here in Canada. If you’re not attending or haven’t gone, people ask, “What are you doing with your life?” Then if you go to College it's often seen as a lesser or easier option of education.

But here’s the truth:

College is great (which I can say as someone who has attended both).
There’s nothing wrong with figuring out what you want to do with your life.

Also, many actors don’t even go to school. They simply train while actively working. I was stressing over something that, in hindsight, wasn’t nearly as big as it felt. (And fun fact: 30–70% of students change their major or career path anyway.)

So I kept going—but this time, I applied to colleges. I knew I still wanted an education, just in a different format. I didn’t want lectures—I wanted hands-on experience.

And I got in. To my top choice this time: George Brown’s Acting for Media program.

There, I met incredible people who became close friends, and I worked with professionals currently in the industry. By the end of the program, we even leave with headshots (yes, the one on my homepage) and a demo reel (no, this is not an ad). It gave me exactly what I needed: confidence to step into the industry.

And am I still terrified? Absolutely. But I’m a lot less terrified than I used to be.

And that brings us to now.

I’m a 21-year-old actor about to graduate from said college with a whole new perspective on acting as well as new knowledge about myself. During my time here, I’ve even created two short films, written a children’s book (for fun), and continued making YouTube videos whenever I can—alongside improving my SFX makeup skills.

Now I will not lie, this journey hasn’t been easy. It’s been messy, uncertain, and full of challenges. But it’s mine—and I’m just getting started.

So welcome to, the Olivia Hage show. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the adventure.