Dawn Olivieri in ‘Homestead.’ Photo Courtesy of Angel Studios.
Actress Dawn Olivieri (“Yellowstone” and “1883”) chatted about starring in “Homestead,” which was released today via Angel Studios.
Olivieri stars alongside a star-studded cast that features Neal McDonough, Bailey Chase, and Jesse Hutch.
‘Homestead’
The synopsis is: A nuclear bomb is detonated in Los Angeles, and the nation devolves into unprecedented chaos. Amid chaos, ex-Green Beret joins prepper compound; love grows, truths arise, and a community unites.
“Homestead was great,” she said. “It’s really exciting to watch it on the big theater screen. It’s a completely different experience.”
Playing Jenna
On playing Jenna Ross in “Homestead,” she said, “Watching her and watching the whole piece on that screen really threaded nicely.”
“I like the character of Jenna at least starting out here where she doesn’t know what to do, and she’s a little out of her element. She just needs her husband to help her do things. I find her to be a very interesting character choice,” she elaborated.
Lessons learned from this screenplay
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, she revealed, “I think the character Jenna is maybe the closest representation of me as a character that I’ve played up until this point in my career, to be honest, at least with what is happening in my life at the moment and what is playing out on ‘Homestead’.”
“There is another level of intimate openness that has to happen for me. In that respect, it is going to be a real challenge in that way,” she noted.
“I think a villain is easy for me to play because I can play someone that I am not, and I can hide behind that but when I am playing a good person who is trying to tell people to believe and have faith and to have full trust,” she elaborated.
“It’s very weird because my character thinks the way that I think. Jenna is literally saying the things that I would say,” she explained.
“Philosophically, we are the same, especially since our ideologies match up,” she added.
Working with her fellow co-stars
On working with Neal McDonough, Bailey Chase, and Jesse Hutch, she said, “They are all just great, and it feels like the men in the show are in control from the beginning. They are strong and they are leading the charge, and I think ‘Homestead’ is going to be so good!”
‘1883’ vs. ‘Homestead’
Olivieri opened up about her transition from “1883” to “Homestead.”
“That’s a big jump,” she admitted. “A lot has happened in between there too! It goes back to me playing these women that are — in their own right — very strong and very powerful. Some of them are even lost in the depths of that power and control where there is no room for anybody else.”
“Jenna has been able to cultivate a successful traditional relationship. There comes other skillsets that are more refined when you have a woman who has been able to do that… so, that’s going to be one of my challenges, especially to know how to navigate that,” she added.
Olivieri on Eric Nelsen
From “1883,” she complimented Emmy and Tony winner Eric Nelsen.
“Eric Nelsen is a really good guy; he’s the best guy,” she said. “While we didn’t get to work together much, I know Eric well now. Eric is just a terrific actor, and I hope to do his podcast soon so that’ll be fun.”
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Olivieri said, “I think the digital age is a problem. I think it is giving my neck some issues because I keep looking at my phone too much.”
“Also, I have a reality of life when I go home that is about being outdoors, being tactile, and being with animals because animals demand presence and attention, and I think ‘thank God for that.’
“I really feel for people that don’t have access to that because as we progress down this digital obsession, we need to have a place in nature where we can harmonize with nature and a horse itself, for instance,” she elaborated.
“I feel like I’ve been given this gift to be able to go out there and retune myself so I don’t get too much in this digital atmosphere,” she added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “Long live the Horse.”
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, Olivieri said, “Cultivate a real life outside of acting because acting is just a bridge where you get to share the real meat of who you are, what you are experiencing, and the life that you’ve lived because without that, you have nothing behind your eyes.”
“As you grow in this profession, your currency is your experiences. Those animals that I raise and work with on the ranch and then, I am there and I hold them as they die, that is the fodder that I use to come in and it’s why I’ve become so good at what I do,” she elaborated.
“It’s literally the animals and those lives that I’ve worked with that are right there with me, front and center,” she added.
Success
Regarding her definition of success, Olivieri said, “Success is when you are happy. You need to ask yourself: ‘what makes you happy?’ I think connections with people makes me happy. Also, living a life that you are passionate about makes you happy.”
“Being successful at the thing that you work hard to do makes me happy. Usually, when you are successful, it means that money comes to you through energy,” she acknowledged.
“Also, using your passion to generate abundance makes you happy, so success is a mix of all that. Something that makes me happy is that I love saving all these lives and giving them away. I love giving things away that are priceless,” she elaborated.
“If you can create a life where you can give priceless things away, then that’s a life hack in itself,” she added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Homestead’
For fans and viewers, Olivieri concluded, “I hope viewers learn from this movie that a life lived from the heart is the life that induces miracles.”
To learn more about Dawn Olivieri, follow her on Instagram.