Eric Christian Olsen Has Had Quite The Transformation
Each year, actors in Hollywood prepare for pilot season, a relatively brief window when casting takes place for the pilots that have been greenlit by television networks. The process is something of a crapshoot; a pilot can have a great script, talented director, and top-shelf cast and still not receive a pickup order; for actors cast in these unsold pilots, they rolled the dice and lost — better luck next year.
On the flip side, being cast in a series that is picked up, and then goes on to become one of the most popular shows on television is pretty much as good as it gets. That's been the case for Eric Christian Olsen, who was cast as investigator Marty Deeks on "NCIS: Los Angeles" in 2010. A spinoff of the massively successful "NCIS," the Los Angeles version was likewise a monster hit, with Olsen portraying Deeks for 14 seasons until the series ended its run in 2023.
Given the longevity of that success, it's understandable that Olsen is more associated with Deeks than any of the other myriad characters he's portrayed over the past two-plus decades. From his childhood in Oregon to his current status as a top actor — not to mention his growing career as a screenwriter and producer — there's no question that this talented muti-hyphenate has come a long way. To find out more about that fascinating journey, read on and it will become clear that Eric Christian Olsen has had quite the transformation.
His family took road trips when he was a kid
Eric Christian Olsen was born in Eugene, Oregon, but spent the bulk of his childhood in Bettendorf, Iowa. Olsen is the youngest of two sons welcomed by track coach Paul V. Olsen and his wife Jeanne. Among his fondest childhood memories are the road trips that he and his older brother, David, took with their parents. "The things that I remember most about my childhood are experiences like loading up the family station wagon for vacations in the Cascades, fishing in the Teton Mountains or bodysurfing with my dad for hours along the Oregon coast," Olsen recalled in an essay he wrote for Four Seasons Magazine.
When he became a husband and a father, Olsen was adamant about recreating what he'd experienced as a kid for his own children. In fact, he explained, when it came time to renegotiate his "NCIS: Los Angeles" contract, instead of seeking more money, he instead requested more time off so that he could hit the road and make some memories with his wife Sarah Wright and their kids. "Sarah and I both believe firmly in the fundamental philosophy that happiness is the journey, not the destination," he added.
Given that their kids were quite young when they launched their road-trip tradition, Olsen came to be a veteran when it comes to traveling with wee ones. "When [traveling] with toddlers," he advised, "you have to plan on things going sideways."
He developed an early interest in improv
While growing up in Iowa, Eric Christian Olsen developed various interests. One of these was sports, with the athletic youngster demonstrating enough aptitude at hockey that he became captain of his high school hockey team. He also developed a fascination with improv comedy, which led him to join ComedySportz, a national organization devoted to training aspiring improv comics in the craft.
He joined when he was still in high school, but had to do some strategic fibbing. "I was 16; I lied about being 21," he told Rappler of his subterfuge. His improv background has frequently been an asset in his career as an actor — such as when he was approached by Funny or Die to star in a series of videos as Perry Hilton, faux brother of Paris Hilton. In the series, he partnered with the likes of Jeremy Piven and Eva Longoria (with whom he made a parody sex tape).
He also brought his improv skills to the table for "NCIS: Los Angeles" — albeit for a hilariously devious purpose. During a joint appearance with co-star Daniela Ruah on "The Queen Latifah Show," Olsen revealed that he would frequently improvise a line at the very end of their scenes — so that he'd get the last word. "So what happens is they write one for her, like, she'll have the last line and then I'll always improv something afterwards," he revealed. "And it drives me nuts!" Ruah chimed in.
His landed his breakthrough role while still in college
After graduating from high school, Eric Christian Olsen went to Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. His excellent grades landed him a scholarship, and he enrolled in the pre-med program. While attending Pepperdine in the late 1990s, Olsen also began exploring an acting career to indulge his passion for acting while also paying the bills. "I started doing this on the side, to help pay for college," Olsen told The Reel Story, explaining that while his tuition was covered, he had to come up with money for room and board on his own. "So I actually came out to Los Angeles, because I thought I could do commercials at the same time as getting my education," he explained.
As Olsen continued his studies, his sideline as an actor began to gather steam. In addition to commercials, he began landing bit parts in film and television before landing a role that would prove to be a game-changer for him: He portrayed a patient who'd suffered extensive burns on a Season 5 episode of the hit medical drama "ER." Following that exposure, his acting career really began to take off.
In fact, it wasn't long after that "ER" guest spot that he landed a role that would make him the envy of any struggling actor in Hollywood: as a full cast member in an ensemble comedy that was ordered to series.
He co-starred with a future Oscar-winner in his first TV series
In 1999, Eric Christian Olsen was cast in the comedy-drama series "Get Real," about a husband and wife (Jon Tenney and Debrah Farentino) raising three teenagers. Olsen starred as their eldest son, Cameron, while his onscreen siblings were played by two future movie stars: Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg. Hathaway, of course, went on to big-screen stardom in films like "The Devil Wears Prada," even winning an Oscar for her performance in "Les Miserables." Eisenberg's trajectory was similar, as he received an Oscar nomination for his starring role in "The Social Network."
Sadly, the show's ratings weren't great, and it was canceled with two episodes left unaired. Despite the series' failure, it proved to be the launching pad that propelled Olsen's career to the next level. Soon after, he was cast in the biggest project in which he'd ever been involved: "Pearl Harbor," a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster featuring an A-list cast.
Filming began in April 2000, roughly the same time that "Get Real" shuffled off television's mortal coil. "But my first movie ever was 'Pearl Harbor,'" he shared during an appearance on "The Talk," recalling that he played the gunner to Ben Affleck's character, a combat pilot. "So, Ben Affleck is, like, acting and running around and flexing his jawbone, and then I just come up and say one line and run out of the shot," he joked.
He was killed four times in Pearl Harbor
It's been said there are no small roles, just small actors. Still, Eric Christian Olsen's one-line part in "Pearl Harbor" didn't offer him much opportunity to flex his acting muscles. It did, however, provide him with the unique experience of faking his own death onscreen — not just once, but multiple times.
During a 2016 panel appearance at San Diego Comic Com, Olsen recalled being hired for a single day on the film, with his character ultimately meeting his end. "But there was so much going on and there were so many people, they just brought me back the next day. And then [director Michael Bay] killed me about three weeks later," he said, as reported by CinemaBlend. At that point, he assumed that was it — but instead, he kept getting brought back to the set. "So, they killed me like four times in the movie, but I stayed on the movie for like two-and-a-half months. I didn't want to tell anybody. I'd just say, 'Should I come back tomorrow?' They're like, 'Sure, why not?' If you watch the movie, I die like four times."
An unexpected 10 weeks of work wasn't the only financial boon he received from "Pearl Harbor." While appearing on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Olsen revealed he was still attending Pepperdine when he received his first residual check from "Pearl Harbor" — for a whopping $21,000.
Big-screen stardom with Dumb and Dumberer
Following "Pearl Harbor," Eric Christian Olsen continued landing roles in television and film, most notably "Not Another Teen Movie," which also starred future Captain America Chris Evans. Shortly after that, Olsen landed his biggest break to date when he was cast in a starring role in "When Harry Met Lloyd: Dumb and Dumberer," a 2003 prequel in which he played the younger version of Jim Carrey's "Dumb and Dumber" character, Lloyd Christmas. While the movie wasn't a total bomb, it was far from a blockbuster.
Years later, interviewed by Red Carpet News TV, Olsen admitted he worried he'd made a huge mistake by taking on the role, in which he'd inevitably come up short when compared to Carrey. "When they said they were making this movie, I said, 'This is the worst idea I've ever heard!'" he said. "And then I booked the movie and I was like, 'Yes!' And then I was like, 'This is still the worst idea ever made!'"
When the film came out, Olsen remembered seeing that Carrey was asked about "Dumb and Dumberer" on a talk show, where the comedian wrote the prequel off as an exploitive Hollywood money grab. Olsen was heartbroken, until a few months later he encountered Carrey's manager, who told him that the comedian had seen the film and admitted he eventually forgot he wasn't watching himself. That was hugely relieving for Olsen. "All I wanted to do was make that guy happy," he said.
He met his future wife on a TV show
In 2006, Eric Christian Olsen booked another TV series, cast as a series regular in the Fox comedy "The Loop." The experience would prove to be a pivotal one in his life — not because the show was any good (it definitely wasn't), but because it brought him into the orbit of co-star Sarah Wright. Wright, who appeared in several episodes, would go on to become Olsen's wife (they tied the knot in 2012), but it's fair to say that it wasn't a case of love at first sight.
Appearing together on "Entertainment Tonight," the spouses posed questions to each other. Wright asked her husband to recall his first impression of her when they first met on the set. "I thought they hired you because you were super gorgeous and not because you were talented, so I was mean to you the first time we met," Olsen admitted. Olsen then asked the same question of his wife. "I thought you were a big jerk!" she declared. So how did the two overcome that rough start? According to Wright, at the table read Olsen laughed at her jokes, and then afterward came up to her and apologized for his initial rudeness.
Since then, the couple went on to start a family, welcoming their first child, son Wyatt Oliver, in 2013. Next came daughter Esmé Olivia in 2016, followed by their third, daughter Winter Story, who arrived in 2020.
He was training to be a chef before landing his life-changing role in NCIS: LA
In 2010, Eric Christian Olsen landed the role that would change his life, playing Deeks in "NCIS: Los Angeles." Interestingly, at the time he auditioned, he was also training to be a chef. "So during pilot season, I went to Le Cordon Bleu for culinary school," he told Vulture. "I was doing auditions and meetings during the day and going to culinary school at night." As Olsen explained, he felt the need to gain some new knowledge while grinding through another pilot season, and Le Cordon Bleu offered him entry into a world that he'd never before had the chance to explore. "At culinary school, none of the things we use to define ourselves outside that world — actor, producer, student — none of that matters," he said. "It's a magical art form."
There was one not-so-small obstacle when he started his cooking education: He'd never actually cooked before. However, he quickly received a crash course in the culinary arts. "You're cooking, y'know, and you've got six burners going, and the oven, and you're slicing up a thousand things, pulling stuff out of the freezer, people are cutting their fingers, people are being rushed off to the hospital, it was amazing," he told The Reel Story.
When he booked "NCIS: LA," he was forced to drop out — completing just six weeks of an eight-month course — but confirmed he'd love to return to Le Cordon Bleu if the opportunity presented itself.
He became a fan-favorite on a beloved TV comedy
While you'll get no argument from viewers of "NCIS: Los Angeles" that Eric Christian Olsen is best known for playing Deeks, fans of the beloved cult-hit sitcom "Community" may offer a differing opinion. Even though Olsen appeared in just four episodes, he made a big impression on viewers as guitar-playing hacky sack enthusiast Vaughn Miller. Although he wasn't seen on the show much, he did get involved in some big storylines, including becoming the boyfriend of Britta (Gillian Jacobs) and, later, Annie (Alison Brie), and performing a hilarious song — while shirtless, no less — dissing Chevy Chase's character Pierce.
As Olsen told Vulture back in 2011, he came to "Community" because he was a big fan of those involved with the show. "I mean, 'Community' is one of my favorite shows on TV — I'm a huge fan of the Russo brothers and 'Arrested Development,' which is why I did it."
He also revealed that another guest-starring role — a multi-episode stint on the drama series "Brothers & Sisters" — came about because he was a huge admirer of one of the series' stars, Rachel Griffith, due to her work in the acclaimed HBO drama "Six Feet Under." According to Olsen, at the time he was eager to make more appearances on "Community," but his commitment to "NCIS: LA" stood in the way. "I talked to ['Community' creator] Dan Harmon about trying to do it this season, but I shoot 80 hours a week on 'NCIS: LA.' Maybe next year," he said.
He's experienced success as a producer
It isn't uncommon for actors on hit TV shows to enter development deals with their networks as part of contract renegotiations, and that proved to be the case for Eric Christian Olsen when he re-upped his deal with "NCIS: Los Angeles" in 2018. As Deadline reported, the production company he'd founded in 2016 — Cloud Nine Productions — had signed a first-look deal with CBS Television Studios. He sold two projects to CBS: a medical drama called "Nurses," and a sitcom, "Life Lessons." While neither of those wound up on the network's schedule, Olsen was undeterred. The following year, Cloud Nine sold another project to CBS, "The Last Video Store," which also didn't get picked up. In 2020, Olsen's company sold two more series, although those likewise never made it on the air.
It took a while, but in 2018 one of Cloud Nine's series was picked up, with the Hulu streaming service ordering the comedy "Woke." The series made its debut in 2020, with Olsen sharing a teaser video to his Instagram followers. In 2022, the series was canceled after its second season.
That same year, Cloud Nine then sold four more projects to CBS. One of those shows was described as a legal drama, about which details were being kept secret. Of those four, it was the mystery lawyer show that would prove to be pivotal in the next stage of Olsen's career as a producer.
His brother is his stunt double and married his NCIS co-star
Eric Christian Olsen isn't the only member of his family to appear on "NCIS: Los Angeles." Viewers may not be aware that in some of the more action-heavy scenes, Deeks was actually portrayed by a stunt performer. "I have a stunt double, who's actually my brother," Olsen said of his real-life sibling, David Olsen, on "The Talk." "And he was in the Navy SEALs for four years and got out, and now has a security company and also comes down and does my stunts. He looks like me, except he's much stronger."
Fans of "NCIS: LA" are certainly aware that Deeks has long been romantically involved with NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye, played by Daniela Ruah. What they may not realize, however, is that Ruah is married to her onscreen paramour's brother. During an appearance on "The Queen Latifah Show," Olsen revealed that he was the cupid in this scenario, setting up his brother and his co-star by singing Ruah's praises to his brother and his brother's to his co-star. "That was enough to kinda get them started in conversation and it became this wonderful relationship."
When the two lovebirds tied the knot in 2014, Olsen and his co-star became in-laws. "We started to play this couple thing [on the show] before we became brother and sister-in-law," Ruah told ETOnline. "Because we've gotten to know each other so well over the years, it's made the family thing seamless."
He ventured into screenwriting
Having veered off into the world of producing, Eric Christian Olsen has also dabbled in screenwriting. In fact, he's co-written scripts for "NCIS: Los Angeles," the first of which was the series' landmark 250th episode. The plot of the episode — titled "Mother" — centers around a black-ops agent who is recruited by Hetty (Linda Hunt) and who re-enters her life to seek retribution for the violent life she drew him into.
"One of the things we really wanted to dive into is: What are the emotional repercussions of living a life of violence?" Olsen told Parade, revealing that the idea behind the story came from a book he'd been reading about the psychological toll that killing takes on soldiers. In Olsen's story, Hetty is forced to confront her own role in the agent's downward spiral, much like Dr. Frankenstein's reckoning with the monster he created. "It turns dark, and when he returns, because they owe humanity a debt, his POV is it is a debt that only can be repaid in their blood. He's horrified of the things that he's done," Olsen added.
He also co-wrote an episode in the series' 13th season, titled "Live Free or Die Standing" — which was directed by his onscreen love and real-life sister-in-law, Daniela Ruah. "He's such a creative interesting writer, who researches so much," she told TV Insider of Olsen, who responded in kind. "She's at her best as a director," he said of Ruah. "She's the real deal."
He said goodbye to NCIS: LA after 14 seasons of crimefighting
Even the most popular TV series must eventually come to an end, and such was the case with "NCIS: Los Angeles" when the final episode aired in 2023. When news of the series' end emerged, Eric Christian Olsen took to Instagram to share a brief but emotional message. "What a spectacular journey we all shared," he wrote.
As fans will recall, the series finale ended on a high note for all the characters, and that was particularly true of Eric Christian Olsen's Deeks and Daniela Ruah's Kensi, who tied the knot in a small courthouse ceremony rather than the elaborate wedding they'd been planning. "Playing the end of that arc with Kensi was stunning and beautiful, and it's what the characters and audience deserves," Olsen told TV Insider of the finale. "Lots of feels." After production wrapped, Olsen revealed he'd walked away with a few mementos from the set. "I took the weight set from the gym, and some Jordans," he told "Entertainment Tonight," referring to his character's trademark sneakers. "These are directly stolen from set," he added while displaying one of the purloined shoes that he happened to be wearing.
Olsen also revealed that shedding the character he'd played for 14 years would result in a physical transformation involving his shaggy hairstyle. "I'm going to cut it short," he told Parade. "I know fans are very emotionally invested in that hair, but I'm going to cut it."
He mounted a reboot of a TV classic
After "NCIS: Los Angeles" ended, Eric Christian Olsen immediately jumped into a new role — not as an actor, but behind the camera. In January 2023, TVLine reported CBS had placed a pilot order for a series produced by his Cloud Nine Productions: "Matlock," a CBS reboot of the 1980s TV hit about a folksy, seemingly naive country lawyer (played by Andy Griffith) who was underestimated by the slick attorneys he constantly outsmarted.
In the new version, Emmy- and Oscar-winning actor Kathy Bates was cast as Madeline "Matty" Matlock, who uses her unassuming manner and smarts to help the attorneys at a law firm win cases.
After that pilot was shot, CBS execs liked what they saw; that May, Variety reported that the network had ordered "Matlock" to series. Under normal circumstances, the series would have arrived that autumn as part of the CBS fall lineup. However, shortly before the announcement, the Writers' Guild of America went on strike, followed a few months later by the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, halting production of all U.S. film and TV projects for months. Production on "Matlock" was postponed until after the actors' strike ended in November. "Matlock" is now expected to air sometime in 2024. "It's so exciting and overwhelming and I can't wait for people to see it," Olsen told ET Canada, via IMDb, of the new series.