The bestOlivia Munnmovies and TV shows are an eclectic selection of projects, and highlight that the former correspondent onThe Daily Showand co-host ofAttack of the Show’sacting career is often overshadowed by story or pacing issues. Born in Oklahoma City in 1980, Olivia Munn has bene an active presence on screens since 1999, though it wasn’t until the early 2000s that she’d first gain credited roles in movies (under the name Lisa Munn).
However, it was 2006’sAttack of the Show,which Munn co-hosted between 2006-2007, which first gained her national recognition. Since then, Olivia Munn has appeared in a string of movies and TV shows, with her name becoming widely recognized. Unfortunately, many of her best performances (such as in Aaron Sorkinand HBO’sThe Newsroom) have been in series or films that were panned by critics and viewers, meaning her strongest work has been overshadowed by issues outside of her control.
The sitcomPerfect Couplesran on NBC from 2010-2011, lasting only for 13 episodes of a single season. However, while the show failed to wow critics or viewers (particularly because it’s by-the-numbers focus on three central couples had already been done before by dozens of other sitcoms), Olivia Munn’s performance as Leigh still stands out as a highlight of her career.
Olivia Munn plays Leigh inPerfect Coupleswho, alongi with her boyfriend Rex (Hayes MacArthur) believes herself to be a relationship expert who knows everything there is to know about romance.Like several entries among the best Olivia Munn TV shows,Perfect Coupleswas perhaps too short-lived for her performance to be more widely noticed, though this doesn’t change the fact she was brilliant in the role - especially given her on-screen chemistry with co-star Hayes MacArthur.
Mortdecai
Cast
Mortdecai is a Johnny Depp-led comedy featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, and Paul Bettany. The film follows Charlie Mortdecai, who must recover a stolen painting while avoiding the Russians, Mi5, and terrorists. Despite seeing mild success with his film Secret Window in 2004, this David Koepp’s film was negatively received upon release.
David Koepp’s 2015 action comedyMortdecaifeatured Olivia Munn as part of an all-star ensemble cast which also includedthe likes of Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Jeff Goldblum, and Ewan McGregor. While the movie was panned by critics upon its release, it did feature one of the most memorable performances of Munn’s career.
While the movie itself may have gradually faded into obscurity, Olivia Munn’s performance as the villainous Georgina Krampft definitely makes for a memorable entry in her wider filmography. One half of a duo of art thieves, playing Georgina inMortdecaiallowed Munn to show that she’s definitely apt for taking on antagonist roles in comedy films. What’s more,had the rest ofMortdecaibeen better received, it’s likely her performance would have gained more recognition (rather than being overshadowed by, for example, Johnny Depp’s glued-on moustache, which was so jarring it was nominated for a Golden Raspberry).
Deliver Us from Evil
Directed by Scott Derrickson, Deliver Us from Evil is a horror movie about a Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana), a New York police officer who teams up with priest Mendoza (Édgar Ramírez) to investigate a series of bizarre and supernatural crimes. The 2014 film is loosely based on Ralph Sarchie and Lisa Collier Cool’s book Beware the Night.
The supernatural horrorDeliver Us from Evilcomes from director Scott Derrickson, also known for his work on genre classics like 2005’sThe Exorcism of Emily Roseand2021’sThe Black Phone.The 2014 movie featured an ensemble cast that also included the likes of Joel McHale and Eric Bana, with Olivia Munn joining as Jen Sarchie, the wife of Bana’s Ralph Sarchie.
While the role of Jen inDeliver Us From Evilis relatively minor, Olivia Munn still manages to make her screen-time count. She has solid chemistry with Eric Bana, and the pair come across as an authentic husband and wife duo. What’s more,due to the psychological impact of the case the movie focuses on, Munn also gets to display some surprising dramatic skills as Jen witnesses Detective Sarchie’s obsession overcome him.
Olivia Munn’s first TV show role (outside of her hosting activities) was as Mily Acuna on the Nickelodeon showBeyond the Break,which was part of its TeenNick lineup aimed at a slightly older demographic than many of the networks more widely-known titles. The teen drama focused on the world of competitive surfing.
Mily Acuna, Olivia Munn’sBeyond the Breakcharacter, was a recurring role, and Munn appeared in 9 episodes of the show’s 3 seasons. While not her most prominent appearance, it was an important stepping-stone in her career. What’s more,hadBeyond the Breakbecome more of a cult hit, it’s likely that she’d be more known for this particular performance, as Mily was an incredibly memorable character.
The Gatewayis the 2021 crime thriller from director Michele Civetta, and marks the most recent film Olivia Munn has appeared in. It’s also one of her best movie roles so far, and one of the rare feature films that places her in a lead role. Originally titled “Where Angels Die”, The Gatewayfocuses on Olivia Munn’s Dahlia Montrose, a single mother who finds herself dragged back into a life of crime after her husband, Mike, returns from prison.
WhileThe Gatewayreceived mixed reviews from critics, Olivia Munn and the rest of the cast were regularly praised. Like many movies in Munn’s career, the performances were somewhat let down by the story and pacing. However,for fans of Olivia Munn’s work wanting to delve into her filmography,The Gatwayshould be considered essential viewing.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie
Ninjago is the story of six young ninja tasked with defending their island home, called Ninjago. By night, they’re gifted warriors, using their skill and awesome fleet of vehicles to fight villains and monsters. By day, they’re ordinary teens, struggling against their greatest enemy: high school.
The Lego Ninjago Movieis a somewhat underrated entry amongthe Lego movies created by Warner Brothers, being overshadowed byThe Lego Movieand its sequel as well as 2017’sThe Lego Batman Movie.However,The Lego Ninjago Movieis filled with a lot of heart and no shortage of hilarity, and is deliberately written to be accessible to anyone, even those who have no knowledge of the widerNinjagofranchise (which the movie is standalone from and parodies relentlessly).
InThe Leg Ninjago MovieOlivia Munn gets to flex her voice-acting talents as Koko, the ex-wife of the central villain Lord Garmadon (Justin Theroux), and the mother of Dave Franco’s Lloy Garmadon (the hero of the story also known as the Green Ninja). However, Koko herself was also once a fierce warrior known as Lady Iron Dragon.Munn is absolutely hilarious in the role, and her fans definitely shouldn’t missThe Lego Ninjago Movie,as it remains one of her strongest performances.
Magic Mike
Loosely based on the real experiences of Channing Tatum, Magic Mike is a comedy/drama film by director Steven Soderbergh and written by Reid Carolin. Channing Tatum stars as Michael “Magic Mike” Lane, an entrepreneur, hustler, and professional exotic dancer living in Tampa, FL. When Mike takes on a new protege to show him the hustling life, Mike’s world seems to be on track the way he wants- until a fateful encounter with another dancer’s sister has him re-evaluating his life.
2012’sMagic Mikeis the first in the trilogyof movies about male erotic dancers led by Channing Tatum in the titular lead role. While Tatum’s Michael “Magic Mike” Lane would go on to have a different romantic interest in each film (and she wasn’t the girl Mike ends up with by the end ofMagic Mike)the best Olivia Munn movie role so far is that of Joanna, Mike’s girlfriend when the story starts.
While it’s not the most central role, the part of Joanna inMagic Mikeis among her best movie performances. It’s also one of the highest-budget movies that featured Olivia Munn in a part that was closely connected to the central narrative, making it stand out among the blockbuster titles in her best movies and TV shows.
X-Men: Apocalypsewas the penultimate movie in the FoxX-Menfranchise before Disney acquired the company and brought mutantkind into the wider MCU fold. Olivia Munn starred in the 2016 superhero movie as Elizabeth Braddock, the mutant also known as Psylocke, a character many fans of theX-Mencomics had been eagerly anticipating seeing on the big screen.
Psylocke is one of the more lethalX-Mencharacters, and Olivia Munn spent several months practicing sword fighting for the role prior to her appearance inX-Men: Apocalypse.While she’s not the most central character, she still receives plenty of screen time alongside the titular villain (Oscar Isaac’s Apocalypse), making the film stand out as one of the best Olivia Munn movies of her career so far.Fans also praised the comic-book accuracy of Psylocke’s appearance, noting how well suited Munn was to her role and how much attention to detail had been place in her costume.
The Newsroom
At the fictional Atlantis Cable News station, lead anchor Will McAvoy and his staff work to put out a news show in the face of each week’s corporate challenges, political tension, and personal conflicts.
HBO’sThe Newsoomran on the network from 2012 to 2014, and wascreated by Aaron Sorkin(the writer behind the likes ofThe West WingandStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip). WhileThe Newsroomalways struggled to make the same impact and find its footing with critics and viewers, it still stands out as one of the best Olivia Munn TV shows, and a defining role in her wider career.
Olivia Munn featured among the main cast ofThe Newsroomas Sloan Sabbith, an economist who presents the finance segment on the fictional new show the series revolves around. In many ways,it’s a shame thatThe Newsroomnever took off, as Munn gives a phenomenal performance as the socially awkward Sloan, especially when her character becomes romantically interested in Thomas Sadoski’s Don Keefer.
The Predator
The Predator follows a group of ex-soldiers and a scientist who band together to battle a new evolution of lethal alien Predators. As these hunters descend upon Earth, the team must fight to prevent humanity’s extinction.
Since it’s her most prominent role to date and so gives her the most plot-centric part of any movie she’s appeared in, 2018’sThe Predatorranks among the best Olivia Munn movies so far. Directed by Shane Black,The Predatoris the fourth installmentin thePredatorfranchise(not including the twoAlien vs. Predatorcrossovers). Olivia Munn appeared as Casey Brackett, an evolutionary biologist featured on the team’s mission against the titular Predator.
Reception toThe Predatorwas lukewarm at best, leading new owners Disney to eventually give the franchise a soft reboot with 2022’sPrey.However,Olivia Munn still gave one of the most solid movie performances of her career so far - and this is evidenced by the fact that even the negative reviews praise the performance of the cast (citing instead the narrative and pacing being the key drawbacks).
