Actress Olivia Cooke likens ‘scheming social climber’ she plays in ‘The Girlfriend’ to her own SISTER

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This is her most daring role yet. She plays a manipulative woman determined to climb the social ladder, willing to discard her morals – and her clothing – to seduce a wealthy, innocent man, much to the disapproval of his mother.

Olivia Cooke recently shared that she modeled her performance in the popular Amazon Prime series, *The Girlfriend*, after her stylish sister, Eleanor.

She notes that the character Cherry Laine resembles her younger sibling, possessing both a pleasing appearance and a delightful personality, but also a tendency to get angry quickly.

Olivia quickly pointed out that her sister is perfectly fine, and then shared that they have a lot in common, which actually helped her prepare for the role she played.

These exclusive photos of Eleanor, a mother living a normal life in northern England, show exactly what she’s talking about.

Olivia, who is 31, explained that while her mother might be upset, the actress playing a certain role strongly reminded her of her sister. She felt an immediate connection when she first read the script, saying it was like seeing her sister come to life.

‘She’s really glam, so well presented, so charming, so funny, and has somewhat of a temper.’

Olivia and her sister, Eleanor, who is now 26, grew up in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Their mother, Lindsy Wild, worked in sales, and their father, John Cooke, was a retired police officer. They were raised in a house that was once owned by the local council.

When she was six years old, her parents separated and she and her young sibling moved in with their mother. Despite this, photos online suggest they still have a close and loving family relationship.

Olivia started performing at the Oldham Theatre Workshop when she was eight years old. As a teenager, she moved to the United States and got an agent to represent her.

Before landing her big break as Alicent Hightower in the 2022 Sky Atlantic series *House of the Dragon*, she had already appeared in several TV shows and the Steven Spielberg movie *Ready Player One*.

Although quite different from the fantasy prequel to Game of Thrones, ‘The Girlfriend’ quickly became a hit when it premiered last month, reaching the top of streaming charts.

Audiences are fascinated by the extravagant lives of Daniel Sanderson, portrayed by Laurie Davidson, and his overbearing mother, Laura, played by Robin Wright.

Cherry, who grew up in a working-class family, is trying to win over Daniel, and she often resorts to provocative behavior to keep his attention. This creates a lot of tension with his mother, leading to a fierce rivalry between the two women.

There’s no indication that Eleanor, who lives in Oldham with her family, has experienced anything like this personally.

Olivia recently shared that she has a brother, and she explained that portraying a very different character was made easier by drawing inspiration from her sister’s personality and confidence.

On the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, she described her brother as incredibly bland, joking that he wouldn’t be offended by the comparison to a beige wall.

I’m going to really dive deep into this role, let’s put it that way. My sister usually takes on the more emotional parts, so I felt like this character, Cherry, already existed within me.

She has really long nails and jokingly warns people, ‘If you touch my nails like that again, you’ll regret it!’

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2025-10-12 18:18