As our time runs out, I throw out some random questions.
Is it true she’s partially deaf? “Yes, I have 60% hearing loss in my left ear. If you sat on this side of me and tried to tell me a secret, I wouldn’t be able to hear you.”
What did she want to be as a child? “An obstetrician! I love babies, and I played obstetrician with my dolls, even if I was far too young to know how any of that works.”
What would she call the movie of her life? “Oooh, I’d love to manifest an awesome title – like, ‘Olivia Rodrigo lives the happiest, most joyful life any singer songwriter ever lived’.”
Which role would tempt her back to acting? “Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Obviously, the best love story of all time.”
It’s almost too appropriate – pop’s heartbreak princess playing theatre’s most tragic heroine. But, like Juliet, Rodrigo is mature for her age, taking control of her destiny in male-dominated spaces.
Before releasing her new album, she parted ways with her managers to assume control of her career, building a hand-picked creative team around her own decision-making.
It allows her to be nimble and decisive, skipping events like the Met Gala, which don’t “inspire me or feel aligned with my values”, she recently told the New York Times., external
