Olivia Wilde on Living a Fulfilling Life

Olivia: I’m really worried. I was raised to question everything. My grandfather was a great journalist and he wrote a book called ‘Believe Nothing Until It Has Been Officially Denied’. We have to make sure that we are questioning what we’re accepting, and remember that it’s our job to be curious citizens. There are so many liberties that we’re willing to sacrifice in the name of security, and that’s a slippery slope. We have to take back the power as much as we can. We have to resist! The truth matters.

As for the next election — you can take 5 minutes out of your day to vote. You had to go right by there on your way to the store anyways. And I think that we shouldn’t just elect a president and wipe your hands like “ok, now I can relax”. To really have change you have to continue operating on a local level. You have to be in touch with your representatives, you have to speak up constantly and stand up for what you believe in — demand it. We can’t just give up. We have to continue to fight. Remember your own power as a citizen. Question everything.

Urbanette: Who is inspiring you to do all of this great advocacy work? Do you have mentors or people that you look up to?

Olivia: It’s everyone from Jeff Bridges to Jennifer Garner. It’s great because all of these people have different experiences but I think they’ve carried themselves with such grace. And they’re a wonderful example for someone like me.

Urbanette: Sounds like you have a special relationship with these people. But is it more of an advice relationship or a hangout relationship — or a little bit of both?

Olivia: I really value those relationships because anytime I’ve been hit by rough times I do have wonderful people I can call and say, “How do you deal with this?” And it’s people I’ve worked with and become close with.

Urbanette: You have two adorable children. What was it like becoming a mother?

Olivia: No one tells you that after you’ve had a baby you are a walking wounded. It’s an experience, for sure. And then there’s all these expectations thrown at you right away; how you’re supposed to bounce back, a lot of them are really unrealistic, and I just kind of had had it. They want you to wear a corset and I’m like ‘what century are we in’?

Urbanette: You also wrote an article called, “The Dos and Don’ts of Turning 30,” about being thirty years old. If you can share one main idea for this article, what would it be?

Olivia: I encouraged women to take advantage of it, to enjoy it, not be ashamed of it or stifle it in any way and to understand that what I said in the article is that now we can act like an 18-year old boy and just be better at everything.

Urbanette: That sounds like fun. In your article, you wrote, “I am so saddened and grossed out by young women who look like creepy, old aliens because of their new Barbie noses and lips.” I agree. It’s sad that society has convinced young women that they need to look a particular way to be attractive.

Olivia: Yeah, there are too many young women who are getting plastic surgery. It makes me sad and they all look the same. And I don’t mean to be preachy, it’s advice to myself as much as it is for everyone else…