Olivia Morris wants 'Librarians' viewers to get lost in the silliness
NEW YORK, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Olivia Morris says she wanted to star in The Librarians: The Next Chapter because, after working on Hotel Portofino and The Head, she was ready for a little magic.
"I absolutely adore all of my body of work. I love it. But, this is the first show that is complete escapism. There is nothing in it that is polarizing or upsetting," Morris, 28, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.
"That absolutely has its place on TV and film. I really think some of my favorite shows are very polarizing and important," she added.
"We live in a time where it's really complicated right now and to be able to have anyone turn on the telly and watch a show about librarians saving the world and using a magic door -- if it brings them even a minute of relaxation and enjoyment and you can just get lost in the silliness -- I think that is so valuable."
With only one more episode of this season of #TheLibrarians: The Next Chapter, we thought you might want to know who will be joining us for Season 2! pic.twitter.com/Xathmz6HgE— TNT Drama (@tntdrama) July 30, 2025
Created by Dean Devlin, the show wraps up its first season Monday on TNT and has already been renewed for a second season.
Morris plays Lysa, a scientist who inherits a castle in Belgrade that serves as annex to a library where supernatural artifacts from throughout history are stored.
She teams up with Vikram (Callum McGowan), a 19th-century librarian, who is bewildered to find himself transported to 2025, Connor (Bluey Robinson), a conspiracy-theory podcaster, and Charlie (Jessica Green), a highly skilled fighting machine, to protect the world from powerful magic that has been mistakenly unleashed.
In addition to being a fun watch, the family-friendly show also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and knowledge.
"These fans are clever. They are honorary librarians and I think you can see that in the scripts that the writers, everybody involved, are so passionate," Morris said.
"Some of the stuff my character has to say is bonkers," she added. "It is a real challenge to be able to say it as if she has said it a million times. I must look like a crazy person in my flat when I'm rehearsing my lines because I am determined to make it seem effortless and I hope it comes across as such."
The actress said she wants viewers, especially young ones, to see a team who uses their brains and hearts, instead of physical might, to vanquish evil.
"These characters are superheroes -- ones that are incredibly smart and incredibly empathetic," she said.
Morris said Devlin -- whose credits include Independence Day and The Ark -- is a wonderful collaborator and always has time to discuss characters and story-lines.
"He is so ready to meet [questions] with just as much curiosity and, as an actor, that is all you can ask for," she added.
"Sometimes, you want to suggest something or you want to ask why we do a certain thing, especially because the world is so big. There have been three films and a whole series before us," she explained. "Dean Is the one that knows that better than anyone. So, to have him around on set and be able to pick his brain about making the show the best it can be is really, really amazing."
The franchise started in 2004 with a trilogy of TV movies starring Noah Wyle.
Wylie served as an executive producer on both The Next Chapter and The Librarians, a TV series that followed the movies and ran for four seasons from 2014 through 2017.
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