Timothy Olyphant's life from marriage to college sweetheart to connection to one of America's richest families
Actor Timothy Olyphant has had a fascinating life even before he landed star-making roles in Deadwood and Justified.
He's since scored appearances in major projects such as The Mandalorian, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Daisy Jones & the Six in recent years.
However, his latest performance, in Noah Hawley's terrifying prelude to the Alien franchise, Alien: Earth, could be his most impressive yet.
Olyphant portrays another of the series' infamously creepy androids, Kirsh, alongside a stellar cast including rising star Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis and Babou Ceesay.
But what do we know about the actor's life away from the screens? Read on to discover more.
Birth and connection to mega-rich family
Olyphant was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii though he and his family moved to Modesto, California when he was two.
The star recently revealed he's a descendant of the wealthy Vanderbilt family of New York, and thus also related to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.
When probed about the connection by the Hollywood Reporter, he quipped: 'You're goddamn right I am, and somebody owes me money."
His fourth great-grandfather on his father's side was business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt.
However, Olyphant doesn't seem to have inherited much from the family connection and admits he hasn't met his cousin, Cooper.
"It's on my to-do list to head to upstate New York and see if I can get the keys to the house," he added.
"I've never met Anderson. I assume that's just because I keep missing the family reunions due to work and the kids. But now that I'm an empty-nester, I hope we'll be having drinks soon."
Marriage to college sweetheart
Olyphant not only married his college girlfriend, Alexis Knief, in 1991, but they've stayed together ever since for over three decades.
They have also welcomed three children over the years, including daughter Vivan who portrayed his Justified character Raylan Givens's daughter Willa in the sequel miniseries Justified: City Primeval.
Alexis has supported her husband's career by raising their family away from the spotlight.
Sharing the secret to their romance's longevity, Olyphant shared to Women's Health in 2011: 'You have to be with the right person, and you both have to be willing to do the work, day in and day out, to make it happen."
He has also credited her for keeping him grounded and frequently mentions her sharp sense of humour in interviews.
Other careers
Before finding his feet as an actor, Olyphant had a couple of very different careers that could come as a surprise to some fans.
After swimming competitively throughout his childhood, he worked as a swimming coach at Irvine Novaquatics.
However, he soon decided to move to New York to explore other possibilities, including a brief stint as a stand-up comedian.
Unfortunately, it didn't last long as his off-the-wall material didn't connect with the crowd and he struggled with comics' 'awful' schedules.
'I'd always heard that you're just going to bomb for a while,' he told Marc Maron on the WTF podcast.
'I felt like I had a couple of shows right out of the gate where I was like, 'This is easy. This is great.' And then the bombing started.'
Olyphant has also explored his passion for sport outside of his acting career. From 2006 to 2008, he phone into Joe Escalante's morning radio show in Los Angeles with unconventional sports reports. Director David Lynch was the station's weatherman.
He has also competed in a number of celebrity tennis tournaments.
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14 hours ago
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Timothy Olyphant's life from early careers to marriage to college sweetheart
Timothy Olyphant's life from surprising early careers to marriage to college sweetheart Timothy Olyphant has had a fascinating life both on and off the screen, from his marriage to his connection to one of the richest families in America Actor Timothy Olyphant has enjoyed a captivating journey long before securing career-defining parts in Deadwood and Justified. Since then, he's garnered roles in significant productions including The Mandalorian, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Daisy Jones and the Six in recent years. Nevertheless, his upcoming performance in Noah Hawley's chilling precursor to the Alien franchise, Alien: Earth, might prove to be his most remarkable to date. Olyphant takes on the role of Kirsh, another of the series' notoriously unsettling androids, working alongside an outstanding ensemble cast featuring emerging talent Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis and Babou Ceesay. Yet what details can we uncover about the actor's existence beyond the camera? Continue reading to learn more. Timothy Olyphant as the series' latest android, Kirsh (Image: FX) Article continues below Ozark breakout teams with Marvel legend for thrilling crime drama already getting rave response READ MORE: Birth and connection to mega-rich family Olyphant, 57, was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii, though he and his relatives relocated to Modesto, California when he reached the age of two. The performer recently disclosed he's a descendant of the affluent Vanderbilt dynasty of New York, making him also connected to CNN presenter Anderson Cooper. When questioned about this link by the Hollywood Reporter, he jested: "You're goddamn right I am, and somebody owes me money." Timothy Olyphant is related to Anderson Cooper through a shared connection to the Vanderbilt family (Image: GETTY) His fourth great-grandfather on his paternal side was industrial tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt. Nevertheless, Olyphant appears not to have inherited much from this family tie and acknowledges he's never encountered his relative, Cooper. "It's on my to-do list to head to upstate New York and see if I can get the keys to the house," he added. "I've never met Anderson. I assume that's just because I keep missing the family reunions due to work and the kids. But now that I'm an empty-nester, I hope we'll be having drinks soon." The actor has been married to his college sweetheart Alexis Knief since 1991 (Image: GETTY) Marriage to college sweetheart Olyphant not only wed his university girlfriend, Alexis Knief, in 1991, but they've remained together ever since for more than three decades. They have also welcomed three children throughout the years, including daughter Vivan who played his Justified character Raylan Givens's daughter Willa in the follow-up miniseries Justified: City Primeval. Alexis has backed her husband's career by bringing up their family away from the public eye. Revealing the secret to their relationship's endurance, Olyphant told Women's Health in 2011: "You have to be with the right person, and you both have to be willing to do the work, day in and day out, to make it happen." He has also praised her for keeping him grounded and regularly mentions her witty sense of humour during interviews. He briefly tried a career as a stand-up comedian (Image: GETTY) Watch Alien: Earth on Disney+ with two months free This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more From £89.90 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description Sign up to Disney+'s annual Standard or Premium plan and get the equivalent of two months free. Avoid surprise price hikes by locking in your subscription costs for a year and stream hundreds of beloved films and hit shows, such as Alien: Earth from 13th August. Other careers Before establishing himself as an actor, Olyphant pursued a couple of vastly different careers that might surprise some admirers. Following competitive swimming throughout his youth, he worked as a swimming instructor at Irvine Novaquatics. Nevertheless, he soon chose to relocate to New York to explore different opportunities, including a short period as a stand-up comedian. Regrettably, his unconventional comedic style didn't resonate with the audience and he found the erratic schedules of comedians challenging. "I'd always heard that you're just going to bomb for a while," he confessed to Marc Maron on the WTF podcast. Catch Olyphant in new episodes of Alien: Earth every Wednesday (Image: FX) "I felt like I had a couple of shows right out of the gate where I was like, 'This is easy. This is great.' And then the bombing started." Article continues below In addition to acting, Olyphant has pursued his love for sport. From 2006 to 2008, he contributed offbeat sports reports via phone to Joe Escalante's morning radio show in Los Angeles, where director David Lynch served as the station's weatherman. He has also participated in several celebrity tennis tournaments. Alien: Earth continues Wednesdays on Disney+.
Daily Mirror
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Timothy Olyphant's life from marriage to college sweetheart to connection to one of America's richest families
TV and film actor Timothy Olyphant has landed his latest role in the critically acclaimed series Alien: Earth Actor Timothy Olyphant has had a fascinating life even before he landed star-making roles in Deadwood and Justified. He's since scored appearances in major projects such as The Mandalorian, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Daisy Jones & the Six in recent years. However, his latest performance, in Noah Hawley's terrifying prelude to the Alien franchise, Alien: Earth, could be his most impressive yet. Olyphant portrays another of the series' infamously creepy androids, Kirsh, alongside a stellar cast including rising star Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis and Babou Ceesay. But what do we know about the actor's life away from the screens? Read on to discover more. Birth and connection to mega-rich family Olyphant was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii though he and his family moved to Modesto, California when he was two. The star recently revealed he's a descendant of the wealthy Vanderbilt family of New York, and thus also related to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. When probed about the connection by the Hollywood Reporter, he quipped: 'You're goddamn right I am, and somebody owes me money." His fourth great-grandfather on his father's side was business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. However, Olyphant doesn't seem to have inherited much from the family connection and admits he hasn't met his cousin, Cooper. "It's on my to-do list to head to upstate New York and see if I can get the keys to the house," he added. "I've never met Anderson. I assume that's just because I keep missing the family reunions due to work and the kids. But now that I'm an empty-nester, I hope we'll be having drinks soon." Marriage to college sweetheart Olyphant not only married his college girlfriend, Alexis Knief, in 1991, but they've stayed together ever since for over three decades. They have also welcomed three children over the years, including daughter Vivan who portrayed his Justified character Raylan Givens's daughter Willa in the sequel miniseries Justified: City Primeval. Alexis has supported her husband's career by raising their family away from the spotlight. Sharing the secret to their romance's longevity, Olyphant shared to Women's Health in 2011: 'You have to be with the right person, and you both have to be willing to do the work, day in and day out, to make it happen." He has also credited her for keeping him grounded and frequently mentions her sharp sense of humour in interviews. Other careers Before finding his feet as an actor, Olyphant had a couple of very different careers that could come as a surprise to some fans. After swimming competitively throughout his childhood, he worked as a swimming coach at Irvine Novaquatics. However, he soon decided to move to New York to explore other possibilities, including a brief stint as a stand-up comedian. Unfortunately, it didn't last long as his off-the-wall material didn't connect with the crowd and he struggled with comics' 'awful' schedules. 'I'd always heard that you're just going to bomb for a while,' he told Marc Maron on the WTF podcast. 'I felt like I had a couple of shows right out of the gate where I was like, 'This is easy. This is great.' And then the bombing started.' Olyphant has also explored his passion for sport outside of his acting career. From 2006 to 2008, he phone into Joe Escalante's morning radio show in Los Angeles with unconventional sports reports. Director David Lynch was the station's weatherman. He has also competed in a number of celebrity tennis tournaments.
Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
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Alien: Earth lead Sydney Chandler has unexpected family connection to beloved Hollywood star
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