Beyond the screen: How Olivia Wilde is pivoting from Hollywood star to venture capitalist
Olivia Wilde is best known for her roles in House and her directorial work on Booksmart. Yet, her career is expanding into the financial sector. In late 2023, she co-founded Proximity Ventures, a firm targeting early and growth-stage startups across both consumer and enterprise markets, marking a significant professional evolution.
Born Olivia Jane Cockburn in 1984, Wilde grew up in a family deeply embedded in journalism and literature. Her father, Andrew Cockburn, was a journalist, and her mother, Leslie Cockburn, worked as a producer for 60 Minutes. Her lineage includes the British novelist Claud Cockburn and the writer Sarah Caudwell. She adopted the surname Wilde from the Irish author Oscar Wilde during high school, eventually making the change legal to honor her family's literary roots.
Wilde's professional trajectory began in television, notably with her role as Remy 'Thirteen' Hadley on the medical drama House. She transitioned into directing with the 2019 teen comedy Booksmart, which earned critical praise and secured the Best First Feature honor at the 35th Independent Spirit Awards. Her subsequent directorial projects include the psychological thriller Don't Worry Darling and the upcoming comedy The Invite. Throughout her career, she has also balanced acting with advocacy, serving on the boards of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and Artists for Peace and Justice.
In 2023, Wilde entered the venture capital space by co-founding Proximity Ventures in New York City. The firm focuses on providing funding for companies in their early and growth stages. This move into finance complements her ongoing work in film, where she remains attached to several upcoming projects, including an adaptation of the comic Avengelyne and a television series based on the novel A Visit from the Goon Squad. Her career reflects a consistent pattern of diversifying her professional interests beyond traditional acting roles.
Source: Olivia Wilde
