With her unique talent and edgy brand of comedy, it was only a matter of time before Kaitlin Olson became a bona fide Hollywood star. With 16 seasons on FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and three years of Max’s Hacks under her belt, the prolific actress was more than ready for her leading role in the quirky new ABC series High Potential. Emmy talks to Olson and her costars about her mainstream success in the award-winning official publication of the Television Academy, on sale yesterday, April 10.
Olson found her comedy calling in an unconventional way. She was seriously injured in a bicycle accident at the age of 12 and confessed, “I entered junior high school with a shaved head and a giant scar and a messed-up face. I resigned myself to, ‘You’re going to be ugly for the rest of your life, so you might as well be funny.’” That decision led her to years working with the esteemed improv group the Groundlings and then her first TV gig, a recurring role on Curb Your Enthusiasm. “I was such a huge fan,” Olson says. “Everybody was so funny; and, honestly, to make Larry David laugh is the greatest feeling in the world.” Five years later she got her big break on Always Sunny
In High Potential, Olson plays Morgan Gillory, a single mother and unconventional detective. It’s a role that has made her a fan favorite and generated long-overdue critical acclaim. Her success is not a surprise to casts and crews who have worked with her for years. “We were in New Orleans for the Super Bowl, and we were surrounded by thousands of people who were coming up and screaming her name,” says her husband and Always Sunny costar Rob McElhenney. “I could tell, as I was brushed to the side like I was her handler, that people wanted to tell her how much they love the show.” “When you’ve got a very talented person and you give them an opportunity to reach the largest audience possible, it should work,” says Charlie Day, also an Always Sunny costar.
While High Potential is an undisputed hit, with more than 12 million viewers of the penultimate episode on ABC, there was a time when Olson was not so sure her unconventional comedy was a fit for network television. In “Hit List,” the actress and executive producer talks to emmy about finding a kindred spirit in creator Drew Goddard (The Good Place; Daredevil). “An hourlong drama on a network was just not where I was headed,” she says. “I was going down the development route for a dark comedy on streaming; but once I sat down and read Drew’s draft, I knew this was a character that I hopefully could make special.” Goddard recalls convincing Olson that he would protect the integrity of the show, telling her, "I promise you we will be fighting this fight together. Either we’re going to make it the way we want to make it, or they’re going to fire us; and then we won’t have to worry about it."
As a mother of two boys with McElhenney, Olson felt connected to the role on a different level. “The heart and soul of our show is Morgan and her family,” she says. “My kids are the most important thing in my world. As an actor, I’m definitely drawing upon my love for them and my wanting to protect them.”
While she stars in one of the year’s hottest comedies, Olson takes the role of leading lady and executive producer seriously. “I’ve been on other people’s shows enough to know that the energy of the entire set starts at the top,” she says. “We spend so much of our day at work that it’s got to be a fun, happy place. I never want a job where I’m miserable all week, and I’m living for the weekends. The beauty of this profession is that I’m playing every day. It sounds so cheesy, but I love making people laugh.”
Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:
In “Music Lesson,” emmy talks to Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson about his transition into documentary filmmaking. On the heels of the Oscar-winning feature Summer of Soul, the drummer, bandleader, author and podcaster has now directed two of the biggest musical documentaries of early 2025: Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music, streaming on Peacock, and Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), available on Hulu and Disney+.
With game-changing shows like the Emmy-winning Downton Abbey and recent hit The Day of the Jackal, Carnival Films is producing quality television that resonates with audiences around the world. In “Just the Ticket,” British producers Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant talk to emmy about their collaboration and relentless pursuit of excellence.
In “Something Special,” cabaret star Bridget Everett talks to emmy about her journey from singing in her high school choir to starring in and executive-producing the HBO series Somebody Somewhere.
Download the press release here.
For issue/coverage contacts:
Stephanie Goodell
stephanie@breakwhitelight.com
818.462.1150
breakwhitelight for the Television Academy
