Working on big movie sets with celebrities such as Jennifer Garner was the next big step for Elysia Oliquiano’s acting career.
By landing a role in a major Apple TV show, “The Last Thing He Told Me”, the Cal High sophomore made her grand Hollywood debut, setting herself up for the job of her dreams.
“I was so excited because it is such an incredible opportunity to do what I love and work with amazing people,” Oliquiano said.
Oliquiano’s interest in acting began when she was seven years old watching the Disney show “Liv and Maddie”. Watching actress Dove Cameron portray two different characters inspired Oliquiano to become an actress herself.
“It made me realize that I can express myself in different ways through acting,” she said.
Oliquiano initially started by acting at her local community theater, Bay Area Children’s Theatre in San Ramon. Over time, her career went on to include modeling for clothing brands such as Old Navy, The Gap and Walmart.
Her first major acting job was in a national United Airlines commercial at age 10.
Her most recent role was as The Girl in “The Last Thing He Told Me”, an Apple TV show that was released in April. In the first episode, Oliquiano’s character gave a mysterious note to the main character played by Garner.
When auditioning for this role, Oliquiano had to go through a multi-step process.
First, her agency submitted her for the show. The role of an agent is to find jobs for an actor and negotiate contracts.
Then, Oliquiano filmed and submitted a self-tape audition, which earned her a call-back months later. She performed for the director over a Zoom call, and was offered the part.
“You’re going to get a lot of no’s before you get a single yes,” Oliquiano said. “You need to have confidence in your own ability and never give up.”
Once on set, she became acquainted with Garner. Oliquiano expressed how being in the presence of famous actors and real film directors encouraged her aspirations of becoming a successful actress when she’s older.
“[It’s memorable] seeing someone that you see all the time on the screen, in person,” Oliquiano said. “[Garner] made me feel very comfortable [on set]. She was always reassuring me. She would talk to me about her life and then ask me questions about mine.”
Allen Oliquiano, Elysia’s dad and biggest supporter, agreed that working alongside professional actors such as Garner was a great experience for Elysia.
“[It’s a great] opportunity to work with an actress like Jen Garner,” Allen Oliquiano said. “She’s down to Earth. She’s the perfect role model.”
In order for her acting skills to continue evolving, Oliquiano takes Cal’s Theatre 3 class taught by Laura Woods. This is a convenient practice opportunity for her, as the majority of in-person acting classes are located in Los Angeles.
“There’s just something about her,” Woods said. “She’s very natural, she’s very believable. She’s 100 percent committed. She’s always conveying the character.”
Woods said one quality that sets Oliquiano apart from other drama students and actors is that she is quiet and describes herself as soft-spoken. Woods said that most of the aspiring actors she teaches are normally on the louder side.
But when she comes out of her shell, Oliquiano can be as outgoing as any other classmate.
In class, Oliquiano is described as talented by her friend, sophomore Liv Alvey. Outside of class, Alvey said Oliquiano is a good singer, collaborative and fun to be around.
A lot of what happens behind the scenes goes into upholding a successful acting career.
“We drive her wherever she needs to go or if it’s a self tape, we set the self tape up at home,” Allen Oliquiano said.
He and the rest of Oliquiano’s family are very proactive in helping her further her career.
Both Oliquiano’s family and friends have expressed their ongoing support for her and her career as she continues to grow as an actor.
Her main goal is to be successful.
“The reason I want this career is because it’s something I have fun with and enjoy doing,” Oliqiuano said.
She said she has come to prefer acting on screen more than on stage because it feels more natural to her, making her want to focus her career on roles in movies or TV shows.
“I expect great things from her,” Woods said.
