“She’s the best part of ‘Wuthering Heights’”: How Alison Oliver won over Hollywood

There are actors who spend half their lives waiting for an opportunity. They chain together small roles, precarious jobs, and failed auditions, trusting that at some point that long‑awaited call will arrive and change their fate. And then there are the others: those who seem to follow a different, almost whimsical logic, where talent matters, of course, but so does a kind of luck that’s hard to explain.

There’s no doubt that Alison Oliver belongs to this second category. At 28, the Irish actress has become one of the year’s great revelations. She has managed to outshine established stars in the new adaptation of Wuthering Heights with her role as Isabella Linton, she is in a relationship with one of the most sought‑after actors of her generation, and she has become a coveted figure for major fashion houses. All of this in barely five years. And the most striking part: her rise began even before she set out to chase it.

Oliver sums it up in one word: serendipity. “When I think back to the beginning of all of that it’s just so mad,” she told The Irish Times. “I was in the Lir [Academy, a theater school] and — I know it sounds modest or whatever — but I really didn’t imagine a film career for myself. Like so many of us, we were just dreaming to work in the Lir or work in the Abbey or Gate [theater] or whatever."

Destiny called the morning after she graduated from the Lir, Dublin’s prestigious national academy of dramatic art, which also produced Paul Mescal. Just as she was trying to figure out what kind of job would help her pay rent from then on, she was told she had been chosen to play Frances in Conversations with Friends, the adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel. The previous Rooney adaptation, Normal People, had already catapulted Mescal to stardom. “I was completely shocked. I sat on a bed and I just stared at my wall,” Allison told The Irish Independent.

That role launched her, but she had much further to go. She truly came into her own with Wuthering Heights where she plays Isabella Linton, a character marked by desire, obsession, and an uncomfortable vulnerability. Her lust for Heathcliff has even reached meme status. In a film dominated by stars like Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, Oliver not only holds her own — she steals every scene she’s in.

Critics have been unequivocal in their praise. “She’s the best part of Wuthering Heights,” wrote Helen Holmes in GQ, while The Times insisted: “Oliver’s Isabella is a hoot and a bright light.”

It’s not the first time she’s stolen the stage. She caught Emerald Fennell’s attention in Saltburn, where she played Venetia, the capricious and self‑destructive sister of Elordi’s character. That collaboration was crucial in earning the director’s trust again — so much so that the casting process for Isabella was almost a formality. “If you want Isabella, she’s yours,” Fennel told her.

The result confirms something that is beginning to look like her signature: a rare ability to inhabit uncomfortable, afflicted, feral characters.

In just five years, Oliver has built a surprisingly solid career. She has worked twice with Fennell, starred in theatre and television — with titles such as Best Interests and Task, alongside Mark Ruffalo — and acted opposite Jude Law in the thriller The Order, presented at the Venice Film Festival in 2024.

At the same time, her life off‑screen has begun to generate an interest almost proportional to her talent. Her relationship with one of the most charismatic and sought‑after actors in contemporary cinema, Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Challengers), has fueled headlines and speculation, though both have chosen to keep their private life tightly guarded.

There are no statements about the romance between these two rising stars of the seventh art beyond shared red carpets or joint appearances at events like the Met Gala. That level of discretion is no accident. In an industry increasingly shaped by constant self‑promotion, Oliver seems to move in the opposite direction. There is no trace of media hyper‑awareness in her, no grand statements crafted to go viral, no obvious personal‑branding strategy.

Born in Cork, into a family far removed from the glamour and spotlight of the industry — her mother is a social worker and her father works in the automotive sector — Oliver grew up far from any notion of celebrity. She is the youngest of three sisters and, as she has said, she wasn’t particularly outstanding academically or athletically. After taking singing and dance lessons, she found onstage the place where she could express her inner restlessness.

“My mom was always honest with me about the struggles of some of the people she was working with,” she told The Telegraph. " Drama classes became a weird way of channelling some of the experiences she was describing to me… Well, maybe ‘channelling’ isn’t the right word. But we’d play scenes where people were going through intense emotions and I felt it was a different version of listening to my mom.“ It seems that her way of acting was born right there, in that intersection between observation and emotion.

Off set, Oliver maintains an ambivalent relationship with public exposure. “It’s not important,” she has said about fame. She uses social media at a distance — more as a professional tool than a personal showcase — and has avoided turning her private life into content. What she does share are the actions of the HOPE organization, which promotes education and nutrition for children in India. She also speak out about the genocide in Gaza, making her one of the few actresses to denounce the events without fear of professional repercussions.

That same discretion contrasts with her growing presence in fashion. During the promotion of Wuthering Heights, the actress has also embraced method dressing, and although her appearances have been overshadowed by Margot Robbie’s viral looks, they are worth mentioning. A satin Miu Miu with lace and bows, an asymmetrical tulle dress by Genevieve Devine paired with Manolo Blahnik boots, and a Louis Vuitton minidress are some of the most noteworthy. With hair that has transitioned from brunette to red and even blonde, Oliver’s wardrobe is also eclectic: she experiments with different styles, although the strapless neckline is a recurring theme in her red carpet appearances, and she isn’t afraid to take risks.

Besides being an ambassador for the jewelry brand Tiffany & Co., Marni, Prada, and Loewe — for whom she has starred in two campaigns — are some of the recurring brands in a wardrobe that is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Having become Jonathan Anderson’s new muse, she also accompanied the Northern Irish designer after his move to Dior, as demonstrated by her presence at the brand’s show last summer during Paris Fashion Week.

“I didn’t understand that world at all before but, through Jonathan, I’ve gained a real appreciation for it,” she told Elle magazine.

In just a few months, Oliver has gone from being a promising talent to an undeniable force. She’s no longer the actress waiting for a call; now it’s the film industry that’s eagerly awaiting her to pick up the phone.

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