Early life and career

Olstead was born in Kingwood, Texas, to Christopher Eric Olstead and Rebecca Lynn Jeffries. Olstead is of Norwegian ancestry. As a child actress, she made films and commercials from age eight onwards. She also attended Centre Stage theatrical school and is mentioned on their website's list of alumni.

From 2002 to 2006, she appeared in the TV sitcom Still Standing as middle sister Lauren Miller. Olstead was presented with the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy) - Supporting Young Actress for Still Standing in 2002. She also had a small part in the 2004 film 13 Going on 30. She co-starred in the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, about fifteen-year-old Amy Juergens's struggle through her unexpected pregnancy and how it affected her peers. Olstead played the character Madison Cooperstein, one of Amy's best friends.

In 2004, Olstead released a self-titled album of jazz songs and pop standards for Warner Bros. Records to good reviews. Since her previous releases had limited distribution, this album was considered her official debut. She subsequently performed in Berlin during the Live 8 concert on July 2, 2005.

Olstead also recorded with trumpeter Chris Botti on his 2005 album To Love Again: The Duets and appeared on the 2006 DVD Chris Botti Live with Orchestra and Special Guests. Her singing style is influenced by such great jazz vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Reportedly, her musical talent was discovered by composer David Foster, who produced her 2004 album. She later performed with him on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

A follow-up album entitled Skylark, also produced by Foster, was originally announced for release in 2005, but it was subsequently pushed back several times, with release dates in the summer of 2006 and early 2007 being mentioned on online retailers such as Amazon.com. It was then scheduled for a June 2008 release, but was delayed once again. It was finally released on January 27, 2009, nearly four years after it was originally announced.

On September 14, 2011, as the result of a criminal complaint initially made by actress Scarlett Johansson, the FBI announced it was investigating the alleged hacking of celebrity cellphone and email accounts and the dissemination of explicit nude photographs of Johansson and approximately 50 other celebrities, including Olstead. As a result of the investigation, 35-year-old Christopher Chaney of Jacksonville, Florida, was arrested in October 2011. Prosecutors are seeking $160,000 restitution to victims ($76,000 for Olstead herself), in addition to a 71-month sentence.

Olstead is a vegan. She appeared in a PETA ad, Fish Are Friends Not Food, urging her fans to become vegan themselves. In 2012, Olstead joined PETA's campaign to free the elephant Mali from captivity at the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, where she has been alone for the last three decades.

Olstead most recently starred as Kaitlan in the 2013 supernatural thriller The Midnight Game and as Jess Felton in the 2014 technology-themed thriller film Unfriended.

Personal life

Renee is married to pianist Tommy King, and legally took his last name.

Discography

• Stone Country (2000)
• Unleashed (2000)
• By Request (2002)
• Renee Olstead (2004)
• The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
• Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (soundtrack) (2008)
• Skylark (2009)
• A Tribute to Billie Holliday (various artists) (2009)
• Without You-EP (2014)

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1995	Streets of Laredo	Marci Fant	TV miniseries
1995	Deadly Family Secrets	Emily Pick	TV movie
1996	Ceftin Wiz Kids	Katie	TV movie
1996	Santa, NASA & the Man in the Moon	Renee Olstead	TV movie
1996	Cadillac Ranch	Young Mary Katherine
1997	Out There	Megan Tollman	TV movie
1997	Usher, TheThe Usher	Little Girl	Short film
1998	Touched by an Angel	Bits	Episode: "Doodlebugs"
1998	Reunited	Ami Beck	5 episodes
1999	Insider, TheThe Insider	Deborah Wigand
1999	Chicken Soup for the Soul	Lauren	Episode: "Where's My Kiss, Then?"
1999	End of Days	Amy
1999	Providence	Little Girl	Episode: "Home for the Holidays"
2000	Geppetto	Featured	TV movie
2000	Space Cowboys	Little Girl
2002	My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star	Selma	Episode: "Fame"
2002	She Spies	Amy Divornak	Episode: "Poster Girl"
2002-2006	Still Standing	Lauren Miller	86 episodes
2003	Scorched	Girl Scout
2003	Fillmore!	Lucille (voice)	Episode: "South of Friendship, North of Honor"
2004	13 Going On 30	Becky
2007	Super Sweet 16: The Movie	Sky Storm
2007	Point of Entry	Melinda	TV movie
2008-2013	Secret Life of the American Teenager, TheThe Secret Life of the American Teenager	Madison Cooperstein	61+ episodes
2011	Bling Ring	April	TV movie
2013	The Midnight Game	Kaitlan	Feature film
2014	Unfriended	Jess	Feature film (originally titled Cybernatural)
2015	The Murder Pact	Annabel	TV Movie

Awards

Awards
Year	Result	Award	Category	Nominated Work
2003	Nominated	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama): Leading Young Actress	Still Standing
2006	Won	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy): Supporting Young Actress

[ Source: Wikipedia ]