Former LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne is moving from the athletic world to a new spotlight: acting.
The social media personality, who gained a huge following through her gymnastics career and online presence, recently graduated from Louisiana State University and retired from competitive gymnastics. With this chapter of her life over, the NCAA champion and social media personality is shifting her focus to entertainment.
In an interview with People magazine, Dunne revealed that she has had a passion for acting that she has not had the time to pursue while competing as a student-athlete.
“One thing people would be surprised about is that I take acting lessons and I really love it,” Dunne said. “It’s something I’ve been passionate about for quite some time. I was interested in doing that at LSU, but sports are your top priority when you’re a student-athlete at school. School and sports – but really, gymnastics was my main focus.”
Throughout her time at LSU, Dunne has become one of the most recognizable names in college sports, balancing success with online fame to become more than just a gymnast. Dunne has also expanded her brand to include modeling work, including multiple appearances in Sports Illustrated.
As Dunne closes the door on gymnastics, she claims to be ready to open doors to new opportunities.
Her transition to acting has already begun. Dunne has secured a part in the upcoming new version of Baywatch, Deadline has announced.
The gymnast celebrated the news by sharing a promotional photo on her social media accounts, featuring herself relaxing on the beach in a white crop top and red bikini, holding the script for the new series. The photo has the look and feel of the classic beach scenes from the original series.
She captioned the photo: “I’m not a lifeguard, but I play one on TV.”
Dunne joins the growing list of athletes who have transitioned from sports to acting, balancing her gymnastics background with acting lessons to test the waters in Hollywood after her illustrious gymnastics career.
