The actress recalls landing a small, but memorable, role in the 2000 cult classic in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Kaitlin-Olson-Coyote-Ugly-041726-tout-34c69b9a6ae349ebbd32d9738530f117.jpg "Kaitlin Olson Coyote Ugly")
Credit: Araya Doheny/Variety/Getty;Touchstone
NEED TO KNOW
- Kaitlin Olson’s first Hollywood role was “Bidding Customer” in the 2000 cult classic Coyote Ugly
- The actress improvised lines during the chaotic bar scene, turning her small role into a memorable comedic moment
- Olson tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that she credits the warm and welcoming cast for helping her navigate her first on-set experience
Kaitlin Olson's introduction to Hollywood came via a rowdy scene in the 2000 cult classic Coyote Ugly.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE following the High Potential season 2 finale, Olson, 50, looked back on the first audition that led to her booking an acting role.
The audition was for Coyote Ugly, and Olson's role was credited as "Bidding Customer." Despite her character's lack of a name, it didn't stop the actress from making her mark in an unforgettable scene.
Credit: Touchstone
"That was, I think, the first audition that I got that I booked the part," Olson recalls. "I didn't even have a name."
She adds, "It was absolutely terrifying because I had never done anything before."
In the scene, Kevin (Adam Garcia) strips on the bar to help Violet (Piper Perabo) earn $250 before the end of her shift, so she can pay back bar owner Lil (Maria Bello) and keep her job.
When Violet announces that the women in the bar can bid on Kevin, it sets off a frenzy, as several women — including Olson and an also mostly then-unknown Alex Borstein — attempt to outbid each other for an evening with Kevin.
At the time, Olson tells PEOPLE she was still just learning how to hit her marks when she found herself in the middle of a "chaotic" bar scene in a film that included a stacked cast of Tyra Banks, Bridget Moynahan, Melanie Lynskey and LeAnn Rimes.
The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star says, "We were just playing around. What I remember most from that was those women were just so warm, lovely, welcoming and fun."
Credit: Monica Schipper/WireImage
According to Olson, she "originally had one line," but she says, "I ended up improvising a bunch and got a little scene out of it."
In the scene, her character keeps upping her bid, eventually screaming, "That's it! You wanna come home with mama?" When she ends up losing out, Olson's character hilariously shouts "Damn you!" at the woman who outbid her.
"It was terrifying. It was so scary. It was all these big actors who knew what they were doing, and then just me being a loud screaming buffoon, but it worked out," Olson recalls with a laugh, adding, "It was very chaotic, and we were all screaming over the top of each other. But there's nothing I enjoy doing more."
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Olson has come a long way since her first Hollywood role. In addition to leading ABC's High Potential, she's also heading into season 18 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The actress has earned two Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy nominations for her role as DJ Vance, the daughter of Jean Smart's Deborah Vance, on the HBO Max series Hacks, and she has also received an Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series nod for her work in Flipped.
High Potential is streaming now on Hulu. Coyote Ugly is available to stream for free on Tubi.