The spotlight's shining brightly on Olivia Cooke these days -- largely due to her quietly powerful role as Alicent Hightower in HBO's "House of the Dragon."(Of course, the viral video in which she and co-star Emma D'arcy trade cocktail preferences certainly helped to sway the public.) But for those who have been paying attention, Cooke has consistently demonstrated an eclectic taste for projects and a scene-stealing presence right from the get-go.

The Oldham-born actress, whose natural British accent isn't often used on-screen, has starred in an impressive amount of television and film projects since her feature film debut in 2012's "The Quiet Ones." It's no wonder she's caught the attention of directors like Steven Spielberg, given her prowess and range across theatre, television, live-action, and animated film. 

Cooke holds her own against cinematic heavyweights like Bill Nighy and Anya Taylor-Joy. Even in the most unfortunate cinematic misfires, she delivers memorable performances.