Birthplace: Houston, TX, USA
Star Sign: Gemini
Profession: Film Actress
Renee Olstead is an American actress and singer. Active since childhood as an actress, she is best known for her roles in the TV sitcoms Still Standing as Lauren Miller and The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Madison Cooperstein. In addition, she has recorded four studio albums, primarily of jazz music.
Rebecca Renee 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 alumni.
Renee developed a great love for music at an early age and honed her voice by singing along with the radio. Before long she was entering talent contests and appearing in local musical productions. Her aspirations for stardom were documented on video and became the subject of two E! television documentaries, The Making of a Child Star and The Journey Continues.
In 1995, Renee appeared in her first commercial, the award winning ad for Levi Jeans. Watch closely! In 1998 she did a Segento Cheese commercial.
At the age of twelve, Renee signed to Warner Brothers Records and completed two albums produced by 16-time Grammy winning producer David Foster. Renee has appeared and performed her music on The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She’s performed at the “Live 8” concert in Berlin along with other performers such as Paul McCartney, Madonna and Sting and completed extensive international touring.
Renee Olstead’s television credits include the series “She Spies” , “My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star” , “Reunited” , “Out There” , “Providence” and, on CBS, “Touched by an Angel.” She has also appeared in the mini-series “Larry McMurtry‘s Streets of Laredo,” and in the television movies “Geppetto” and “Deadly Family Secrets.” As a singer, she has released a self-titled CD. Her live performances have included appearances with Billy Joel, Elton John and Celine Dion.
After being in the relationship with pianist Tommy King, they finally got married on September 16, 2014. She legally took his last name.