Oleynik (pronounced oh-LAY-nick) was born in Santa Clara County, California, the only child of Lorraine (née Allen), a former nurse, and Roman Oleynik, an anesthesiologist. Her father's family is Russian (although "Oleynik" is a Ukrainian surname) and she was raised in the Russian Orthodox religion. She has cited No Doubt as her favorite band and used to play the piano. Oleynik grew up in the Read more...

Oleynik began her screen acting career age at 12, in a 1993 episode of the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; the same year, she also appeared in the made-for-television film, River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene, and was subsequently cast in the lead role of the series The Secret World of Alex Mack, playing a teenage girl who receives telekinetic powers as a result of an accident. Read more...

Larisa Romanovna Oleynik (born June 7, 1981) is an American actress. She came to fame in the mid–1990s, after starring in the title role of the popular television series, The Secret World of Alex Mack, and has also appeared in theatrical films, including The Baby-Sitters Club and 1999's 10 Things I Hate about You. Throughout the 2000s, she has mostly appeared in lower-budget films.

During Read more...