Growing up in Australia can be a lonely experience for a little girl. Olivia moved there when she was only five because her dad was given a job teaching at the University of Melbourne. To keep from getting too lonely, Olivia dreamed a lot about the things she wanted in her life.
Because there's so much wilderness in Australia, there are lots of animals roaming free. Olivia especially developed a love for horses, but on a teacher's salary her dad couldn't really afford to get her one. So that became one of her fondest dreams to have her own horse to ride whenever she wanted. I was a typical girl who loved horses but couldn't afford them,
she remembers. Today, though, that dream has become a reality. She owns a beautiful ranch in Malibu where she keeps six horses, along with four dogs. two cats and a new-born foal. In fact, when Olivia was performing in Las Vegas, she hired a jet to fly back to California every day so she could ride her horses.
Another dream Olivia had as a youngster was to become a singing star. Her father had other plans for his daughter, so when Olivia dropped out of high school when she was only sixteen, he was shocked.
But Olivia had a vision of what would make her happy and successful. She followed her dream back to England, and eventually, through hard work and determination which is the only way anyone's dreams ever become a reality she developed a terrific singing career.
Those were really the two big dreams that she worked hard at In fact, she says that if she hadn't become a singer, she probably would have become a veterinarian, because she loves animals so much. But Olivia didn't stop dreaming when she grew up. As a singer, she dreamed of one day making movies. And guess, what? Grease is evidence that Olivia is a fine actress as well.
Now she's talking about one day finding Mr. Right and settling down to raise a family. If dreams mean anything and they obviously do to Olivia it may not be too long before wedding bells are ringing for her.
Photo: Olivia poses with her three-day-old filly Julia. Julia's mom keeps a watchful eye behind Olivia.