Olesya Rulin

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Yurivna and the family name is Rulin.
Olesya Rulin
Rulin at WonderCon 2015
Born
Olesya Yurivna Rulina

(1986-03-17) March 17, 1986 (age 38)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Citizenship
  • Russia
  • United States
Occupations
  • Actress
  • ballet dancer
Years active2001–present
Spouse
Joseph Noel Pauline
​
(m. 2021)​
Children1

Olesya Yurivna Rulina[1] (Russian: Oлeся Юрьевна Pулина; born March 17, 1986) is a Russian-American actress. She is best known for co-starring in all three films of the High School Musical franchise as Kelsi Nielsen. She also starred in the films Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008), Flying By (2009), Expecting Mary (2010), and Family Weekend (2013).

Early life

Olesya Rulin was born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia). She spent her early childhood in Likhoslavl.[2][3]

When Rulin was eight,[4] she emigrated to the United States to rejoin her father who had done so two years earlier. They first lived in Texas, then later in Utah. Rulin graduated from West Jordan High School in 2005.[citation needed]

Rulin is also a trained ballet dancer. When she was 12,[4] she entered a model-search contest at the urging of her mother and won representation by four different agencies.[3] She can also play the piano.

Prior to acting full-time, she worked for a year as a certified nursing assistant and also at stores such as Victoria's Secret;[5] she was working at a Nordstrom store when the first High School Musical came out.[2] She was studying economics in Paris when the casting for High School Musical 2 took place.[2]

Acting career

In addition to her role in High School Musical, High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Rulin's credits include the Disney Channel original films Halloweentown High, The Poof Point and Hounded, the television series Everwood and the feature films Forever Strong, Mobsters and Mormons and The Dance.

Rulin's part in High School Musical 2 was significantly larger than that in the first film, including a solo in "You Are the Music in Me" and a few lines in "Work This Out."[6] Rulin reprised her role as Kelsi Nielsen in High School Musical 3: Senior Year, also with a larger part, and performed three songs, including a duet with Lucas Grabeel.[7]

Rulin co-starred with Jessica Simpson in the film Major Movie Star (released in the United States under the title Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous).[8][9] In 2009, Rulin co-starred with Billy Ray Cyrus and Heather Locklear in the drama film Flying By.[10]

In 2010, Rulin starred in Expecting Mary, which also starred Elliott Gould, Linda Gray, Lainie Kazan, Cloris Leachman, Della Reese, Cybill Shepherd, Gene Simmons and Fred Willard.

In 2013, she starred in Family Weekend with Kristin Chenoweth and Matthew Modine.

In August 2014, it was announced that Rulin would be playing the role of Callista Secor in the PlayStation Network series Powers, which ran for two seasons from 2015-16.[11]

Personal life

On November 11, 2021, Rulin married entrepreneur Joseph Noel Pauline.[12]

In August 2022, the couple announced that they had welcomed their first child, a daughter.[13]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Urban Legends: Bloody Mary Mindy Direct-to-video
2005 Mobsters and Mormons Julie Jaymes
2006 High School Musical Kelsi Nielsen
2006 Vampire Chicks with Chainsaws Sariah Direct-to-video
2007 American Pastime Cathy Reyes
2007 High School Musical 2 Kelsi Nielsen
2007 The Dance Britney
2008 Forever Strong Emily's Friend
2008 Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous Petrovich
2008 High School Musical 3: Senior Year Kelsi Nielsen
2009 Chuckle Boy Assistant Short film
2009 Flying By Ellie Direct-to-video
2010 Expecting Mary Mary
2011 Apart Emily Gates
2011 A Thousand Cuts Melanie
2013 Family Weekend Emily Smith-Dungy

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Hounded Girl #1 Television film
The Poof Point Annie Television film
2002 Touched by an Angel High School Student Episode: "Bring on the Rain"
2004 Halloweentown High Natalie the Pink Troll Television film
Everwood The Drunk Girl Episode: "No Sure Thing"
2009–2011 Greek Abby Recurring role, 10 episodes
2010 CSI: Miami Andrea Williams Episode: "Mommie Deadest"
The Mentalist Sam Starks Episode: "The Red Ponies"
2011 Drop Dead Diva Mia Dalton Episode: "He Said, She Said"
2012 Touch Girl in the Red Dress Episode: "Safety in Numbers"
Dirty Work Bambi Episode: "Temporary Midnight"
2013 Underemployed Pixie Dexter 2 episodes
2014 NCIS Kim Troutman Episode: "Page Not Found"
2015–2016 Powers Calista Secor Main role
2015 The Night Shift Maya Episode: "Darkest Before Dawn"
2017 Family Guy Russian Meg Griffin Double (voice) Episode: "A House Full of Peters"
2018 Devious Nanny Amber Deschanel Television film; also known as Nanny Betrayal
2019 SEAL Team Jenna Robertson Episode: "Things Not Seen"
2020–2022 NCIS: Los Angeles Zasha Gagrin 5 episodes
2022 The Rookie Danielle Bloomfield Episode: "Backstabbers"
2023 Black Bags Tess Television film

References

  1. ^ "Twitter / olesyarulin: @middlenamegame it's yurivna". Twitter.com. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Richard Huff (28 December 2007). "Olesya Rulin prepares for 'High School Musical 3'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  3. ^ a b Holly Siegel. "Behind the scenes with HSM's Oleysa Rulin". Elle Girl. Archived from the original on 7 February 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Report from Disney's High School Musical 2 DVD Launch at El Capitan Theatre". ultimatedisney.com. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  5. ^ Lynn Barker (30 November 2007). "High School Musical 2 - DVD Premiere Chats". www.teenmusic.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  6. ^ "The Graphic - Going back to ?High School?". Archived from the original on 12 October 2007.
  7. ^ High School Musical 3 page on Olesya's Official Site Archived 2008-04-23 at the Wayback Machine Friday, April 11, 2008
  8. ^ ‘High School Musical’ Star Reports For Duty In ‘Simpson’s ‘Major Movie Star’ Monday, August 20, 2007 at 9:30 am
  9. ^ Rulin is From Russia with Love[permanent dead link] Retrieved Wednesday, August 15th, 2007
  10. ^ Flying high: Cyrus, Rulin join indie pic Wednesday, October 24, 2007
  11. ^ "Olesya Rulin Stars In 'Powers' A Playstation's First Original Series". Life of Dad. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  12. ^ Olesya Rulin (5 December 2021). "11.11.21 🤍💍 @chateausureau". Instagram. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  13. ^ Slater, Georgia (10 August 2022). "Olesya Rulin, 'High School Musical' 's Kelsi, Gives Birth to First Baby — See the Sweet Video". People Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
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