High Potential’s Kaitlin Olson opens up about ‘very chaotic’ start in Hollywood decades ago

2000 was a banner year for Kaitlin Olson, who made her screen debut after a stint as a member of The Groundlings with the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm and a bit part in the cult classic film Coyote Ugly.

The actress, 50, best known for her comedic chops, was able to use her campy sensibilities to full effect in her debut movie role, which would later be honed into her snarky wit as seen in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Hacks and High Potential.

However, her minor role in Coyote Ugly, in which she played a character named “bidding girl,” proved to be quite the overwhelming experience at first. Her character engages in a fierce bidding war over shirtless bartender Kevin O’Donnell (played by Adam Garcia), as he’s being auctioned off by songwriter and bar staff Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo).

“That was, I think, the first audition that I got that I booked the part,” Kaitlin recently told People. “I didn’t even have a name. It was absolutely terrifying because I had never done anything before.”

She does, however, fondly look back on her experiences with the movie’s stacked cast, which also included Melanie Lynskey, Tyra Banks, Maria Bello, Bridget Moynahan, and LeAnn Rimes as herself. “We were just playing around. What I remember most from that was those women were just so warm, lovely, welcoming and fun.”

While she originally just had a single line, she “ended up improvising a bunch and got a little scene out of it.” Still, the experience was “terrifying” and actually “very chaotic” given the setting of the scene.

“It was terrifying. It was so scary,” she continued. “It was all these big actors who knew what they were doing, and then just me being a loud screaming buffoon, but it worked out.”

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“It was very chaotic, and we were all screaming over the top of each other. But there’s nothing I enjoy doing more.”

And it looks like several of the movie’s stars still maintain close ties too, with Piper recently telling People: “I just saw Bridget Moynahan who’s in the movie. I saw her the other week.”

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“There was a big art fair here in LA, and she and I went and looked at paintings together. It’s not exactly what we were doing in the Coyote Ugly days, but… She’s here filming. And so, I was like, ‘Do you want to go look at paintings?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah.'”

While Kaitlin has since become a household name thanks to her extensive TV work, several of the movie’s stars achieved television success post-Coyote Ugly. Piper went on to appear in shows like Covert Affairs, Yellowstone, and Billions, plus the Cheaper by the Dozen franchise.

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Adam has since become best known for his work on stage. Maria gained more notices for her work in the shows NCIS and Beef. Melanie is now an indie film darling, and is also best known for the shows Two and a Half Men and Yellowjackets. Bridget is now best known for appearances in Sex and the City and the long-running show Blue Bloods, with Tyra creating America’s Next Top Model just three years after Coyote Ugly.