 Olivia Chang was born in Singapore to entrepreneurial parents who introduced her to the world of business at the tender age of six. She calls her home country “Beginner’s Asia” – a country where English is the first language and Western trade mingles with ancient Asian culture.
Olivia’s early “East meets West” roots may be what set her course and shaped her diverse interests, talents and inherent discipline. Some of her earliest memories are of her fascination with American detective television shows and movies that captured her imagination. She was intrigued by this far away mysterious and magical world called Hollywood. Olivia left her childhood island home and was transported to real life Western culture when as a young girl her family moved to Vancouver, Canada.
College & Chicago
Olivia started university studies at the University of British Columbia and was invited to join the Honors Chemistry program. At the same time, she was introduced to the world of karate. She completed her pre-med and chose Chicago for chiropractic studies. She was drawn to the heartland of America and had a great time with the ethnic neighborhoods, the annual “Taste of Chicago” and Karate classes in between mixing with the earthly and warm Midwestern people. Typical of her disciplined lifestyle, she worked three jobs while pursuing her chiropractic degree and karate training. It was in Al Capone’s Chicago where she was introduced to the world of stunts via a Canadian stunt school. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to enter the world of film and television, something that has fascinated her since childhood, she got herself some agents and took about every background job she was offered. Each time her pager beeped for a job, she would slip out of class into another world.
Go West, Young Lady
As Olivia began her chiropractic practice, the stunt dreams were relegated to a back seat with a busy practice in San Diego. That spark remained, however, and the fire reignited when Richard Gere filmed Mr. Jones right outside her office. Again, she worked background to get her foot in the door. Before long, word got around on the set and she began treating actors and crew members in between scenes. Eventually, she could not be only on the outskirts and secured stunt jobs in major television shows such as JAG, 24, ER and currently Grey's Anatomy. Olivia continues to be a regular on the Los Angeles-San Diego corridor.
These days, besides stunt work, private practice and drChangHealth.com (her online health business where she consults with patients internationally), she continues to refine her stunt skills and develop better treatment techniques. Her major driving force behind stunts and healthcare is to help and inspire others to live out their God-given potential. Olivia has been described by those who know her well as tough but compassionate, genuine but shrewd, disciplined but fun loving and passionate. |
