Oliver Morrison is a burgeoning Renaissance man.
Between juggling acting, basketball, school and helping with the family business, the 14-year-old Avondale resident has a full plate.
Now he’s penning a script for a TikTok short about himself, “The Life of Oliver Morrison,” which will feature his Sun Conure bird named Pops. He’s working on teaching the bird the lines.
“People will do one flip on a skateboard on TikTok and get a million views,” he said. “If I create a script with me and my bird, who knows how many views I will get.”
Acting is nothing new to Oliver. He appeared in a movie called “Wishman,” about the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It’s one of his favorite projects.
“I really like ‘Wishman,’” said Oliver, who donned a tuxedo for the premiere.
“I got to travel to this ranch, and I got to run, and this dog would chase me for one part of the scene. It was really fun.”
Aside from professional acting, Oliver said he enjoyed his school plays throughout his middle school experience at Legacy Traditional School and Valor Preparatory Academy in Goodyear.
“My favorite play I have done is ‘High School Musical,’” Oliver said.
“I got to play as a jock, and I know how to play basketball, so it was really fun. I got to do dribble moves and sing.”
Oliver found a place within the acting community. His friendships have been strengthened each time the children appear in plays together.
Oliver started acting when he was 8 years old, following in the footsteps of his mother, Breezee.
“When I was a little kid, my mom asked me if I wanted to act,” he said. “I just said yeah.”
The more he worked, the more he fell in love with acting. Represented by Exclusive Model Management, Oliver has the community’s support. He was excited when his second grade teacher showed a clip of his work to the class.
It inspired one of Oliver’s friends to get into acting.
Oliver attended Legacy Traditional School for most of his middle school years but went to Valor Preparatory Academy for eighth grade to accommodate his busy schedule, according to his mother.
He said he is optimistic about starting high school.
“People keep saying that it’s scary, but I haven’t experienced it yet. … But yeah, I’m excited,” Oliver said.
Oliver wants to keep acting as long as he can.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I would like to act all the way,” he said. “If I get a scholarship for basketball or I get a degree, I’d like to advance in that, but I really like acting, too.”
Appearing in the commercial “We Hockey. Hockey the Coyotes Way,” Oliver takes a break from acting to help with his family’s business, Tutu’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice.
Breezee said the business allows the family to bond, but she knows the importance of rest.
Oliver offered a bit of advice for other fledgling actors.
“The most support I ever got was from my family. … My parents supported me; they even bought me a tuxedo,” he said.
“If you want to pursue your dreams, you shouldn’t care what everyone else has to say. … If you don’t care what others have to say, then you can elevate, elevate, elevate.”