Olivia Gropp is a writer, director, and actress based in Wilmington, Delaware, who started working in the film industry at just 13. Her dedication to her craft spans so wide that she just graduated pre-med from the University of Delaware purely to play doctors on screen with surgical accuracy.

Olivia’s work blends dark comedy, psychological tension, and a glitter-smeared sense of cultural critique. She has written and directed two short films (“Traders” and “Curtain Call”) and is currently developing “Gloria’s Cut” which is the proof of concept for her debut feature: No Doubt. Both are biting satires of the entertainment industry dressed in 90s glam and bloodstains. 

Her writing draws inspiration from filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Alfred Hitchcock, the Coen Brothers, and John Hughes, but always with her own femme-forward twist. She is SAG-Eligible, WGA-Registered, and unafraid to disrupt what has always been. 

Olivia is currently fundraising for “Gloria’s Cut” and she met with us to tell us all about it. 

Ella Valentine: Hi Olivia, it’s really great to have you here! Tell us more about how this project started!

Olivia Gropp: I founded my company, OG Productions in 2021 when I was 19. It was during COVID because most of Hollywood was on lockdown and I wasn’t booking any new projects I decided to create my own opportunities. 

My first short, “Traders,” heavily inspired the tone/style for “Gloria’s Cut” and was accepted into film festivals around the world, including Kevin’s Smith’s inaugural SmodCastle Film Festival. Our mission is to combine modern filmmaking techniques with vintage storytelling to deliver nostalgic cinema to a new generation.

Ella Valentine: I love the fact that you didn’t wait around when most of the world was still! What is “Gloria’s Cut” about?

Olivia Gropp: Thank you! Here is the synopsis: 

In the flickering neon of 1995 Los Angeles, Gloria Schwarber, a volatile diner waitress and desperate actress, clings to the belief that talent still matters in Hollywood. Then comes the call: she’s been dropped from the role that was supposed to save her, replaced by Lulu Larue, a moldable newcomer with the right connections. When Lulu struts into Gloria’s diner that same night, their encounter spirals into a hallucinatory fever dream of blood, glamour, and identity theft. This is the story of what every actress has imagined doing after ten years of being told to “wait her turn.”

Ella Valentine: Sounds like something I’d be super keen to watch! What is the inspiration behind it?

Olivia Gropp: I’d describe it as if Sunset Boulevard, American Psycho, and Clueless had a baby and raised her on glitter, vodka, and unresolved auditions.

“Gloria’s Cut” is a blood-and-glitter dreamscape where ambition turns hallucinatory. The tone walks the line between satire and tragedy. It’s darkly funny, disturbingly relatable, and uncomfortably glamorous. 

Ella Valentine: Count me in! You mentioned this will be a proof of concept short. What is the goal besides eventually turning it into a feature, which I’m sure will happen!

Olivia Gropp: Our goal with “Gloria’s Cut” is to create a short that feels like a

fever dream wrapped in glamour: a neon-lit satire of fame, ambition, and the quiet insanity of chasing validation in Hollywood. The short will serve as a proof of concept, capturing the tone, visual language, and unhinged charm of the feature script, No Doubt, while standing on its own as a bold, self-contained story. 

We want to give other artists the opportunity to channel this same defiance into their craft and to build something beautiful out of rejection. From the production design to the performances, this film is about reclaiming power through creation. 

Ultimately, “Gloria’s Cut” isn’t just a story about an actress losing her grip; it’s a love letter to everyone who’s ever been told they’re “too much,” “not enough,” or “almost right.” It’s about what happens when the overlooked decide to take control of their own story and make it unforgettable.

Ella Valentine: I’m sure all our readers will be looking forward to it! Where can they donate to the project and follow the journey?

Olivia Gropp: https://seedandspark.com/fund/glorias-cut#story

Ella Valentine: Thank you, Olivia! To our readers – head over to the link and donate if you love the premise as much we do here at Horror Valentines!