Shaylee Mansfield Discusses Her Role as Ollie on ‘The Company You Keep’ [Interview]

The role of Ollie on the new ABC drama series The Company You Keep was originally written to be a young Deaf boy, but that didn’t stop actress Shaylee Mansfield from taking her shot — and landing the role.

Ollie, now written as a girl instead, is the pre-teen daughter of Birdie (Sarah Wayne Callies) and niece of Charlie (Milo Ventimiglia).

I recently had the chance to ask Mansfield a few questions about her role as Ollie on The Company You Keep, what she’s brought to the role from her real-life experiences as a Deaf actress, and working with Milo Ventimiglia and Sarah Wayne Callies.

Tell-Tale TV: How did you come to be a part of The Company You Keep? What was the audition like?

Shaylee Mansfield: The role of Ollie was originally a young Deaf boy, but one of my managers submitted me anyways. So, I auditioned on my 13th birthday. After a month, Julia [Cohen] and Milo sent me a video message (with captions!) congratulating me on booking the role of Ollie.

Tell-Tale TV: What do you love most about your character?

Mansfield: Ollie’s so different from the other roles I’ve played. I’m growing up and Ollie is also growing up. She’s clever, intuitive, mischievous, and deep. What I love most about my character is that she brings out many sides to her. Ollie is more serious with her mom and playful with her grandpa.

Tell-Tale TV: What’s your favorite thing about working on this series?

Mansfield: As a Deaf actress, acting opportunities are hard to come by. So, acting is definitely my favorite part. Plus, the people on this production are truly the best!

Tell-Tale TV: I love the relationship Ollie has with her uncle, especially when she jokes with him after meeting Emma. Why do you think they have such a special relationship?

Mansfield: Birdie, Ollie’s mother, is more serious and protective… It’s a lot for her to run a bar, be a single mother, and doing cons. She wants the best for her daughter, too.

On the other hand, Uncle Charlie has no kids, which lets him have more fun with Ollie. Charlie also raised Ollie along with his sister Birdie so that creates a special relationship.

Tell-Tale TV: What has it been like working with Milo Ventimiglia?

Mansfield: I only know of him because my mom watched This Is Us. Then when I found out I got the role, my parents told me that they met Milo on the set of Heroes. There’s a photo of them together with Deanne Bray, a Deaf actress who was also in Heroes.

Working with Milo has been rad (his favorite word!). We talked about our trips to Disneyland, Hawaii, eating salmon, and how I should be flossing more often. I scared Milo before on set, but the only person who dared to scare me back was Milo! He got me real good.

Tell-Tale TV: And what has it been like working with Sarah Wayne Callies?

Mansfield: Sarah is very much like Birdie… She cares about people like me. She’s taking an ASL class on her own. In between takes, we chatted about books we read, all kinds of cultures, her garden (because I want one of my own one day), and many more.

She’s a pro in acting — I’m learning so much from her. Some of my best scenes are with her. I can’t wait for the audience to see more of us, especially in episodes 6 and 7.

Tell-Tale TV: Ollie has learned some sleight-of-hand tricks from her family, like taking Charlie’s wallet, etc. How much fun are those scenes?

Mansfield: Yes, so much fun! For two days, I had a magician come to school on set to teach me some cool tricks. I learned that magic is not just about how you move your hands, but your eyes too. There are more tricks Mathew taught me, but I’m going to keep it to myself.

Tell-Tale TV: There’s a scene in Episode 3 where Ollie points out that it’s rude for her family members to talk without also signing in her presence. Why do you think a scene like that is so important?

Mansfield: Julia Cohen, The Company You Keep showrunner, and I had an in-depth discussion about Ollie’s backstory. During the chat, I shared that my hearing family do leave me out of conversations.

My Deaf parents often have to remind them to sign in front of us. So, Julia decided to write that experience into that scene. It’s so important to highlight a prevalent issue that Deaf people go through with their own hearing family. They forget, but they shouldn’t. 

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The Company You Keep airs Sundays at 10/9c on ABC.

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