You probably remember Renee Olstead for her long-standing role as Lauren Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing (2002-2006). She appeared in 86 episodes and won the Young Artist Award in 2006 for the Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy) as a Supporting Actress.
But a lot has happened since then. At 37, on top of appearing in plenty of films and TV shows, Olstead has released several albums, made a name for herself in the world of adult entertainment and become a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT).
Whew, it’s quite a well-rounded resume to say the least. So, how did Olstead break into acting and what is she doing in 2026?
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Renee Olstead’s Early Life and Child Acting Career: How Did She Get Started?
Rebecca Renee Olstead made her professional acting debut in 1995 at just six years old — with a minor role in the Western mini-series Streets of Laredo. That same year, she also landed a commercial with Levi’s Jeans and a role in the TV movie Deadly Family Secrets.
As a child, she was often described as ‘precocious’. Her unusual maturity and true passion for acting and singing is evident throughout The Making of a Child Star (1997), which documented her journey to stardom alongside other child actors.
Other noteworthy ‘90s credits include Cadillac Ranch (1996), Touched by an Angel (1998), and Providence (1999).
The year 2000 was a big one for young Olstead as she had a small part in Space Cowboys alongside the likes of Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones. It was also the year that she released her very first country album, Stone Country. Keep in mind, she was just 11.
Renee Olstead in the Early 2000s: Still Standing, Her Jazz Debut and High School on Set
In 2002, Olstead landed the role that she’d later become best known for — Lauren Miller, the dramatic middle child on Still Standing.
Olstead and her family packed up their lives in Houston and moved to Los Angeles for filming. The payoff was well worth it as she was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her work as a leading young actress in 2003, showing instant industry recognition. Olstead won the award a few years later in 2006.
While working on Still Standing, Olstead also picked up the role of Becky on the hit rom-com 13 Going on 30 (2004) [65% on Rotten Tomatoes]. Around this time, she also had a handful of minor roles in TV movies and celebrated the release of her first major-label album, self-titled Renee Olstead.
At the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005, her performance of ‘Summertime’ helped earn David Foster and John Clayton a nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).
Fun fact: Because she was working full-time, Olstead was actually tutored on the set of Still Standing instead of going to a traditional high school.
Renee Olstead in the 2010s: College, a Grammy Nomination and Stepping Away From Hollywood
The 2010s were when Renee Olstead began reinventing herself. She was still working as an actress (most notably on The Secret Life of the American Teenager from 2008 to 2013), but she also began studying sociology part-time through Mount Saint Mary’s University in L.A.
She continued releasing music, but focused on independent EPs instead of big studio albums. In 2017, her vocals on John Daversa’s “Do You Want to Know a Secret” helped earn him a Grammy nomination for the arrangement, in the Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals category.
In 2014, Olstead married pianist Tommy King. The couple met through her music career, and King co-wrote her single ‘She’s Got Your Name’. After a roughly five-year marriage, they split in 2020.
What Is Renee Olstead Doing Now? Therapy, Advocacy and a 2026 Campaign Role
Here are just a few of Olstead’s recent accolades and projects:
- Adult modeling: She began her adult modeling career in 2020, posing for Playboy and Hustler Hollywood. She launched her OnlyFans in 2020, and she was named the 2024 ‘Penthouse Pet of the Year.’
- Therapy and advocacy: She earned her Master’s in Psychology. She’s a registered AMFT since 2023 and specializes in affirmative care for sex workers. In 2024, she founded The Coalition for American Sex Workers. She even received an official citation from The Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 for her advocacy work.
- Music Release: Olstead continued her journey as a jazz musician with the release of the festive single Christmas in Love in 2024. It served as a continuation of a string of holiday singles released in 2018.
- Politics: According to The Daily Wire, citing The Heartland Post, Olstead, who also goes by Renee Faust, served as deputy campaign manager on state Rep. Francesca Hong’s run for Wisconsin governor, and the Hong campaign said she joined in December. Hong narrowly lost the August 11 Democratic primary to David Crowley, who now faces Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in the November 3 general election. We couldn’t find reporting on Olstead’s role since the primary.
She also found love again, and married healthcare writer Timothy Faust in 2024. The pair live in Wisconsin and are both heavily involved in healthcare advocacy.
In a 2000 interview with Texas Monthly, an eleven-year-old Olstead stated: “I find that I should be a multiprofessional person if I can.” And that’s exactly what she became.
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There’s so much more that could be said about Renee Olstead. She’s truly a woman of many talents. And while she hasn’t graced us with any TV or movie appearances in the past few years, we wouldn’t be surprised if she had to pop up in something completely unexpected.
Want to catch her in one of her best-known movies? 13 Going on 30 is available to rent or buy digitally through services such as Fandango at Home and Movies Anywhere.
