Dollhouse: Where Are They Now?
"Did I fall asleep?" "For a little while. Do you trust me?" "With my life."
The concept of Dollhouse is a unique one that only just got to show its promise before its tragically early cancellation.
There is an agency out there who can provide you with anything you want so long as you can pay the price. Want a date, an assassin, a teacher, a bodyguard? They're yours, and they may even all look alike. A custom personality and skillset is created for your need and downloaded into dolls; mind-wiped prisoners who are kept in a childlike state between missions.
The show's original hook centred on the dual concepts of the tech beginning to fail (which would eventually lead to the wonderfully apocalyptic Epitaph episodes on the DVDs) as well as the investigation into the Dollhouse and the company behind it in an effort to make them pay for their crimes against humanity.
Coming from a post-Firefly Joss Whedon, Dollhouse featured many of the traditional Whedon faces as well as a mix of some of the up and coming sci-fi actors of the day. Ten years on from the show's cancellation, let's catch up with the stars and see where they are now.
13. Olivia Williams
British-born Olivia Williams played Adele Dewitt, the head of the Los Angeles Dollhouse in the show. Sophisticated, cold, and efficient, she had a soft spot for the dolls (in particular Caroline, with whom she had a hidden history for much of the show) which she didn't like to show to those below her. This led to her often being seen as an enemy on the show by those looking to protect the dolls.
Working a demanding job, she sees value in the Dollhouse and even has a version of Victor programmed as her lover in lieu of a social life, a fact she hides from the rest of the house almost as well as she hides her growing alcoholism. During the Epitaphs, she is seen to have a more nurturing side, and is almost motherly when acting as Topher's carer.
Since the show was cancelled, Olivia has gone on to many different shows and movies, and was last seen alongside Olivia Coleman and Anthony Hopkins in The Father. Williams will return to screens in 2021, playing the role of Lavinia Bidlow in Joss Whedon's next project, The Nevers.