Who plays Cherry in The Girlfriend? Actress’ notable projects and career, explored

Prime Video’s The Girlfriend tells the story of Laura Sanderson, who is threatened with the arrival of Cherry Laine in her son Daniel’s life. While Cherry and Daniel seem to be deeply in love, Laura feels suspicious of the girl.

As the two women play mind games with each other, the show offers an insight into both of their perspectives, leaving fans wondering who is right and who is wrong. As Cherry is at the center of the narrative in the series, many fans are wondering who plays her in The Girlfriend and where they have seen the actress before.

Cherry is played by Olivia Cooke. The actress is well-recognized for her portrayal of Alicent Hightower in HBO’s House of the Dragon. She has several other acclaimed credits to her name as well. Here is all about her career and notable projects.

Who stars as Cherry in The Girlfriend?

English actress Olivia Cooke portrays Cherry in The Girlfriend. The 31-year-old actress took part in stage productions at her school and college before making her professional debut with the British series Blackout in 2012. She played the role of Meg Demoys in the show and appeared in three episodes.

The same year, she was seen in The Secret of Crickley Hall as Nancy Linnet. In 2013, she landed the role of Emma Decody in the A&E psychological horror drama Bates Motel and shot to wide fame. The actress appeared in all five seasons of the show until its conclusion in 2017.

Meanwhile, Olivia Cooke also made a mark in movies. Early in her career, she appeared in films like Ouija, The Signal, and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and earned praise from the critics and audience. She later played Louise "Lou" Berger in Sound of Metal, Leah Deleon in Naked Singularity, and the titular role in Pixie, showcasing her versatility.

In 2022, her career got yet another boost as she appeared in Game of Thrones’ spin-off House of the Dragon. Her layered portrayal of the dowager Queen Alicent Hightower shot her to global stardom. Owing to the negative shade of the character, a section of the audience directed their hate toward the actress.

While the hate is uncalled for, it shows how well Cooke is able to fit into her character. The actress now continues to be a part of the show and will be seen in its upcoming third season in 2026. Meanwhile, The Girlfriend has introduced her to a new set of audiences, who are all in awe of her talent and acting chops.

What Olivia Cooke has said about her character in The Girlfriend

Olivia Cooke had an interview with Forbes around the release of The Girlfriend, where she talked about what motivated her to sign the show. The actress revealed she was eager to work with Robin Wright:

“Well, first of all, it was Robin Wright. I wanted to work with her. I think she’s brilliant and all her choices are incredible. There’s so much that I just wanted to learn and sort of absorb from her.”

Cooke added that Cherry’s character is entirely different from anything that she has previously done, which was another reason why she decided to take up the challenge:

“But then also Cherry, I think she was quite different to characters that I’ve played before. She felt instantly recognizable to some of the people that I’ve grown up with, and I just loved how her emotions and anger sat so closely to the surface.”

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The Girlfriend premiered on Prime Video on September 10, 2025.

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