Kaitlin Olson Shines in ABC’s ‘High Potential’ Midseason Return

Kaitlin Olson, known for her comedic roles in “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “The Mick,” is stepping into a new spotlight as the lead of ABC‘s crime procedural “High Potential.” The series, which returns for the second half of its first season on Tuesday, has already become ABC’s most-watched new show in six years, averaging 10.42 million viewers per episode.

Olson plays Morgan, a cleaning lady with an extraordinary IQ who is recruited by the LAPD to solve crimes. The role marks a departure from her usual comedic characters, offering a blend of humor, drama, and emotional depth. “I wanted to play a real person,” Olson said during a recent interview. “Dee [from ‘It’s Always Sunny’] is not a real person. I wanted to play somebody who had ups and downs and good days and bad days.”

Developed by Drew Goddard from a French format, “High Potential” has been a “fun challenge” for Olson, who also serves as a producer. “It’s really hard to make the tone that we’re making because we’re combining a few different things,” she explained. “Once we all got on the same page about what that tone was, each different part of her life became easier for me to understand.”

Goddard praised Olson’s ability to balance comedy and drama, saying, “You always feel her soul even when she’s making you laugh. I just knew, trust that. Let’s follow that and see if she’d be up for joining our merry band.”

Olson initially hesitated to take on the role, describing herself as more of a “dick-and-ball joke kind of streaming person.” However, after reading the pilot, she was drawn to Morgan’s complexity and the opportunity to stretch her acting skills. “I wanted to play somebody who had ups and downs and good days and bad days,” she said.

The show also arrives at a pivotal time in Olson’s personal life. With her children now 14 and 12, she felt ready to fully commit to a demanding project. “My kids are old enough now to be like, Dad’s going to take you to school in the morning, Dad’s going to put you to bed,” she said. “I was home every night for bedtime, maybe a couple exceptions, but it feels good to jump in and give all of that creative energy that I was pouring toward parenting to give this project my full attention.”

Her husband and “It’s Always Sunny” co-star, Rob McElhenney, has been supportive of her new venture. “When we sat down and talked about what she wanted to do over the next couple of years, I feel like she really put the effort, the time and love into her role [as caregiver], and I felt it was my time to return that,” he said.

As “High Potential” continues, Olson is excited to explore new dimensions of Morgan’s character. “By the finale, you can just see, ‘Oh, we can take this character to some pretty spectacular places,'” Goddard said. “I, quite frankly, don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of her potential.”