Warning: Spoilers for The Company You Keep season 1, episode 3 ahead.
Shaylee Mansfield stars as Ollie in ABC’s new drama, The Company You Keep. The new series revolves around Milo Ventimiglia’s Charlie Nicoletti and Catherine Haena Kim’s Emma Hill. What starts as a steamy few days turns into a relationship, but they can’t tell each other the truth. Charlie is a con man, and she works for the CIA. He happens to be entangled in her current case. The Company You Keep is also a con procedural, with the Nicolettis doing a con in each episode so far.
Shaylee Mansfield is a young actress who first gained recognition for her YouTube videos where she told Christmas stories using American Sign Language. Then, she debuted as a Deaf homeless girl in Disney+’s Noelle, which received mixed reviews. Shaylee has played a few minor roles since, including a voice on Madagascar: A Little Wild.
Shaylee Mansfield’s Ollie Brings Great ASL Awareness To The Company You Keep & TV
Not only is Shaylee Mansfield playing a Deaf young teen on The Company You Keep, but she is also Deaf. She plays Birdie Nicoletti’s (Sarah Wayne Callies) daughter. Birdie is Milo Ventimiglia’s (who also played Jess on Gilmore Girls) Charlie’s brother. All of the family speak to her using American Sign Language. Even Charlie’s girlfriend, Emma Hill, is learning ASL to talk to her too. There are few depictions of ASL on television, so it’s great to see it used so often on this show.
Ollie came more into the forefront in The Company You Keep season 1, episode 3. While the Nicolettis are trying to keep her out of the family business, she wants to be more involved. Her grandfather encourages this by teaching her how to steal wallets, which she does to her family. The more the show integrates her into the storyline, the more ASL is used.
Ollie Placing The Tracker On Daphne Could Hint At Bigger Role On The Company You Keep
Birdie keeps a tracker on Ollie to keep her safe, but she tells her mother she’s no longer a child. When Birdie looks at the tracking app in season 1, episode 3, it appears that Ollie is not at home, but she informs her mother that she dropped the tracker in the lady’s purse that she is always talking about. This indicates Ollie could play an even bigger role in Rom Con, The Company You Keep, because she is helping her family.
Not that a young teen should be getting involved with the family con business, but Daphne is a threat to the family. It’s partly the result of a mark wanting revenge and part of Daphne’s own agenda. There’s no telling what Daphne would do if they didn’t pay back the money they stole or if they didn’t find a way to defeat her. Ollie has already proven how observant she is. And she’s clearly a good lip reader too. She slipped the tracker into Daphne’s purse with no one noticing. Daphne also knows sign language, which could have them cross paths again now that Ollie is involved.
The more ways The Company You Keep can integrate Ollie into the plot, the better. She’s a fun character who is unafraid to stand up to her mother. She’s not shy about talking to her Uncle Charlie and his girlfriend about what they are doing, either. Having her speak to these characters and be part of the storyline is a great way to showcase ASL. Her story could impact other young women like herself.