Olivia Brown, born around 1956 or 1957 in Frankfurt, West Germany, and raised in Sacramento, California, is an American actress best recognized for her portrayal of Detective Trudy Joplin on the iconic NBC crime drama Miami Vice from 1984 to 1989.

After graduating from C.K. McClatchy High School, she received a scholarship to Parsons School of Design in New York but opted to stay closer to family, attending Sacramento City College and Sacramento State College instead.

Her entry into acting came after relocating to Hollywood, where she worked as a waitress before landing her feature film debut as Candy in the 1982 action comedy 48 Hrs. alongside Eddie Murphy.​

Her career gained momentum with supporting roles in films such as Streets of Fire in 1984, Throw Momma from the Train in 1987, Identity Crisis in 1989, Man's Best Friend in 1993, and All Tied Up in 1994, while her television breakthrough arrived with the role of Trudy Joplin on Miami Vice, where she appeared as a key member of the vice squad across five seasons.

She secured recurring parts on series like Hill Street Blues in its fourth season, Designing Women, Dear John from 1990 to 1991, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Beverly Hills, 90210, Moesha, and notably 7th Heaven over multiple seasons.

Guest appearances further diversified her resume, including spots on T.J. Hooker, The Love Boat, Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sister, Sister, Roc, and The Sinbad Show.​

In her personal life, she married actor Mykelti Williamson from 1983 until their 1985 divorce, later wedding James Okonkwo with whom she has two children; her brother Steve Brown played for the Houston Oilers in the late 1980s.

She once dined publicly with actor Bruce Willis in 1987, adding a footnote to her Hollywood anecdotes. Continuing sporadically into the 2010s with roles in projects like Not Easily Broken in 2009 and Our Dream Christmas in 2017, Olivia Brown remains noted for her versatile presence in both film and television over decades.​