Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses and entrepreneurs. They are fraternal twins who have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have attained international fame through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. As a rule, they appear together.
Road to fame
Born in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen and Jarnette Jones, the Olsen twins started their acting careers on the television series Full House in 1987. Hired at the age of five months, filming began with seven months. The show was widely popular during the late 80s and early 90s, and both sisters played one character, Michelle Tanner, taking turns during the tapings to do so, in order to comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors. Because the producers did not want viewers to know that Michelle was played by twins, the sisters were originally credited as "Mary Kate Ashley Olsen", but later credited as separate people.
Shortly after the end of Full House, they returned to the entertainment industry, riding the momentum of their role on Full House by heavily merchandising their image. Taking the world of tweens by storm, their names have become a very profitable industry, with their likeness seen in clothes, fragrances, magazines, movies, posters, and even video games like Mary Kate and Ashley's Magical Mystery Mall.
Today, Mary-Kate and Ashley are popular figures in today's tween market, following along the lines of such Hollywood child stars as Shirley Temple, Ron Howard and Macaulay Culkin among others.
They starred in The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley and the ABC show Two of a Kind (now rerun on ABC Family), as well as ABC Family's So Little Time. They also have their own book series.
In 2004 Mary-Kate and Ashley surprised many when they announced that they would be attending college after graduating high school. Most child and teenage actors usually choose to pursue acting full time after graduating from high school, with few (such as Brooke Shields, Jodie Foster, Julia Stiles, and Natalie Portman) choosing to further their education. They both studied at New York University at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study until Mary-Kate took a break in 2005 and moved back to California. She decided to stay in the west coast and pursue more individualized work with their company, DualStar. Ashley, still in NY, remains in contact with her sister. Both girls seem to be dabbling in the relationship department, as Mary-Kate has been seen with ex-beau David and Ashley has been spotted with a guy in Costa Rica on vacation.[citation needed]
Selected filmography
Theatrical
- New York Minute (2004)
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) (cameo appearance)
- It Takes Two (1995) - The only film in which they don't play sisters.
- The Little Rascals (1994) (cameo appearance)
Direct to video
- Getting There (2002)
- When In Rome (2002)
- Holiday in the Sun (2001)
- Winning London (2001)
- Our Lips Are Sealed (2000)
- Passport To Paris (1999)
- Billboard Dad (1998)
Made for TV
Trivia
The twins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 29, 2004. They are the youngest celebrities to receive this honor. They are reported to be worth $150 million each [1]. The twins were named by the industry publication Hollywood Reporter as the "Most Powerful Young Women in Hollywood."
In the episode of Family Guy "Fifteen Minutes of Shame", they replaced Brian and Stewie in the show-within-a-show The Real Live Griffins.
They ranked at number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars.
They are mentioned and insulted along with other celebrities in the song Ass Like That by rapper Eminem. The song was released as a single in 2005. A portion of the music video features the two as puppets who engage in lesbian activity together. The song also makes references about the 2004 movie New York Minute which they both starred in.
Their paternal heritage is Danish.
Who is who
This is a table comparing the significant differences between the two:
| Feature | Ashley Olsen | Mary-Kate Olsen |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
| Handedness | Right-handed | Left-handed |
| Eye color | Green-Blue | Green-Blue, with more green |
| Age difference (two minutes) | Older | Younger |
| Facial structure | Oval face | Round face |
| Academic major | Psychology | Photography |
Though both have become style icons, Mary-Kate dresses more boho- (also called homeless-chic), while Ashley is more conventionally stylish. Both are known for wearing flip-flops usually, as well as a large number of accessories, such as large sunglasses.
See also
External links
