The Olsen twins were twice the trouble and double the fun, melting everyone’s hearts in the 90s and 00s. They grew up before our eyes on the screen as they transformed into the successful women and fashion moguls they are today.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are insanely successful – but do they enjoy being famous?
All about the Olsen twins
Fraternal twins Mary-Kate and Ashley were born in June 1986 on Friday the 13th. Fun fact: Ashley is two minutes older than her sister! These baby girls were a blessing to now-divorced parents David and Jarnette Olsen. Along with their older and younger siblings, the family lived in the humble suburbs of Sherman Oaks, California.
The Olsen sisters booked their first audition at the young age of six months. Among the hundreds of twins that showed up, Mary-Kate and Ashley were the cutest and bravest! Instantly smitten, the director cast them both for the special role that would launch them into Hollywood stardom.
Mary-Kate and Ashley’s television credits
They bagged their first acting gig in the hit TV series Full House, playing the unforgettable and spunky Michelle Tanner. Because of child labour laws, they weren’t allowed to work more than 20 minutes per episode, so the twins switched places in between takes. For years, audiences couldn’t tell them apart! Here are some of their most memorable TV shows and TV films:
- To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992)
- Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993)
- How The West Was Fun (1994)
- Full House (1987 to 1995)
- You’re Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley (1995 to 2000)
- The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley (1994 to 1997)
- Two of a Kind (1998 to 1999)
- So Little Time (2001 to 2002)
After the success of their first TV show, they founded Dualstar Entertainment Group. The media company allowed them to produce their own projects and star in them, too!
Mary-Kate and Ashley’s movie credits
They did so many shows, movies, and cameos together that it was hard to keep track! Most of their movie plots involved classic switcheroo scenarios, crushing on the same boys, and being total opposites of one another. They were really popular with teenage girls who idolised the trendy twins for their beauty, style, and sense of humour.
- It Takes Two (1995)
- Billboard Dad (1998)
- Switching Goals (1999)
- Passport to Paris (1999)
- Our Lips Are Sealed (2000)
- Winning London (2001)
- Holiday in the Sun (2001)
- When in Rome (2002)
- Getting There (2002)
- The Challenge (2003)
- New York Minute (2004)
While it’s an impressive list, there were lots of hits and misses – meaning some of them were great, and others were totally cringe-worthy. The last time they starred in the same movie was back in 2004 and it was a box office flop.
Why did the Olsen twins stop acting?
The teen girls pursued a few more solo acting roles before retiring from acting in 2012, occasionally gracing some red-carpet events. Ashley’s last leading role was in 2004, whilst Mary Kate’s was in 2011’s Beastly.
Whilst they may have retired from acting, the sisters quickly pivoted into various other business ventures with a fashion focus.
They modelled in campaigns and photoshoots for a while, but their true passion was in the world of fashion.
As they got older, they enjoyed being behind the scenes and getting creative. Inspired by their own boho-chic aesthetic, they designed their own clothing lines and collaborated with other companies.
In 2006, they founded The Row: a high fashion label that sells premium, tailor-fit pieces, and vintage silhouettes.
They eventually branched into furniture, art, and menswear, then opened stores in New York City, Long Island, Los Angeles and London.
The super sisters launched their lifestyle brand Elizabeth and James in 2007.
Their shop offers a wide selection of clothing from women’s wear and eyewear to handbags, jewellery, and fragrances. After several years of success in the fashion world, they were awarded Womenswear Designer of the Year by CFDA.
Mary-Kate shared her vision with Net-A-Porter: “We like to say that Elizabeth and James is the new luxury. It’s the idea that you can still have fashion, great fabrics and great fits at a lower price point.”
However, it looks like the brand shut down in 2020, with the sisters’ priority now The Row.
Like other A-list celebrities, the It-girls had their own struggles to deal with.
In 2004, Mary-Kate checked herself into rehab for an eating disorder and an alleged drug addiction. She suffered from kidney problems three years later but has been on a steady road to recovery for her mental and physical health.
In an interview with Marie Claire, she shared her thoughts about living through dark moments in her life. “I think it’s really important to be able to talk when something’s wrong. I learned at a really young age that if you don’t talk about it, it can drive you insane.”
What happened to the Olsen twins?
The two fashion moguls have proven that teamwork makes the dream work, especially when you’re each other’s better half!
The pair remain largely out of the public eye, rarely appearing at public events and not using social media.
In a 2021 interview with i-D, Mary-Kate and Ashley spoke more about their penchant for privacy.
“We were raised to be discreet people,” Mary-Kate told the publication when asked about their fashion label The Row’s discreet, modest style.
“I think that potentially that’s just our aesthetic, our design preference,” Ashley said. “But that doesn’t mean that we don’t also appreciate something truly ornate or maximal.”
“Sometimes a collection even starts quite like that, and then gets pared down. It doesn’t always start from that simplistic place.”
Looking back, it seems like they still have resentment towards their childhood experiences in Hollywood.
In a 2010 Marie Claire interview, Mary-Kate referred to herself and her sibling as “little monkey performers” who did whatever they were told.
She continued: “I look at old photos of me, and I don’t feel connected to them at all…I would never wish my upbringing on anyone…”
After all these years, Mary-Kate and Ashley refuse to be on social media, which makes it easier for them to live their lives without judgement from the public eye.
But in a rare interview with Vogue, published on Sept. 23 2024, the twins revealed they were opening a new store for The Row in Paris.
“We’ve been looking for years,” Ashley told the publication about the location. “We wanted to be in Paris before we opened in London, but we didn’t find anything here first. Then, 18 months ago, a friend told us about this place.
“It has to be a nice experience for the community—a sense of the store being local,” she continued. “We want the experience to be unique and special. Their experience is as important to us as anything else we do.”
Ashley went on to give an insight into the constant learnings she and her sister experience as business owners.
“You need to be very agile, and to make adjustments, so opening the doors and learning one day at a time … that’s very us,” she said. “This may not be the most obvious place to be in Paris—we looked at almost every major street in the city—but we’re very happy here.
“The best way to describe the whole process was a series of baby steps, which we did with a bunch of people who were happy to try with us,” she went on.
Mary-Kate chimed in, “Having so many windows is amazing, but also a challenge. Because Ashley and I don’t like putting anything in our windows.”
Are the Olsen Twins still friends?
In a rare interview with WSJ Magazine in 2018, Ashley revealed more about her relationship with her sister.
“It’s been 32 years of learning how to communicate,” she said.
She also compared their relationship to “a marriage and a partnership. We have had ups and downs….We do everything together.”
Who has Mary-Kate Olsen dated?
Mary-Kate Olsen and Heath Ledger had a brief love affair back in 2008, but she was only publicly linked to him after his overdose on prescription drugs. Her name was cleared from the incident, and seven years later, Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy got married in New York City. The pair divorced in January 2021.
Who has Ashley Olsen dated?
Ashley Olsen is married to artist Louis Eisner. While there is very little detail surrounding the couple’s romance, it has been reported that the couple has been together since early 2021 after being spotted holding hands on a rare public outing in New York.
Ashley and Eisner made their red carpet debut as a couple in September 2021, with rumours surrounding the couple’s potential marriage circulating after Olsen was spotted wearing a gold band on her left ring finger.
In January 2023, Page Six reported that the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony over the Christmas period.
In August 2023, it was confirmed by People that Ashley and Eisner had welcomed their first child together – a son named Otto.
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