Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
| Mary-Kate Olsen Ashley Olsen |
|
|---|---|
 Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival |
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| Born | June 13, 1986 Sherman Oaks, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actresses |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Website | |
| http://www.mary-kateandashley.com | |
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses, fashion designers, and businesswomen. Following their acting debut as infants on the TV series Full House, the twin sisters appeared together in a variety of TV, film and video projects throughout their child and teenage years. Through their company Dualstar, the Olsens joined the ranks of the wealthiest women in the entertainment industry at a young age.
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Early life and family
The twins were born in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen[1] (b. 1953) and Jarnette (Jarnie) Jones (b. 1954). Despite being very similar in appearance, they are not identical, but fraternal twins.[2] They have an older brother, Trent, and a younger sister, Elizabeth, as well as two half-brothers, Taylor and Jake. The twins' parents divorced in 1995; Taylor and Jake are from their father's second marriage.[3]
Mary-Kate and Ashley's sister Elizabeth became an actress as an adult, making an acclaimed film debut in 2011's Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Child and teen career
In 1987, at the age of six months, the twins were cast in the role of Michelle Tanner on the ABC sitcom Full House. They began filming at nine months old. In order to comply with child labor laws that set strict limits on how long a child actor may work, the sisters took turns playing the role. The Olsens continued to portray Michelle throughout the show's run, which concluded in 1995.
While starring on Full House, the Olsens also began appearing (as separate characters) in films for video and television. The first such film, To Grandmother's House We Go, debuted in 1992 and featured cameos from several other Full House actors. In 1993, the Olsens established the company Dualstar, which would produce the twins' subsequent films and videos, including that year's Double, Double, Toil and Trouble and 1994's How the West Was Fun. A series of musical mystery videos called The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley premiered in 1994 and continued through 1997.
In 1995, following the end of Full House, the Olsens made their feature film debut in It Takes Two, co-starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirstie Alley. In the same year, they introduced a second video series, You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's..., which continued to release new entries until 2000.
The twins returned to series television in 1998 with another ABC sitcom, Two of a Kind, co-starring Christopher Sieber as their characters' widowed father. The series lasted only one season, but aired in reruns on cable for several years afterward. 1998 also saw the release of Billboard Dad, the first of a new string of direct-to-video films starring the Olsens. The final such film, When in Rome, debuted in 2002.
In 2001, the sisters starred in two new series: So Little Time, a live-action sitcom on Fox Family (later ABC Family); and Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action!, an animated series airing Saturday mornings on ABC. Both shows were cancelled after one season, although Mary-Kate received a Daytime Emmy Awards nomination for her performance on So Little Time.
In 2004, the twins starred in a second feature film, New York Minute. It would be their last film together, as well as Ashley's last acting role. Mary-Kate has continued to appear in film and television.
Dualstar
Mary-Kate and Ashley were popular figures in the preteen market during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their names and likenesses extended to clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies and posters, with a market share made up mostly of the tween demographic. Mattel also produced Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls from 2000 to 2005.
The sisters became co-presidents of Dualstar on their 18th birthday in 2004.Upon taking control of the company, Mary-Kate and Ashley made moves to secure the future of the company by releasing products that appealed to the teen market, including home decoration and fragrances.[4] The Dualstar brand has been sold in more than 3,000 stores in the United States and over 5,300 stores worldwide.[5]
The Olsens have appeared on the Forbes "Celebrity 100" list since 2002; in 2007, Forbes ranked them (collectively) as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of US$100 million.[6]
Fashion
As the sisters have matured, there has been greater interest in their fashion choices, with the New York Times declaring Mary-Kate a fashion icon for pioneering her signature (and now popular among celebrities and fans alike) "homeless" look.[7] The style, sometimes referred to by fashion journalists as "ashcan" or "bohemian-bourgeois",[8] is similar to the boho-chic style popularized in Britain by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. The look consists of oversized sunglasses, boots, loose sweaters, and flowing skirts, with an aesthetic of mixing high-end and low-end pieces.[8] The twins were tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka in 2006.[9]
The Olsens have a clothing line for girls ages 4-14 in Wal-Mart stores across North America, as well as a beauty line called "Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real fashion for real girls". In 2004 they made news by signing a pledge to allow full maternity leave to all the workers that sew their line of clothing in Bangladesh. The National Labor Committee, which organized the pledge, praised the twins for their commitment to worker rights.[10]
The Olsens have also launched their own couture fashion label, "The Row", named after Savile Row in London. [11] In 2007, they launched Elizabeth & James, a contemporary collection inspired by many of their unique vintage finds and pieces in their personal wardrobes. They have also released a women's clothing line for J.C. Penney, called Olsenboye, and a t-shirt line called "StyleMint".[12]
In 2008, the sisters published the book Influence, a compilation of interviews with many of the most prominent people in the field of fashion.
Mary-Kate and Ashley have been criticized by animal rights group PETA for wearing fur and for their use of fur in their fashion line.
Filmography
- This section lists the filmography of the twins as a duo. See Mary-Kate Olsen for other productions in which she has appeared.
| Television | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year(s) | Title | Mary-Kate's role | Ashley's role | Notes |
| 1987–1995 | Full House |
|
Shared role | |
| 1998–1999 | Two of a Kind | Mary-Kate Burke | Ashley Burke | |
| 2001–2002 | Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! | Misty (voice) | Amber (voice) | Animated series |
| 2001–2002 | So Little Time | Riley Carlson | Chloe Carlson | |
| Video series | ||||
| Year | Title | Mary-Kate's role | Ashley's role | Notes |
| 1994–1997 | The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley | Mary-Kate | Ashley | |
| 1995–2000 | You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's... | Mary-Kate | Ashley | |
| Films | ||||
| Year | Title | Mary-Kate's role | Ashley's role | Notes |
| 1992 | To Grandmother's House We Go | Sarah Thompson | Julie Thompson | TV movie |
| 1993 | Double, Double, Toil and Trouble | Kelly Farmer & Young Aunt Sophia | Lynn Farmer & Young Aunt Agatha | TV movie |
| 1994 | How the West Was Fun | Jessica Martin | Susie Martin | TV movie |
| The Little Rascals | Twin #2 | Twin #1 | Minor roles | |
| 1995 | It Takes Two | Amanda Lemmon | Alyssa Callaway | |
| 1998 | Billboard Dad | Tess Tyler | Emily Tyler | |
| 1999 | Switching Goals | Sam Stanton | Emma Stanton | TV movie |
| Passport to Paris | Melanie Porter | Allyson Porter | ||
| 2000 | Our Lips Are Sealed | Maddie Parker | Abby Parker | |
| 2001 | Winning London | Chloe Lawrence | Riley Lawrence | |
| Holiday in the Sun | Madison Stewart | Alex Stewart | ||
| 2002 | Getting There | Kylie Hunter | Taylor Hunter | |
| When in Rome | Charli Hunter | Leila Hunter | ||
| 2003 | The Challenge | Shane Dalton | Elizabeth Dalton | |
| Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Future Angel | Future Angel | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2004 | New York Minute | Roxy Ryan | Jane Ryan | Main Roles |
Awards and nominations
- Walk of Fame
- 2004: Star on the Walk of Fame
- Young Artist Award
- 1989: Best Young Actor/Actress — Under Five Years of Age (Full House) WON
- 1990: Outstanding Performance by an Actress Under Nine Years of Age (Full House) – WON
- 1992: Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Ten (Full House) – WON
- 1994: Best Youth Actress in a TV Mini-Series, M.O.W. or Special (Double, Double, Toil and Trouble) – WON
- 1996: Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten — Feature Film (It Takes Two) – Nominated
- Teen Choice Awards
- 2004: Choice Movie Blush (New York Minute) – Nominated
- TV Land Awards
- 2004: Quintessential Non-Traditional Family (Full House) – Nominated (with Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, Lori Loughlin, Bob Saget, John Stamos and Jodie Sweetin)
- Razzie Awards
- 2005: Worst Actress (New York Minute) – Nominated
- 2005: Worst Screen Couple (New York Minute) – Nominated
- Kids' Choice Awards
- 1996: Favorite Movie Actress (It Takes Two) – WON
- 1999: Favorite TV Actress (Two of a Kind) – WON
- DVD Exclusive Awards
- 2003: Franchise Performers Award – WON
See also
References
- ^ "Olsen Twins Dad Broke - Dakota Fanning Sports Wish from Mom and Dad". National Ledger. June 27, 2010. http://www.nationalledger.com/ledgerpop/article_272632773.shtml. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
- ^ Ginia Bellafante (October 24, 2008). "No Labels for the Twins but Their Own". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/arts/television/26bell.html.
- ^ "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Biography". Bio. A&E Television Networks. http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/mary-kate-and-ashley-olsen.html. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
- ^ Hopkins, Jim (May 6, 2005). "Olsens face growing pains". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2005-05-06-olsens-twins-business_x.htm.
- ^ Dualstar Press Kit
- ^ Goldman, Lea and Kiri Blakeley. In Pictures: The Richest 20 Women In Entertainment. January 17, 2007.
- ^ Hall, Sarah. "Olsen Pad Up for Grabs." (Dead link) March 29, 2005.
- ^ a b La Ferla, Ruth. "Mary-Kate: Fashion Star." March 6, 2007.
- ^ Hall, Sarah. Olsen Twins Strike a Pose. February 15, 2006.
- ^ Grossberg, Josh. "Mary-Kate, Ashley: No Sweat." December 9, 2004.
- ^ "Ashley and Mary-Kate's sisterly bond." Times of India. 11 August 2007.
- ^ Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Launch New T-Shirts
Further reading
- Olsen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, with Damon Romine. Mary-Kate and Ashley: Our Story: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's Official Biography. HarperEntertainment 2000. ISBN 0-06-107569-8.
- Tracy, Kathleen. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1-58415-256-7.
External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen |
- Dualstar Entertainment Group Corporate Website
- Ashley Olsen at the Internet Movie Database
- Mary-Kate Olsen at the Internet Movie Database
- Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
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- 1986 births
- Actors from California
- American businesspeople
- American child actors
- American child singers
- American female singers
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American women in business
- Living people
- New York University alumni
- People from the San Fernando Valley
- People from Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles
- Sibling duos
- Young Artist Award winners
- Twin people from the United States
