About Ashley Olsen

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses, best known for playing the role of Michelle Tanner on the sitcom Full House. Although some people at first glance suppose they are identical twins, they are fraternal. Both Olsen twins have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. As a general rule, they appear together (though there are exceptions), and have filmed movies worldwide.

Born in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen (b. 1953) and Jarnette (Jarnie) Fuller (b. 1954), Mary-Kate and Ashley Fuller Olsen started their acting careers on the television series Full House in 1987. They were hired at the age of six months, and filming began when they were nine months old. The show was widely popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and both sisters played the same character, Michelle Tanner, taking turns during the tapings to do so, in order to comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors. For the first year, Ashley would cry when she was brought on set to do a scene, so Mary-Kate had more screen time in the first season.

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 in the last season and most of season one, they were credited as separate people. During the eight year run, Mary-Kate and Ashley made several straight-to-video movies, in addition to Full House, such as To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992).

Mary-Kate and Ashley have an older brother, Trent, and younger sister, Elizabeth, as well as two half-siblings, Taylor (b. 1996), and Jake (b. 1997). The twins’ parents divorced in 1995, and Taylor and Jake are the children from their father’s second marriage to Martha Mackenzie-Olsen.

In 2004 Mary-Kate and Ashley 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. Mary-Kate moved back to California in 2005. She decided to stay on the West Coast and pursue more individualized work with their company, Dualstar. Ashley, still in New York, remains in close contact with her sister.
In 2004, Mary-Kate checked into rehab in Utah for six weeks because she was suffering from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It was rumoured that there was also a drug problem, but the Olsens’ publicist said, “Mary-Kate was not admitted for drugs. Period.” Mary-Kate put on about five to seven pounds immediately after her stint in rehab and pictures had shown that she may have gained more weight.

However, Star magazine has, as of January 2007, released a cover story article on Mary Kate’s, once again, very low weight. They claim she is at 80 pounds. She has been seen wearing baggy clothes and carrying vast purses. Her spokesperson has denied the weight loss claiming “Mary-Kate has not lost weight. She is taking good care of herself.”

Mary-Kate in 2005 ended her romance with Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos III; Niarchos then began dating hotel heiress and socialite Paris Hilton. Mary-Kate said that the breakup was one of the main factors in her leave of absence from New York University. “I miss him and I love him,” Mary-Kate said, “It’s a hurtful and a painful subject.” When asked if there was a specific reason for her leaving NYU, she replied, “I think we can all guess.”

The breakup and Niarchos’s pairing with Paris Hilton led to a rift between Hilton and Mary-Kate. “[Paris and I] always only had nice things to say about each other,” Olsen said. “Now I guess you can tell we’re not talking.”

Ashley Olsen Photo Archive