Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses who have appeared in television and films since the age of 3 months. Despite their near-identical looks, the pair are actually fraternal rather than identical twins.They started their acting careers on the television series Full House. The show was widely popular during the late 80s and early 90s, and both sisters played one character, Michelle Tanner, taking turns during the recordings to do so, in order to comply with child labor laws regarding child actors. Because the producers did not want viewers to know that Michelle was played by twins, the sisters were credited as "Mary Kate Ashley Olsen".
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 pre-teens and children by storm, their names have become an industry that makes them over 160 million dollars each a year, with their likeness seen in movies, posters, magazines, clothes, and even video games like Mary Kate and Ashley's Magical Mystery Mall.
As of 2004 the Olsen twins are popular figures in today's pre-teen 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, essentially a white Sister, Sister.
Among the movies they have made (mostly for television and video):
- It Takes Two (1995) - Their theatrical debut, apart from a brief appearance in The Little Rascals (1994), and the only film in which they don't play sisters
- Passport To Paris (1999)
- Switching Goals (1999)
- Winning London (2001)
- Getting There (2002)
- When In Rome (2002)
- New York Minute (2004) - Their second theatrical movie
On May 15, 2004, the girls co-hosted the season finale of Saturday Night Live.
The film New York Minute was released to critical and commercial failure and ultimately became a box office bomb.
Mary-Kate Olsen and her bodyguard were involved in a non serious car accident six days later, on May 21, when her car's brakes failed her at a jammed Los Angeles freeway, and he could not stop in time to avoid crashing into her car. No one was injured in the accident.
On June 22, 2004, it was revealed that Mary-Kate had entered a rehabilitation program for the eating disorder anorexia. Gossip had swirled for months that her appearance was more and more drawn, but the actress and her management refused to discuss the issue. She herself had poked fun at the rumors on an episode of Saturday Night Live, which she had hosted with Ashley. In this episode, Ashley, posing as a photographer, shouted out to "Mary-Kate", "You're too skinny! Eat a sandwich!"
It was reported, on July 7, that the Olsen's participation in the Got Milk campaign would be cancelled, mainly due to Mary-Kate's illness. The ad in which they would have appeared read, in part: "we want our fans to be healthy".
The same day, rumors began to spring that Mary-Kate Olsen was rehabilitating for a cocaine addiction, contrary to the previous rumors of her having anorexia.
The Strange Truth About Twins questions the supposed fact that they are fraternal twins, citing that just because they are different-handed, doesn't mean they have different genetics.