Ashley Olsen | |
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 Olsen in 2011 | |
| Born | (1986-06-13)June 13, 1986 (age 38) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1987–2012 (actress) 2004–present (fashion designer) |
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| Children | 1 |
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Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American businesswoman, fashion designer and former actress. She began her acting career at the age of nine months, sharing the role ofMichelle Tanner with her twin sisterMary-Kate Olsen in the television sitcomFull House (1987–1995). They also starred in numerous films together.
In 1993, the production companyDualstar Entertainment Group was founded, which produced a long string ofTV movies anddirect-to-video releases featuring the girls; they starred inPassport to Paris (1999),Our Lips Are Sealed (2000),Winning London (2001),Holiday in the Sun (2001) and in the television seriesSo Little Time (2001–2002). They starred inGetting There (2002),When in Rome (2002), andThe Challenge (2003); and made cameos inCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). The last film she starred in with her twin sister wasNew York Minute (2004). She continued with her acting career independently, appearing with a fewguest-star roles in films and in amusic video.
In March 2012, bothMary-Kate and Ashley officially indicated their interest to retire as actresses in order to focus on their careers in the fashion industry. She and her twin sister co-founded luxury fashion brandThe Row, lifestyle brand Elizabeth and James, and more affordable fashion lines Olsenboye and StyleMint.[1] They co-authored a book,Influence, featuring interviews with fashion designers that have inspired their fashion lines. They are members of theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America.
Ashley Fuller Olsen and her twin sister,Mary-Kate Olsen, were born on June 13, 1986, inSherman Oaks, California. Ashley is two minutes older than Mary-Kate.[2] She is the daughter of Jarnette "Jarnie" Olsen (née Jones; b. 1954), a personal manager, and David "Dave" Olsen, a real estate developer and mortgage banker.[3] Along with Mary-Kate, they have an older brother Trent, a younger sister and actressElizabeth, and younger half-siblings Courtney and Jake (from their father's second marriage).[4] Olsen's parents divorced in 1996.[5] Their father hasNorwegian ancestry while their mother is ofFrench,German andItalian ancestry.[6]
Olsen attended theCampbell Hall School inLos Angeles. After graduating from Campbell Hall in 2004,she and Mary-Kate went on to attendNew York University'sGallatin School of Individualized Study.[7]
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She began her acting career at the age of nine months when she and Mary-Kate were hired to share the role ofMichelle Tanner on the populartelevision sitcomFull House (1987–1995).[8]
She starred alongside Mary-Kate in the filmsTo Grandmother's House We Go (1992),Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993),How the West Was Fun (1994),It Takes Two (1995),Billboard Dad (1998) and the television series,Two of a Kind (1998–1999).
In the 1990s, associates of Olsen and her twin sister, recognizing their marketing potential, built a production company around them calledDualstar Entertainment Group, which produced a long string of successfulTV movies anddirect-to-video releases featuring the girls. They starred inPassport to Paris (1999),Switching Goals (1999),Our Lips Are Sealed (2000),Winning London (2001),Holiday in the Sun (2001) and the television series,So Little Time (2001–2002).
She and her twin sister became household names and popular figures in thepreteen market during the late 1990s and early 2000s, with their likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies, and posters, among others. There were fashion dolls of her made byMattel from 2000 to 2005. They also starred in the filmsGetting There (2002),When in Rome (2002),The Challenge (2003) and made cameos inCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). In 2004, the sisters appeared in their theatrical light-hearted romantic comedy film,New York Minute. It would be their last film together, as well as Ashley's last acting role. Mary-Kate continued with her acting career independently, appearing in a few films and shows, with her final acting project being the 2011 movieBeastly.
In 2004, upon the twins' 18th birthday, they became co-presidents of their companyDualstar (created in 1993 following the success ofFull House), the brand currently selling in over 3,000 stores in the United States and 5,300 stores worldwide.
In 2004, Olsen stepped away from full-time acting, though she made minor appearances in the filmsThe Jerk Theory (2009) andI'm Still Here (2010), as well as the 2013 music video for "City of Angels" byThirty Seconds to Mars.[9][10][11]
In 2007, when the Olsen twins were 21, they said that if they got involved in movies together again it would be as producers.[12] In 2009, Olsen contemplated returning to acting and said, "Never say never."[13][14] In March 2012, the Olsen twins indicated their interest to retire as actresses in order to focus on their careers in fashion.[15] They discussed wanting to open a store as one of their future fashion-based endeavors.[16][17]
In 2015, it was announced thatJohn Stamos had signed on withNetflix to produce and co-star inFuller House, a spin-off ofFull House that would reunite the original cast members. In May of that year, Mary-Kate and Ashley announced that they would not reprise their role asMichelle Tanner; however, two months later in July, according to Netflix's Ted Sarandos, the Olsen twins were "teetering" on an agreement to join the series.[18][19] The twins eventually declined to join the cast ofFuller House, with Ashley saying she would not feel comfortable in front of the camera after a 12-year absence from acting and Mary-Kate saying the timing was bad.[20]Nickelodeon acquired the rights to Mary-Kate and Ashley's video library in 2015.[21]
She and her sister were jointly ranked number three on theVH1 program100 Greatest Child Stars. Ashley and her twin Mary-Kate's success has been marked by their inclusion on everyForbes The Celebrity 100 list since 2002. In 2007, Forbes ranked the twins as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated combined net worth of $100 million.[22] Forbes had the twins on their 30 Under 30: All-Star Alumni list in 2017.[23] As of 2024, she and Mary-Kate have an estimated combined net worth of US$500 million.[24]
Following a high volume of public interest in their fashion choices, Mary-Kate and Ashley collaborated on a series of fashion lines available to the public. They released clothing inWalmart stores across the US for girls ages 4 to 14, as well as a beauty line called Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real Fashion for Real Girls.[25]
In 2004, they made news by signing a pledge to allow all the workers that sew their line of clothing inBangladesh full maternity leave. TheNational Labor Committee, which organized the pledge, later praised the twins for their commitment to worker rights.[26]
The idea forThe Row started as a personal project in 2005 when Olsen challenged herself to create a perfectT-shirt.[27] She tested the design on a variety of women of all body shapes and ages in an attempt to find a "commonality in fit and attitude."[28] By 2006, the sisters had created a 7-piece collection that included the T-shirt, a pair of cotton sateenleggings, and acashmere wool tank dress.Barneys New York bought the entire first collection.[29] The brand has expanded to includeready-to-wear, resort, handbags, sunglasses, and shoes.[30] That same year, they were selected as the faces of the upscale fashion lineBadgley Mischka.[31]
In 2008, Mary-Kate and Ashley publishedInfluence, a book featuring interviews with fashion designers that have inspired their fashion lines.[32]
In 2007, the Olsens released a fashion line called Elizabeth and James.[33] The brand was named after their younger sister, actressElizabeth Olsen, and older brother, writer James "Trent" Olsen.[34] In 2009, Mary-Kate and Ashley announced that their new women's retail line, Olsenboye, would release forJCPenney.[35] Olsenboye would be much cheaper than The Row, with all products under US$50.[36] It debuted on November 6, 2009, in select stores and online, and launched nationwide in Spring of 2010.[37] The twins designed a limited edition Olsenboye change purse in August 2011 to raise money for Pennies From Heaven, an organization that donates to after-school programs.[38] In July 2011, they founded StyleMint, another retail line, in partnership withBeachMint.[39] That same year, the sisters collaborated withTOMS Shoes to design footwear for children without shoes inHonduras. The sisters traveled to the country together, fitting feet and socializing with the children there.[40] In early 2013, Elizabeth and James launched a perfume line, headed by two fragrances called Nirvana White and Nirvana Black.[41] In 2019, the Elizabeth and James line became exclusively available atKohl's stores.[42]
In October 2012, the twins won theWSJ magazine Innovator of The Year Award.[43]
Ashley and Mary-Kate have appeared on multiple best-dressed lists, such asGlamour UK's andUS Vogue's lists.[44][45][46]
In February 2005, Olsen filed a $40 million lawsuit against tabloid magazineNational Enquirer for depicting her as being involved in a drug scandal.[47] Later that year in October, the tabloid eventually apologized to Olsen and stated it did not intend to suggest that she was involved in the scandal.[citation needed]
In 2001, Olsen began datingColumbia University quarterbackMatt Kaplan, whom she met while attending high school. The couple split amicably in 2004. Olsen later called the relationship "pretty boring."[48] In 2008, Olsen began dating actorJustin Bartha.[49] Throughout their relationship, which ended peacefully in 2011, they were rumored to be engaged.[48][50] In 2014, Olsen began a relationship with directorBennett Miller. The relationship ended at an unknown date.[48]
Olsen began a relationship with artist Louis Eisner in October 2017.[51] Eisner is the son ofEric Eisner, former president ofThe Geffen Company and a philanthropist who founded theYoung Eisner Scholars.[52][53] In July 2019, Olsen sparked engagement rumors after she was spotted wearing a ring on her finger.[54][55][56] They married on December 28, 2022, inBel Air, Los Angeles.[57] In 2023, Olsen gave birth to a son.[58] The family lives together inNew York City.[59]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor/Actress – Under Five Years of Age(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | Full House | Won | |
| 1990 | Outstanding Performance by an Actress Under Nine Years of Age(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | Full House | Won | ||
| 1992 | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Ten(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | Full House | Won | ||
| 1994 | Best Youth Actress in a TV Mini-Series, M.O.W. or Special(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | Double, Double, Toil and Trouble | Won | ||
| 1996 | Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten – Feature Film | It Takes Two | Nominated | ||
| Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actress(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | It Takes Two | Won | ||
| 1999 | Favorite TV Actress(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | Two of a Kind | Won | ||
| 2004 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Blush(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | New York Minute | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Council of Fashion Designers of America | Womenswear Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Won | [60] |
| The Wall Street Journal | Innovator of the Year: Fashion(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Won | [29] | |
| 2014 | Council of Fashion Designers of America | Accessories Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Won | [61] |
| 2015 | Council of Fashion Designers of America | Accessories Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Nominated | [60] |
| Council of Fashion Designers of America | Womenswear Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Won | [60] | |
| 2016 | Council of Fashion Designers of America | Accessories Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Nominated | |
| Council of Fashion Designers of America | Womenswear Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Council of Fashion Designers of America | Accessories Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Nominated | [62] |
| Council of Fashion Designers of America | Womenswear Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Nominated | [62] | |
| 2018 | Council of Fashion Designers of America | Accessories Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Won | [63] |
| Council of Fashion Designers of America | Womenswear Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Nominated | [63] | |
| 2019 | Council of Fashion Designers of America | Accessories Designer of the Year(with Mary-Kate Olsen) | The Row | Won | [64] |
It is unknown how the pair originally met but they were first seen out together at Hammer Museum's Gala in the Garden in Los Angeles in October 2017.
Ashley and her artist boyfriend have been officially dating since October 2017.
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