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Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen

January 19, 2012 by · Comments Off on Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen 

Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses and entrepreneurs.

Both 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. Although they look similar in appearance, they are genetically different fraternal twins.

The girls were born in 1986 in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen (b. 1953) and Jarnette (Jarnie) Jones (b. 1954).

In 1987, the twins started their acting careers on the television series Full House. 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.

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 direct-to-video movies, in addition to Full House, such as To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992).

Shortly after the end of Full House, Mary-Kate and Ashley began heavily merchandising their image. They established a company called Dualstar in 1993 and their brand has been sold in more than 3,000 stores in the United States and over 5,300 stores worldwide. Because of this, they have been on the Forbes’ “The Celebrity 100 list” since 2002, and in 2007, Forbes ranked them, collectively, as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of US$100 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley were popular figures in the preteen market during the late ’90s and early 2000s. Their names became a cottage industry, with their likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies and posters. There were even Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls made by Mattel from 2000-2005.

They starred in the video series The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley and You’re Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley’s…, the ABC show Two of a Kind, and ABC Family’s So Little Time. However, So Little Time was panned by critics and disappointed fans. Despite this, they were ranked number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars. They also appear in a few direct-to-video movies about twins visiting places in Europe; Passport to Paris, Winning London, and When in Rome.

In May 2004, they were part of a Got Milk? campaign and dual-hosted Saturday Night Live (which show caused them to miss their prom). In June, the Got Milk? campaign was pulled following Mary-Kate’s disclosure that she was being treated for an eating disorder.

Their most recent theatrical venture was in the light-hearted romantic comedy, New York Minute, also starring Eugene Levy. The film was expected to launch the girls into more serious adult roles, but was a box office flop.

Mary-Kate’s first acting appearance without Ashley was in the movie Factory Girl, released in December 2006. Mary-Kate was originally in several scenes, but only appeared in the background in the finished film. Mary-Kate was also a recurring guest role in the third season of the Showtime series Weeds and she is also in the 2008 independent film The Wackness starring Ben Kingsley, with whom she shares a passionate kiss.

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