Actors - Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

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	Actors - Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses and entrepreneurs. They are fraternal twins who have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have attained international fame through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. As a rule, they appear together.

They are reported to be worth $150 million each. The twins were named by the industry publication Hollywood Reporter as the "Most Powerful Young Women in Hollywood."

Biography

Early life

Born in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen and Jarnette Jones, the Olsen twins started their acting careers on the television series Full House in 1987. Hired at the age of five months, filming began with seven months. The show was widely popular during the late 80s and early 90s, and both sisters played one character, Michelle Tanner, taking turns during the tapings to do so, in order to comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors. 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 later credited as separate people.

Career

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 tweens by storm, their names have become a very profitable industry, with their likeness seen in clothes, fragrances, magazines, movies, posters, and even video games like Mary Kate and Ashley's Magical Mystery Mall.

Today, Mary-Kate and Ashley are popular figures in today's tween market, following along the lines of such Hollywood child stars as Shirley Temple, Ron Howard and Macaulay Culkin among others. They were ranked at number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars.

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
. They also have their own book series. So Little Time was panned by critics and disappointed fans; the show is basically a single-camera comedy show with a laugh track.

In 2004 Mary-Kate and Ashley surprised many when they 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. They both studied at New York University at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study until Mary-Kate took a break in 2005 and moved back to California. She decided to stay in the west coast and pursue more individualized work with their company, DualStar. Ashley, still in NY, remains in contact with her sister.

The twins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 29, 2004. They are the youngest celebrities to receive this honor.

Other work

As the sisters grow older and mature in their style, they have come to be regarded as fashion icons, due to their chic choices and influence over trends. The New York Times declared Mary-Kate a fashion icon for pioneering her signature (and now popular among celebrities and fans alike) "homeless" look. The style consists of oversized sunglasses, boots, loose sweaters, and flowing skirts .

Both Mary-Kate and Ashley have been tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka.

Both sisters are mentioned and insulted along with other celebrities in the song Ass Like That by rapper Eminem. The song was released as a single in 2005. A portion of the music video features the two as puppets who engage in lesbian activity together. The song also makes references to the 2004 movie New York Minute in which they both starred.

Personal lives

In 2004, Mary-Kate checked into rehab for six weeks because she was suffering with eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It was rumored that there was also a drug problem, but the Olsens' publicist said "Mary-Kate was not admitted for drugs--period." Mary-Kate had put on about five to seven pounds immediately after her stint in rehab and recent pictures show that she may have gained a few more healthy pounds.

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