Elizabeth Olsen: Mary-Kate and Ashley ‘Forced’ to Support Her Acting in ‘Chaotic Childhood’

Elizabeth Olsen got candid about growing up in the shadow of her famous twin sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen – and the chaotic family life that shaped her.

The twins became household names as toddlers, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House, and went on to build an onscreen empire — all before they even turned 16. 

Now 39, they’re better known for their fashion empire than their TV roots.

Elizabeth, 36, had to fight for her own spotlight, eventually rising to stardom as a Marvel actress. 

But life with the twins wasn’t always easy during what she calls a ‘chaotic childhood,’ during her recent interview with The Times. 

She revealed, ‘They were forced to watch all my plays my whole life and go to my dance performances.’

Did the twins ever give her advice? 

‘No. We’re just a supportive family. It feels irrelevant to talk about it after 15 years of working.’

‘I was the youngest of four,’ the Eternity star added. ‘We were all born within five years.’

Elizabeth is the daughter of exes Jarnette and David Olsen, who share her brother James Trent and the twins Mary-Kate and Ashley. 

David later had two more children with second wife McKenzie Olsen.

Elizabeth also praised her mother’s dedication to the arts in the interview. 

‘She showed me every single classic — Guys and Dolls, Carousel, Oklahoma! … I loved them and I took every single performance class I could because I was so in love with musicals.’

Asked if she’d like to star in a musical herself, Elizabeth joked, ‘No, I’m a terrible singer — and as I’ve got older I’ve become a perfectionist.’

That perfectionism almost kept her from acting at all. 

‘Also, when you grow up in LA you think it’s trite to want to become an actor. It seems foolish — it’s a city where people come to act and you should know better. I was a good student and knew there were other opportunities I could pursue, but I couldn’t think of what they were.’

While her sisters’ careers were defined by early stardom, Elizabeth pursued acting through formal training and smaller roles, gradually building her resume. 

While her sisters’ careers were defined by early stardom, Elizabeth pursued acting through formal training and smaller roles, gradually building her resume.  

Mary-Kate and Ashley began their careers as infants, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House from 1987 to 1995. 

That early exposure paved the way for a string of TV movies and feature films throughout the 1990s, including It Takes Two (1995) and Passport to Paris (1999), solidifying their status as child stars. 

By their early teens, the sisters had launched a series of hit films such as New York Minute (2004) and Winning London (2001), before stepping away from acting in favor of fashion. 

They founded luxury fashion brand The Row in 2006, which has won multiple CFDA awards and built a reputation for minimalistic, high-end designs. 

Their trajectory is notable not only for the sheer volume of projects at such a young age but for their pivot into one of the most respected fashion empires in Hollywood.

Elizabeth, by contrast, began her career much later, intentionally forging a path separate from her famous sisters. 

After studying at New York University and performing in theater productions, she made her film debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011), earning critical acclaim for her portrayal of a young woman escaping a cult. 

She quickly gained recognition in independent cinema with roles in Silent House (2011) and Liberal Arts (2012). 

Her mainstream breakthrough came with Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), where she debuted as Wanda Maximoff, later starring in her own Disney+ series WandaVision (2021), which received both audience and critical praise.