Ashley Olsen

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This article is about the actress and fashion designer. For details about her activities shared with her sister, see Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. For the murder victim, see Murder of Ashley Ann Olsen.

Ashley Olsen
Olsen in 2011
Born
Ashley Fuller Olsen

(1986-06-13) June 13, 1986 (age 37)
Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Fashion designer
  • businesswoman
  • actress
Years active1987–2012 (actress)
2004–present (fashion designer)
Spouse
Louis Eisner
​
(m. 2022)​
Children1
Relatives

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 of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen in the television sitcom Full House (1987–1995). They also starred in numerous films together.

In 1993, the production company Dualstar Entertainment Group was founded, which produced a long string of TV movies and direct-to-video releases featuring the girls; they starred in Passport to Paris (1999), Our Lips Are Sealed (2000), Winning London (2001), Holiday in the Sun (2001) and in the television series So Little Time (2001–2002). They starred in Getting There (2002), When in Rome (2002), and The Challenge (2003); and made cameos in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). The last film she starred in with her twin sister was New York Minute (2004). She continued with her acting career independently, appearing with a few guest-star roles in films and in a music video.

In March 2012, both Mary-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 brand The 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 the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Early life and education[edit]

Ashley Fuller Olsen and her twin sister, Mary-Kate Olsen, were born on June 13, 1986, in Sherman 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 actress Elizabeth, and younger half-siblings Courtney and Jake (from their father's second marriage).[4] Olsen's parents divorced in 1996.[5] Their father has Norwegian ancestry while their mother is of French, German and Italian ancestry.[6]

Olsen attended the Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles. After graduating from Campbell Hall in 2004, she and Mary-Kate went on to attend New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study.[7]

Acting career[edit]

Career beginnings[edit]

She began her acting career at the age of nine months old when she and her twin sister, Mary-Kate Olsen, were hired to share the role of Michelle Tanner on the popular television sitcom Full House (1987–1995).[8]

She starred alongside Mary-Kate in the films, To 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).

Dualstar[edit]

Main article: Dualstar

In the 1990s, associates of Olsen and her twin sister, recognizing their marketing potential, built a production company around them called Dualstar Entertainment Group, which produced a long successful string of TV movies and direct-to-video releases featuring the girls. They starred in Passport 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 a popular figures in the preteen market during the late 1990s and early 2000s, with her likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies, and posters, among others. There were fashion dolls of her made by Mattel from 2000 to 2005. They also starred in the films Getting There (2002), When in Rome (2002), The Challenge (2003) and made cameos in Charlie'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 in the 2011 movie Beastly.

In 2004, upon the twins' 18th birthday, they became co-presidents of their company Dualstar (created in 1993 following the success of Full House), the brand currently selling in over 3,000 stores in the United States and 5,300 stores worldwide.

Retirement[edit]

In 2007, when Mary-Kate and Ashley were 21, they said that if they got involved in movies together again it would be as producers.[9]

In 2009, Olsen contemplated returning to acting and said, "Never say never."[10][11]

She made appearances in the films The Jerk Theory (2009) and I'm Still Here (2010).

In March 2012, both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen indicated their interest to retire as actresses in order to focus on their careers in fashion.[12] They discussed wanting to open a store as one of their future fashion-based endeavors.[13][14]

In October 2013, she appeared in the music video for "City of Angels" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.[15]

In 2015, it was announced that John Stamos had signed on with Netflix to produce and co-star in Fuller House, a spin-off of Full 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 as Michelle 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.[16][17] The twins eventually declined to join the cast of Fuller 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.[18] Nickelodeon acquired the rights to Mary-Kate and Ashley's video library in 2015.[19]

Net worth and influence[edit]

She and her sister were jointly ranked number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars. Ashley and her twin Mary-Kate's success has been marked by their inclusion on every Forbes 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.[20] Forbes had the twins on their 30 Under 30: All-Star Alumni list in 2017.[21]

Fashion career[edit]

Career beginnings[edit]

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 in Walmart 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.[22]

In 2004, they made news by signing a pledge to allow all the workers that sew their line of clothing in Bangladesh full maternity leave. The National Labor Committee, which organized the pledge, later praised the twins for their commitment to worker rights.[23]

Olsen at Luna Park Sydney, Australia in 2006

Business and philanthropy[edit]

The idea for The Row started as a personal project in 2005 when Ashley Olsen challenged herself to create a perfect T-shirt.[24] 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."[25]

Olsen (left) with twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen at the Tribeca Film Festival 2011

By 2006, the sisters had created a 7-piece collection that included the T-shirt, a pair of cotton sateen leggings, and a cashmere wool tank dress. Barneys New York bought the entire first collection.[26] The brand has expanded to include ready-to-wear, resort, handbags, sunglasses, and shoes.[27]

In 2006, they were selected as the faces of the upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka.[28]

In 2008, Mary-Kate and Ashley published Influence, a book featuring interviews with fashion designers that have inspired their fashion lines.[29]

In 2011, the sisters collaborated with TOMS Shoes to design footwear for children without shoes in more than 20 countries worldwide.[30]

As adults, Mary-Kate and Ashley have devoted much of their attention to the world of fashion. They head a couture fashion label, The Row, as well as the Elizabeth and James,[22] Olsenboye, and StyleMint retail collections.[31]

Mary-Kate and Ashley designed an Olsenboye change purse in 2011 and donated the money to "Pennies From Heaven".[32]

In October 2012, the twins won the WSJ magazine Innovator of The Year Award.[citation needed]

In early 2013, they launched an Elizabeth and James perfume.[33]

Ashley Olsen has appeared on best-dressed lists.[34][35]

The Olsens are members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, CFDA[36] a not-for-profit trade association of over 450 prominent American fashion and accessory designers. They are now the creative directors for the Italian fashion shoe brand Superga.[37]

Personal life[edit]

In February 2005, Olsen filed a $40 million lawsuit against tabloid magazine National Enquirer for depicting her as being involved in a drug scandal. Later on 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.[38]

Olsen began a relationship with artist Louis Eisner in October 2017.[39] Eisner is the son of Eric Eisner, former president of The Geffen Company and a philanthropist who founded the Young Eisner Scholars.[40][41] In July 2019, Olsen sparked engagement rumors after she was spotted wearing a ring on her finger.[42][43][44] They married on December 28, 2022 in Bel Air, Los Angeles.[45] The couple have a son, born in 2023.[46]

Olsen has dated former Columbia University quarterback and now producer Matt Kaplan,[47] restaurateur Scott Sartiano, actor Jared Leto, cyclist Lance Armstrong and actor Justin Bartha.[48]

Filmography[edit]

For productions in which Ashley appeared with her sister Mary-Kate, see Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Awards and nominations[edit]

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 [49]
The Wall Street Journal Innovator of the Year: Fashion (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Won [26]
2014 Council of Fashion Designers of America Accessories Designer of the Year (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Won [50]
2015 Council of Fashion Designers of America Accessories Designer of the Year (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Nominated [49]
Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Won [49]
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 [51]
Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Nominated [51]
2018 Council of Fashion Designers of America Accessories Designer of the Year (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Won [52]
Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Nominated [52]
2019 Council of Fashion Designers of America Accessories Designer of the Year (with Mary-Kate Olsen) The Row Won [53]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Olsen twins: We're all about fashion". Yahoo! News. May 11, 2012. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  2. ^ "Photos from 33 Surprising Facts You Might Not Know About Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen". E! Online. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "Ashley Olsen Biography (1986– )". Filmreference.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  4. ^ "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Biography". The Biography Channel. Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  5. ^ Tauber, Michelle (May 3, 2004). "Two Cool" Archived October 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. People. Vol. 61 No. 17
  6. ^ Mobile Marketing Gets Cool Archived April 20, 2013, at Archive-It. eventmarketer.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  7. ^ Baum, Geraldine (September 13, 2004). "At NYU, but in a class of their own". LA Times. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "ATTN: Ashley Olsen *May* be Engaged, So Here's Everything We Know About Her Boyfriend Louis Eisner". May 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Clark, Cindy. (October 31, 2007). "Act 2 for the Olsen twins: A fashion career". USA Today.
  10. ^ "Ashley Olsen Wants Out of Fashion Career" Archived March 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Young Hollywood. October 2, 2009
  11. ^ Ashley Olsen, the "Private Twin". OK!. June 30, 2009.
  12. ^ "Olsen twins: We won't act again". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 7, 2012.
  13. ^ "Mary-Kate, Ashley Olsen 'want to launch shop'". Digital Spy. May 30, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  14. ^ "Olsen Twins Quit Acting: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Focus On Fashion". The Huffington Post. March 7, 2012.
  15. ^ Grow, Kory (October 29, 2013). "Thirty Seconds to Mars Recruit Kanye West, Lindsay Lohan for 'Angels'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  16. ^ Amanda Mikelberg, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will not appear on "Full House" revival CBS News. May 25, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  17. ^ Michael Ausiello (July 28, 2015). "Olsen Twins in "Fuller House"". Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  18. ^ "'We Finally Know Why The Olsen Twins Aren't On Fuller House'". cinemablend.com. February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  19. ^ "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's Video Library Coming to Nickelodeon". Us Weekly. April 23, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  20. ^ Goldman, Lea and Kiri Blakeley. "In Pictures: The Richest 20 Women In Entertainment". forbes.com. January 17, 2007.
  21. ^ "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen". Forbes.
  22. ^ a b "Olsen twins launch new 'Elizabeth and James' collection". ChinaDaily.com. China Daily. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
  23. ^ Grossberg, Josh (December 9, 2004). "Mary-Kate, Ashley: No Sweat". E! Online.
  24. ^ "The Row: The Quiet Ones". Women's Wear Daily, April 29, 2015.
  25. ^ "Behind The Row: Meet Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen". Vogue, March 22, 2011.
  26. ^ a b "Sisters of the Divine". The Wall Street Journal, October 25, 2012.
  27. ^ "Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, Designers, The Row". Business of Fashion, retrieved January 9, 2016.
  28. ^ Hall, Sarah (February 15, 2006). "Olsen Twins Strike a Pose". E! Online.
  29. ^ Caplan, David. (July 31, 2008). "SNEAK PEEK: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's New Book" Archived March 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. People.
  30. ^ "Olsen Twins Join Forces with TOMS Shoes". Us Weekly. July 22, 2011.
  31. ^ Martinez, Brianna (July 7, 2011). "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launch StyleMint". SheKnows. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011.
  32. ^ "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Create a Change Purse for Charity" Archived September 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. People. August 8, 2011.
  33. ^ "Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Launch Perfume For Elizabeth and James Brand". The Huffington Post.
  34. ^ Balser, Erin (June 25, 2009). "Mary-Kate and Ashley are on Glamour UK's Best Dressed List". Crushable. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  35. ^ Lomrantz, Tracey (February 24, 2010). "Best Dressed In The Front Row Of Burberry: Vote Now! : Slaves to Fashion: Fashion". Glamour. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  36. ^ "CFDA".
  37. ^ "Mary Kate & Ashley team with Italian sneaker brand Superga" Archived January 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. Prettytough.com. September 13, 2011.
  38. ^ Marikar, Sheila (May 19, 2009). "The National Enquirer: Celebrity Enemy No. 1?". ABC News. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  39. ^ Bailey, Alyssa (May 14, 2020). "All About Ashley Olsen's Boyfriend Louis Eisner, the Artist She's Been Low-Key Dating for Years". Elle. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  40. ^ Bennett, Elizabeth (May 15, 2020). "Who Is Louis Eisner? Everything You Need To Know About Ashley Olsen's Boyfriend". Grazia Daily. Retrieved December 9, 2020. 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.
  41. ^ O'Rourke, Meghan (October 25, 2012). "The Unlikely Reformer". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on December 20, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  42. ^ Vacco-Bolanos, Jessica (July 30, 2019). "Ashley Olsen Sparks Engagement Rumors With Boyfriend Louis Eisner". Us Magazine. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  43. ^ Tailor, Leena (July 30, 2019). "Ashley Olsen Sparks Engagement Rumors During Date Night With Boyfriend Louis Eisner". ET Online. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  44. ^ Lamare, Amy (August 1, 2019). "Ashley Olsen Spotted With Bling On Ring Finger — Is She Engaged To Louis Eisner?". YourTango. Retrieved December 9, 2020. Ashley and her artist boyfriend have been officially dating since October 2017.
  45. ^ Patterson, Charmaine (January 4, 2023). "Ashley Olsen Marries Boyfriend Louis Eisner in Intimate Wedding Ceremony in Bel-Air: Report". People. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  46. ^ Sanchez, Rosa (August 15, 2023). "Ashley Olsen Welcomes First Child, a Boy, with Husband Louis Eisner". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  47. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (May 5, 2004). "Ashley Olsen Breaks Up with Boyfriend". people.com. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  48. ^ "Ashley Olsen's Dating History: Jared Leto, Lance Armstrong and More". Us Weekly. March 1, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  49. ^ a b c "The Row Wins CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Once Again". fashionista.com, June 1, 2015.
  50. ^ "And the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards Winners are…". cfda.com, June 3, 2014.
  51. ^ a b "2017 CFDA Fashion Awards Nominees Named". wwd.com, March 23, 2017.
  52. ^ a b "2018 CFDA Fashion Awards Nominees Named". wwd.com, March 15, 2018.
  53. ^ "And the 2019 Winners Are ...". cfda.com, June 3, 2019.

Further reading[edit]

  • Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, with Damon Romine. Mary-Kate and Ashley: Our Story: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's Official Biography. HarperCollins, 2000. ISBN 0061075698.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ashley Olsen.
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