Mary-Kate Olsen

Biography: When Mary-Kate and her twin sister, Ashley, were cast as one character on the family sitcom Full House at the age of nine months in 1987, no one could have predicted that they would soon rule a billion-dollar entertainment empire. After releasing an album and filming a TV-movie in 1992, the duo formed the production company Dualstar, making them the youngest producers in history. Throughout the '90s and early '00s, the Olsens made a plethora of direct-to-video movies, a handful of features, starred in a number of series, released more albums, published a magazine and even launched a clothing line, making them unmistakable pop-culture icons. In 2004, they turned 18, released their first major Hollywood picture, New York Minute (it bombed), and took time off from their busy careers to enroll at New York University. Although the Olsens' success was thanks in large part to their status as twins, as the sisters grew up, they understandably tried to forge their own identities,When Mary-Kate and her twin sister, Ashley, were cast as one character on the family sitcom Full House at the age of nine months in 1987, no one could have predicted that they would soon rule a billion-dollar entertainment empire. After releasing an album and filming a TV-movie in 1992, the duo formed the production company Dualstar, making them the youngest producers in history. Throughout the '90s and early '00s, the Olsens made a plethora of direct-to-video movies, a handful of features, starred in a number of series, released more albums, published a magazine and even launched a clothing line, making them unmistakable pop-culture icons. In 2004, they turned 18, released their first major Hollywood picture, New York Minute (it bombed), and took time off from their busy careers to enroll at New York University. Although the Olsens' success was thanks in large part to their status as twins, as the sisters grew up, they understandably tried to forge their own identities, sporting different outfits and hairstyles---Mary-Kate seemed to be the rebel, while Ashley embraced a primmer persona. In 2006, Mary-Kate made her first solo acting appearance in the Edie Sedgwick biopic Factory Girl, though most of her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. The following year, she had a recurring role on the third season of Weeds, playing a devout Christian who likes to get high. And in 2008, she landed a supporting role in the indie coming-of-age comedy The Wackness. But in recent years, Mary-Kate has shifted her focus from acting to fashion. She and Ashley launched several of their own clothing lines (The Row, Elizabeth & James) and co-authored the book Influence, which pays tribute to the artists and designers who helped shape their personal styles.… Expand