Mary-Kate Olsen — Biography
Mary-Kate Olsen is a versatile American entrepreneur, fashion designer, equestrian, and former actress. She began her acting journey at just nine months old, sharing the character of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister, Ashley Olsen, on the beloved television show Full House, which aired from 1987 to 1995. The sisters went on to appear in multiple films together. In 1993, they established Dualstar Entertainment Group, a production company that generated a series of television films and direct-to-video projects featuring the duo. Some of their notable films include Passport to Paris (1999), Our Lips Are Sealed (2000), Winning London (2001), Holiday in the Sun (2001), and the television series So Little Time (2001–2002), for which Mary-Kate received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming. They continued their cinematic partnership with films like Getting There (2002), When in Rome (2002), and The Challenge (2003), also making brief appearances in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). The final film they did together was New York Minute (2004). Following this, Mary-Kate pursued her acting career solo, taking on several guest roles before culminating her film appearances with Beastly in 2011. In 2004, shortly after finishing high school, she revealed she was receiving treatment for anorexia nervosa, which led to a Got Milk? advertisement featuring the twins being withdrawn. On November 20, 2007, she was hospitalized due to a kidney infection. By March 2012, Mary-Kate and Ashley declared their intention to retire from acting, opting instead to focus on their fashion careers. Together, they launched the luxury fashion label The Row, the lifestyle brand Elizabeth and James, and more accessible fashion lines like Olsenboye and StyleMint. They are also part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Mary-Kate has ancestry that includes French, German, Italian, and Norwegian roots, and she has a younger sister, actress Elizabeth Olsen. As of May 2025, Mary-Kate boasts 122,000 followers on Instagram.
