Ashley Olsen

For details about Ashley Olsen's career and activities shared with her sister, see Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
Ashley Olsen

Olsen attending the premiere of The Union at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2011
Born Ashley Fuller Olsen
June 13, 1986
Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress (1987–2004)
fashion designer, producer, author
Years active 1987–present
Partner(s) Bennett Miller (2014–present)
Relatives Mary-Kate Olsen (twin sister)
Elizabeth Olsen (sister)

Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American actress, fashion designer, producer, author, and businesswoman. She co-founded luxury fashion brands The Row, Elizabeth and James, and the more affordable lines Olsenboye and StyleMint with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen.

Birth and family

Ashley Olsen and her twin sister Mary-Kate were born in Sherman Oaks, California, the daughters of Jarnette "Jarnie" (née Jones;[1] b. 1954), a personal manager, and David "Dave" Olsen, a real estate developer and mortgage banker.[2] They have an older brother, Trent Olsen, a younger sister, Elizabeth Olsen who is also an actress, and younger half siblings Taylor and Jake from their father's second marriage.[3] Olsen's parents divorced in 1996.[4] The twins and their siblings have Norwegian ancestry on their father's side.[5]

Career

Olsen at Luna Park, Sydney, Australia in 2006

Olsen began her career at the age of nine months old, when she and Mary-Kate were hired to share the role of Michelle Tanner on the popular television series Full House in 1987. Following the end of Full House, Olsen released a string of successful straight-to-video movies and became a popular figure in the preteen market during the late '90s and early 2000s. She became a household name, with her likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies, and posters, among others. There were fashion dolls of her made by Mattel from 2000-2005. She starred in the video series The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley, the ABC show Two of a Kind, and ABC Family's So Little Time. She and her sister were jointly ranked number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars. In 2004, the twins appeared in the theatrical light-hearted romantic comedy, New York Minute. This was the final acting project for the Olsens, who had grown tired of acting.[6] 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.[7] When asked about acting again in 2009 Ashley said, "Never say never."[8] In 2009 Olsen contemplated returning to acting.[9] She changed her mind and in 2012 the sisters decided to quit acting permanently and focus on fashion.[10] In October 2013, Olsen appeared in the music video for "City of Angels" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.[11]

Dualstar

Main article: Dualstar

In 2004, both Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen 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 America and 5,300 stores worldwide. Their success has been marked on 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.[12]

Fashion

Following a high volume of public interest in their fashion choices, both work in collaboration on a string of fashion lines available to the public. They started a clothing line in Wal-Mart stores across America for girls ages 4 to 14 as well as a beauty line called Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real Fashion for Real Girls.

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.[13]

In 2006, in an attempt to gain credibility in the fashion industry after their association with Wal-Mart tarnished their reputations, they were tapped as the faces of the upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka.[14] As adults, the Olsens 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, Olsenboye, and StyleMint retail collections.[15] Ashley Olsen's has appeared on best-dressed lists.[16][17] The Olsens designed an Olsenboye Change Purse in 2011 and donated the money to "Pennies From Heaven".[18]

In 2011 the Olsen sisters teamed up with TOMS Shoes to design footwear for kids without shoes in more than 20 countries worldwide.[19] Mary-Kate and Ashley are now the creative directors for Superga (brand).[20] The Olsens released an Elizabeth and James perfume in early 2013.[21]

Book

In 2008, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen wrote Influence, a book featuring interviews with fashion designers that have inspired the Olsens' fashion lines.[22]

Personal life

In 2004, Olsen graduated from Campbell Hall School. She attended New York University for a period of time with her sister, Mary Kate.

In 2009, Olsen filed a $40 million lawsuit against tabloid magazine National Enquirer for depicting her as being involved in a drug scandal.[23]

She has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for which she has been taking Ritalin ever since she was a child. [24]

Relationships

In May 2004, Olsen and high school sweetheart Matt Kaplan split up after three years of dating.[25] In May 2008, Olsen began dating fellow actor Justin Bartha. They split up in March 2011 after almost three years of dating.[26] In 2013, she dated businessman David Schulte for six months.[27]

Since January 2014, Olsen has been dating film director Bennett Miller.[28]

Filmography

Awards and honors

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Birth of Ashley Olsen". Californiabirthindex.org. n.d.
  2. ↑ "Mary-Kate Olsen Biography (1986- )". Filmreference.com. n.d. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Biography". A&E Television Networks. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  4. ↑ Tauber, Michelle (May 3, 2004). "Two Cool". People. Vol. 61 No. 17
  5. ↑ Mobile Marketing Gets Cool. eventmarketer.com. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  6. ↑ Harp, Justin (March 23, 2011). "Ashley Olsen 'grew tired of acting career'". Digital Spy.
  7. ↑ Clark, Cindy. (October 31, 2007). "Act 2 for the Olsen twins: A fashion career". USA Today.
  8. ↑ Ashley Olsen, the "Private Twin". OK!. June 30, 2009
  9. ↑ "Ashley Olsen Wants Out of Fashion Career". Young Hollywood. October 2, 2009
  10. ↑ "Olsen Twins Quit Acting: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Focus On Fashion". The Huffington Post. March 7, 2012.
  11. ↑ Grow, Kory (October 29, 2013). "Thirty Seconds to Mars Recruit Kanye West, Lindsay Lohan for 'Angels'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  12. ↑ Said, Sammy. "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Net WorthMary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Net Worth". TheRichest. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  13. ↑ Grossberg, Josh (December 9, 2004). "Mary-Kate, Ashley: No Sweat". E! Online.
  14. ↑ Hall, Sarah (February 15, 2006). "Olsen Twins Strike a Pose". E! Online.
  15. ↑ Martinez, Brianna (July 7, 2011). "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launch StyleMint". SheKnows.
  16. ↑ Balser, Erin (2009-06-25). "Mary-Kate and Ashley are on Glamour UK's Best Dressed List". Crushable. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  17. ↑ Lomrantz, Tracey (2010-02-24). "Best Dressed In The Front Row Of Burberry: Vote Now! : Slaves to Fashion: Fashion". Glamour. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  18. ↑ "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Create a Change Purse for Charity". People. August 8, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Olsen Twins Join Forces with TOMS Shoes". Us Weekly. 2011-07-22.
  20. ↑ "Mary Kate & Ashley team with Italian sneaker brand Superga". Prettytough.com. 2011-09-13.
  21. ↑ "Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Launch Perfume For Elizabeth and James Brand". The Huffington Post.
  22. ↑ Caplan, David. (July 31, 2008). "SNEAK PEEK: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's New Book". People.
  23. ↑ Collins, Dan (February 16, 2005). "Ashley Olsen Sues Tabloid". CBS/ Associated Press.
  24. ↑ La biographie gala.fr
  25. ↑ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,633121,00.html
  26. ↑ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20472313,00.html
  27. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2539664/Ashley-Olsen-splits-multimillionaire-businessman-David-Schulte-six-months-dating.html
  28. ↑ http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ashley-olsen-dating-moneyball-director-bennett-miller-2014132
  29. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhAYbzsC99s

Further reading

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

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ashley Olsen.