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Ashley Olsen
Ashley Olsen at Luna Park, Sydney.
Born	Ashley Fuller Olsen June 13, 1986 (1986-06-13) (age 23) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress Producer Fashion model Fashion designer Author
Years active	1987–present
Official website

Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American fashion designer, entrepreneur, and actress. Ashley co-founded luxury fashion brand The Row and the more affordable Elizabeth and James with twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen.

Contents 1 Career 1.1 Working as a twin 1.2 CEO 1.3 Fashion designer 2 Personal life 3 Public image 3.1 Libel Lawsuit 4 Filmography 5 Solo Filmography 6 Awards and nominations 7 See also 8 Further reading 9 References 10 External links

Career

Working as a twin

Ashley Olsen began her career at the age of nine months, when she and her sister Mary-Kate Olsen were hired to share the role of Michelle Tanner on the popular television series Full House in 1987. To comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors, Ashley and Mary-Kate took turns during taping of the show. Both girls were credited as "Mary Kate Ashley Olsen" in an attempt to keep audiences from realizing that two children played the role.

Following Full House, Ashley 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 t.v and many others. There were even 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. They were ranked number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars.

In 2004, Ashley appeared alongside her twin sister in the theatrical light-hearted romantic comedy, New York Minute, also starring Eugene Levy.

In 2008, Mary-Kate and Ashley released a book titled "Influence", which contained interviews with many creative and influential people including Karl Lagerfeld, Terry Richardson, Diane von Furstenberg and many more.

CEO

In 2004, both Ashley and Mary-Kate became CEO of their company Dualstar (created in 1993 following the success on 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, and in 2007 Forbes ranked the twins as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of over $100 million each.¹

Fashion designer

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.

Starting as young girls, they have a clothing line in Wal-Mart stores across America for girls ages 4–14 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. The director of the organization, Charles Kernaghan, is quoted as saying:

“

The Olsen twins have done the right thing. Now it is up to Wal-Mart to either support Mary-Kate and Ashley’s commitment to women’s rights, or tragically to shut them down.2

”

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 ³

Ashley and her sister have released The Row, a high-end fashion line inspired by London's Savile Row. The clothing is sold at high-end retailers such as Barneys, Maxfield, Harvey Nichols, Brown's, and others around the world. Ashley and Mary-Kate continued their expansion in the fashion industry with the Fall '07 launch of Elizabeth & James, their contemporary collection inspired by many of their unique vintage finds and pieces in their personal wardrobes.

Olsen was recently cast as Rinoa Heartilly for Chris Columbus' film adaptation of Final Fantasy VIII. This will be her breakthrough film without Mary-Kate. It is scheduled for a winter 2010 release.

Personal life

In 2004, Ashley, along with her twin sister, enrolled at New York University. Although Mary-Kate decided to leave the university in 2005, Ashley remained enrolled at the university. In 2007, a year before she was supposed to graduate, Ashley also decided to leave.

Public image

Though her fashion choices have become popular, Olsen has not been without criticism for her wearing and promotion of fur.⁴

Libel Lawsuit

In 2005, Ashley filed a $40 million lawsuit against tabloid magazine National Enquirer for printing a headline reading "Ashley Olsen Caught In Drug Scandal," and the associated story.⁵

Filmography

Solo Filmography

• Final Fantasy VIII ... Rinoa Heartilly

Awards and nominations

• Walk of Fame
  • 2004: Star on the Walk of Fame (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
• Young Artist Award
  • 1989: Best Young Actor/Actress — Under Five Years of Age (Full House) - WON (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
  • 1990: Outstanding Performance by an Actress Under Nine Years of Age (Full House) - WON (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
  • 1992: Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Ten (Full House) - WON (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
  • 1994: Best Youth Actress in a TV Mini-Series, M.O.W. or Special (Double, Double, Toil and Trouble) - WON (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
  • 1996: Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten — Feature Film (It Takes Two) - Nominated
• Teen Choice Awards
  • 2004: Choice Movie Blush (New York Minute) - Nominated (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
• TV Land Awards
  • 2004: Quintessential Non-Traditional Family (Full House) - Nominated (with Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, Lori Loughlin, Mary-Kate Olsen, Bob Saget, John Stamos and Jodie Sweetin)
• Razzie Awards
  • 2005: Worst Actress (New York Minute) - Nominated (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
  • 2005: Worst Screen Couple (New York Minute) - Nominated
• Kids' Choice Awards
  • 1996: Favorite Movie Actress (It Takes Two) - WON (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
  • 1999: Favorite TV Actress (Two of a Kind) - WON (with Mary-Kate Olsen)
• DVD Exclusive Awards
  • 2003: Franchise Performers Award - WON (with Mary-Kate Olsen)

See also

• Mary-Kate Olsen
• Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
• Dualstar

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.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ashley Olsen

• Ashley Olsen at the Internet Movie Database
• Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen the Official Website - Now forwards to the Elizabeth and James Fashion line.
• Ashley Olsen at PEOPLE.com
• Dualstar Entertainment Group Corporate Website
• Elizabeth and James Her fashion line

v • d • e Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Mary-Kate Olsen • Ashley Olsen Television Full House • Two of a Kind • So Little Time • Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! Direct-to-video series The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley • You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's... Filmography To Grandmother's House We Go • Double, Double, Toil and Trouble • How the West Was Fun • It Takes Two • Billboard Dad • Switching Goals • Passport to Paris • Our Lips Are Sealed • Winning London • Holiday in the Sun • Getting There • When in Rome • The Challenge • New York Minute Related Dualstar • "Brother for Sale" • Two of a Kind books