Unless you haven't had access to a TV, or a magazine, or the internet for basically the last 30 years, then you most likely know who the Olsen twins are. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen shot to superstardom at the ripe old age of nine months, when they were cast to play Michelle Tanner on the hit sitcom Full House. That led to a lucrative acting career for the sisters, which included TV, films, and even their own line of merchandise. The twins eventually tired of the acting spotlight and retired at fairly young ages, with a massive fortune to their names. They followed other business ventures, branching out into the fashion and business world.
Their younger sister, Elizabeth, is a renowned actress in her own right, starring in blockbuster films like the Avengers franchise and eventually landing her own spin-off TV series (she played Scarlet Witch in the Marvel movies). So much talent and success from one family! Which makes sense when you learn a bit more about their mom, Jarnette Olsen. Jarnette got her kids started in showbiz, and many credit her for their early successes. But what's her story? And how did fame affect the Olsen twins' childhood?
Jarnette Olsen Leads A Very Private Life
Jarnette, or Jarnie as she's known, is a very private person, and not much is known about her outside of her involvement in her twins' career. Jarnie was born in Toluca Lake, California in 1954, and spent most of her life in Southern California. She is a former ballet dancer, and seemed to have made quite a few connections in the entertainment industry during her time in the industry.
She has four children: son Trent, twins Mary Kate and Ashley, and daughter Elizabeth. Jarenette worked as the kids' manager when they were under the legal age, but now that all her children are adults, it's not known what she does professionally.
A Well-Connected Friendship Of Jarnette's Led To The Twins Being Cast On Full House
No one knows if Jarnette had plans to get Mary Kate and Ashley into show business at some point. But we're guessing she didn't expect it to happen while they were still infants! Jarnette had a friend whose agency was casting for this new sitcom. She sent in the girls' photos, and they were called in for an audition.
As it turns out, they were the only set of twins who didn't cry through their audition, so they sort of got the role by default! They were six months old when they were cast, and nine months old when filming began. Even though the role of Michelle Tanner was one part, because of child labor laws, the sisters rotated during filming and both played the character throughout the entire run of the show.
The Stress Of Managing The Twins' Demanding Careers Took Its Toll On The Family
Divorce in Hollywood is pretty common, and unfortunately the Olsen family had to experience the pain and trauma of a split when the girls were still young. By the time Full House went off the air, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were in high demand, and were on the brink of a major movie career. But because they were still young, just 8 years old, Jarnette was still acting as their full-time manager.
She and her ex-husband David Olsen were both working behind the scenes as part of managing the twins, and at the end of the Full House run, they had very different ideas on how to keep the girls' career on an upward swing, and often disagreed on the financial management of their growing fortune. The couple eventually split and divorced shortly after Full House ended.
At Least One Of The Olsen Twins Doesn't Have The Fondest Memories Of Her Childhood
In 2010, in an interview published in Marie Claire, Mary Kate Olsen got very candid when discussing her childhood and upbringing. She compared her childhood acting career to being a "little monkey performer", and said she wouldn't wish her upbringing on anyone. Mary Kate also said she doesn't feel any connection to photos of herself from that time.
Ashley also had some conflicting feelings about her childhood and growing up in the public eye. To an outsider, it may have looked like the ideal upbringing. But it was an insane amount of work!
Ashley likened it to being in the Army because of the rigorous schedule, minimal downtime, and constantly having to be 'on'. Ashley said, "I look back at the things that we did and the clothes that we wore, and I think, 'Wow, we really were troupers.' It was almost like I was in the army. School, work, homework, fly to New York, get in at 2 in the morning, do a morning show at 5 am, then another one at 7, then a radio interview at 10, you know?"
It makes sense that they chose to step back from it and retire from acting at an age when most other people are just getting started.