Career beginnings

She began her acting career at the age of nine months old when she and her twin sister, Mary-Kate Olsen, were hired to share the role of Michelle Tanner on the popular television sitcom Full House (1987–1995).^[7]

She starred alongside Mary-Kate in the films, To Grandmother's House We Go (1992), Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993), How the West Was Fun (1994), It Takes Two (1995), Billboard Dad (1998) and the television series, Two of a Kind (1998–1999).

Dualstar

In the 1990s, associates of Olsen and her twin sister, recognizing their marketing potential, built a production company around them called Dualstar Entertainment Group, which produced a long successful string of TV movies and direct-to-video releases featuring the girls. They starred in Passport to Paris (1999), Switching Goals (1999), Our Lips Are Sealed (2000), Winning London (2001), Holiday in the Sun (2001) and the television series, So Little Time (2001–2002).

She and her twin sister became household names and a popular figures in the preteen market during the late 1990s and early 2000s, 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 to 2005. They also starred in the films Getting There (2002), When in Rome (2002), The Challenge (2003) and made cameos in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). In 2004, the sisters appeared in their theatrical light-hearted romantic comedy film, New York Minute. It would be their last film together, as well as Ashley's last acting role. Mary-Kate continued with her acting career independently, appearing in a few films and shows, with her final acting project being in the 2011 movie Beastly.

In 2004, upon the twins' 18th birthday, they 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 the United States and 5,300 stores worldwide.

Retirement

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.^[8]

In 2009, Olsen contemplated returning to acting and said, "Never say never."^[9][10]

She made appearances in the films The Jerk Theory (2009) and I'm Still Here (2010).

In March 2012, both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen indicated their interest to retire as actresses in order to focus on their careers in fashion.^[11] They discussed wanting to open a store as one of their future fashion-based endeavors.^[12][13]

In October 2013, she appeared in the music video for "City of Angels" by Thirty Seconds to Mars.^[14]

In 2015, it was announced that John Stamos had signed on with Netflix to produce and co-star in Fuller House, a spin-off of Full House that would reunite the original cast members. In May of that year, Mary-Kate and Ashley announced that they would not reprise their role as Michelle Tanner; however, two months later in July, according to Netflix's Ted Sarandos, the Olsen twins were "teetering" on an agreement to join the series.^[15][16] The twins eventually declined to join the cast of Fuller House, with Ashley saying she would not feel comfortable in front of the camera after a 12-year absence from acting and Mary-Kate saying the timing was bad.^[17] Nickelodeon acquired the rights to Mary-Kate and Ashley's video library in 2015.^[18]

Net worth and influence

She and her sister were jointly ranked number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars. Ashley and her twin Mary-Kate's success has been marked by their inclusion on every 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.^[19] Forbes had the twins on their 30 Under 30: All-Star Alumni list in 2017.^[20]

Career beginnings

Following a high volume of public interest in their fashion choices, Mary-Kate and Ashley collaborated on a series of fashion lines available to the public. They released clothing in Walmart stores across the US for girls ages 4 to 14, as well as a beauty line called Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real Fashion for Real Girls.^[21]

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.^[22]

Olsen at Luna Park Sydney, Australia in 2006

Business and philanthropy

The idea for The Row started as a personal project in 2005 when Ashley Olsen challenged herself to create a perfect T-shirt.^[23] She tested the design on a variety of women of all body shapes and ages in an attempt to find a "commonality in fit and attitude."^[24]

Olsen (left) with twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen at the Tribeca Film Festival 2011

By 2006, the sisters had created a 7-piece collection that included the T-shirt, a pair of cotton sateen leggings, and a cashmere wool tank dress. Barneys New York bought the entire first collection.^[25] The brand has expanded to include ready-to-wear, resort, handbags, sunglasses, and shoes.^[26]

In 2006, they were selected as the faces of the upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka.^[27]

In 2008, Mary-Kate and Ashley published Influence, a book featuring interviews with fashion designers that have inspired their fashion lines.^[28]

In 2011, the sisters collaborated with TOMS Shoes to design footwear for children without shoes in more than 20 countries worldwide.^[29]

As adults, Mary-Kate and Ashley 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,^[21] Olsenboye, and StyleMint retail collections.^[30]

Mary-Kate and Ashley designed an Olsenboye change purse in 2011 and donated the money to "Pennies From Heaven".^[31]

In October 2012, the twins won the WSJ magazine Innovator of The Year Award.

In early 2013, they launched an Elizabeth and James perfume.^[32]

Ashley Olsen has appeared on best-dressed lists.^[33][34]

The Olsens are members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, CFDA^[35] a not-for-profit trade association of over 450 prominent American fashion and accessory designers. They are now the creative directors for the Italian fashion shoe brand Superga.^[36]