35 Things You Didn’t Know About The Olsen Twins

We share with you the ultimate in Mary-Kate and Ashley trivia. Prepare to have your mind blown...

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

by Elizabeth Bennett & Rhianna Bed |
Updated on

Raise your hand if you feel like you have grown up with the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley? Thought so.

Ever since the days of Passport to Paris, Billboard Dad and all their other brilliant Disney movies (they're now available to stream on Netflix, FYI, if you're ever short of weekend plans...) along with their TV shows Two Of A Kind and So Little Time, we've been obsessed with their co-ordinating style. (Remember that George at Asda fashion range? These two were doing high street crossover style when Kate Moss's Topshop collaboration was just a glint in the supermodel's eye...)

While these days their photo opportunities are few and far between (which is probably why we can never wait to see what they'll be wearing for the Met Gala each year...) their sartorial sense is still unbeatable.

In celebration of our favourite Noughties fashion icons, we've put together a load of facts that you probably didn't already know about the famous sisters, covering everything from their net worth and their fashion label to their personal style icons to Ashley's middle name (yes, she has one too) and their collective love of vintage.

Grab an iced coffee, some over-sized sunglasses and prepare to celebrate the Noughties' most enduring duo...

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Mary-Kate and Ashley Facts

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1. Ashley is oldest

By a mere 2 minutes to be precise.

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2. They're fraternal twins

This means they are not actually identical. Who would have thought it?

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3. Ashley is actually shorter than Mary-Kate

But only by 1 inch.

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4. They started on Full House when they were 6 months old

The tiny tots use to the call the other actors on the show by their full names to avoid getting confused.

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5. At 6 they became the youngest producers in Hollywood history

They created Dualstar Entertainment in 1993.

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6. Back then they weren't individuals

Full House producers credited the twins as 'Mary-Kate Ashley Olsen' in early seasons of the television show. Apparently they didn't want people knowing Michelle Tanner was played by twins.

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7. They had dentures on Full House

The twins lost their baby teeth at different times so had to be fitted with fake teeth instead.

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8. The duo were millionaires by the time they were 10

The youngest self-made millionaires in American history, in fact. Jealous, us?

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9. Ashley also has a second name

It's Fuller. Mary-Kate and Ashley-Fuller isn't exactly as catchy...

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10. They’ve shared the stage with Wonder Woman and the cast of Friends

Full House was filmed on the same stage as numerous iconic shows.

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11. They broke records with the Hollywood Walk Of Fame

In 2004 they were awarded a joint star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame - the first twins to ever be recognised in such a way.

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12. Jimmy Fallon and Will Forte were their dates for prom

Well, kind of. The girls had to miss their high school prom to appear on Saturday Night Live. To make up for it, Fallon and Forte served as their dates in a prom themed sketch.

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13. They are of Danish and Swedish descent

This surely explains their Scandi levels of good looks.

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14. And they are pretty big in Norway

The twins launched a collection with Norwegian retailer Bik Bok in 2013.

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15. They were childhood friends with a Pretty Little Liar

Pretty Little Liars actress Troian Bellisario grew up across the street from the Olsens.

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16. Mary Kate has ADD

That's Attention Deficit Disorder to you and me.

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17. Only one of them was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in So Little Time

It was Mary Kate. Pretty awks.

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18. But their movie was a flop

New York Minute earned only $5.96 million during its opening weekend - the lowest amount ever earned for any film opening in over 3,000 theaters. We still loved it, just saying.

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19. Mary Kate likes running. Naked.

'I run around my house naked with heels all the time,' Mary-Kate told Harper's Bazaar in 2007. Each to their own and all that.

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20. They have an unusual taste in weddings

At Mary-Kate's 2015 New York nuptials 50 select guests had to hand in their mobile phones before enjoying dinner, cocktails and, erm, bowls of cigarettes.

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21. At the end of the day, they're just like us

'You know, the truth is I feel like I just learned how to brush my hair like last week,' Mary-Kate told Marie Claire in March 2014.

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22. Their fashion career started young

On Full House their character Michelle Tanner sported pieces from the likes of Chanel and Marc Jacobs.

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23. Their style icons might surprise you

In an interview with Miss Vogue last year Mary Kate cited Gigi Hadid as her style crush while Ashley went for Amber Heard. We love their muse Beatrix Ost.

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24. They do not shop online

In fact Mary Kate recently admitted in a rare interview with Vogue, 'I've never purchased anything online'.

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25. The t-shirt was the inspo behind their fashion line, The Row

Taking it's name from Savile Row, the twins started their fashion label The Row in 2006 in response to the question 'How could we make a perfect T-shirt in a great fabric that would fit any age?'

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26. Shopping at The Row is not a normal experience

Think robes in the dressing room, free lunch and furniture borrowed from the girls' private apartments. Plus, their Melrose store comes complete with a full-size courtyard pool. Anyone for a dip?

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27. They are now bonafide fashion stars

In October 2012, Mary-Kate and Ashley won the WSJ magazine Innovator of The Year Award.

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28. It’s a family affair for the Olsens

Their second clothing line, Elizabeth and James is named after their two siblings.

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29. Mary-Kate and Ashley are not the only entrepreneurs in the Olsen family

Their brother James sold his classmates photos autographed by his famous siblings.

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30. The Olsens changed their hair so people could tell them apart

To help tell the sisters apart, Mary-Kate had her hair tinted brown when they were younger.

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31. A museum was made in NYC and dedicated to them

Not even joking. The museum was dedicated to the twins 'hiding from paparazzi' after discovering an artist had several paintings of them hiding from the paps.

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32. Mary-Kate was proposed to with a $81,000 vintage Cartier engagement ring

Not even the slightest bit jealous. Olivier Sarkozy proposed to Mary-Kate with an $81,000 vintage Cartier engagement ring. The couple got married in 2015, and Mary-Kate recently filed for divorce.

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33. They were ranked as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment

It is estimated that their net worth combined is 300 million dollars. Woah.

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34. They exclusively wear vintage to the Met Gala

This year's look, worn for the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination event, was vintage Paco Rabanne...

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35. They prefer to get ready in the dark

'I don't do this myself, but I feel like the worst beauty habit that people have is when they pick their own skin,' Ashley told Elle a few years back. 'That's just really bad. Everyone's tempted to do it sometimes, but it's just the worst thing you can do. I prefer to get ready with the lights off so I'm never even tempted to look at my skin!' Surely there are less extreme ways... never mind.

READ MORE: Every Single Met Gala Theme From 1971 to 2020

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SEE: Every Met Gala Theme From 1971 - 2021

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1971-1974

1971: Fashion Plate1972: Untailored Garments1973: The World of Balenciaga1974: Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design Pictured: Cher, 1974

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1975

American Women of StylePictured: Pat Buckley

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1976

The Glory of Russian CostumePictured: Imelda Marcos and Christina Ford

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1977 - 1978

1977: Vanity Fair: A Treasure Trove1978: Diaghilev: Costumes and Designs of the Ballets RussesPictured: Barbara Walters, 1977

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1979

Fashions of the Habsburg Era: Austria-HungaryPictured: Margaux Hemingway and Bernard Foucher

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1980

The Manchu Dragon: Costumes of China, the Chi'ng DynastyPictured: Carolina Herrera

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1981

The Eighteenth Century WomanPictured: Bianca Jagger

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1982

La Belle ÉpoquePictured: Raquel Welch

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1983

Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of DesignPictured: Carolina Herrera

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1984

Man and the HorsePictured: Candy Pratts Price and Chuck Price1984 - Man and the Horse1985 - Costumes of Royal IndiaLa Belle Époque1983 - Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design1984 - Man and the Horse1985 - Costumes of Royal India

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1985

Costumes of Royal IndiaPictured: Cher

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1986

1986: Dance1987: In Style: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Costume InstitutePictured: Linda Carter and Blaine Trump

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1988

From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress 1837-1877Pictured: Zandra Rhodes

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1989

The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789-1815Pictured: Anna Wintour

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1990

Théâtre de la Mode: Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute CouturePictured: Naomi Campbell

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1991

_The gala was held without a theme_Pictured: Calvin Klein and Kelly Klein

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1992

Fashion and History: A DialoguePictured: Christy Turlington

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1993

Diana Vreeland: Immoderate StylePictured: Joan Rivers

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1994

Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western DressPictured: Oscar de la Renta and his stepdaughter Eliza

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1995

Haute CouturePictured: Princess Diana

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1996

Christian DiorPictured: Iman

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1997

Gianni VersacePictured: Salma Hayek

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1998

Cubism and FashionPictured: Sigourney Weaver

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1999

Rock StylePictured: Liv Tyler and Stella McCartney

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2001

Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House YearsPictured: Naomi Campbell

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2003

Goddess: The Classical ModePictured: Stella McCartney and Kate Hudson

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2004

Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th CenturyPictured: Eva Mendes

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2005

The House of ChanelPictured: Nicole Kidman

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2006

AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British FashionPictured: Sarah Jessica Parker

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2007

Poiret: King of FashionPictured: Lucy Liu

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2008

Superheroes: Fashion and FantasyPictured: Taylor Swift

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2009

The Model As Muse: Embodying FashionPictured: Winona Ryder

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2010

American Woman: Fashioning a National IdentityPictured: Mila Kunis

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2011

Alexander McQueen: Savage BeautyPictured: Emma Stone

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2012

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible ConversationsPictured: Amber Heard

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2013

Punk: Chaos to CouturePictured: Kate Beckinsale

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2014

Charles James: Beyond FashionPictured: Rita Ora

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2015

China: Through the Looking GlassPictured: Beyoncé

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2016

Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of TechnologyPictured: Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid

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2017

Comme des Garçons's Rei KawakuboPictured: Rihanna

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2018

Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic ImaginationPictured: Cynthia Erivo

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2019

Camp: Notes on FashionPictured: Kim Kardashian

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2021

In America: A Lexicon of FashionPictured: Yara Shahidi

READ MORE: An A-Z Guide To Dressing Like The Olsen Twins

READ MORE: IMHO Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen’s Passport to Paris Is Deeply Underrated

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