Top 10 Crazy Facts About the Olsen Twins
#10: They’re Not Identical
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Ok we’re going to kick things off with a fact that diehard fans surely know but which may come as a surprise to everyone else. Despite looking extremely similar, Mary-Kate and Ashley are not identical twins. It may be difficult to tell them apart, but they’re actually fraternal twins, and the most eagle eyed among you might be able to tell them apart. Mary-Kate is supposedly a tiny bit taller than Ashley. For their earliest role as Michelle Tanner on “Full House”, they were actually credited as just one person: Mary-Kate Ashley Olsen.
#9: They Were Cast on “Full House” Because They Didn't Cry
When they were just six months old, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen nailed the audition of a lifetime, and were cast as Michelle Tanner in “Full House”. But what does an infant do in order to impress casting agents? Turns out it’s pretty simple, you just have to keep quiet and not cry. While the twins may have managed to hold in their tears during the casting process, they weren’t as successful when they actually began shooting, and John Stamos was so frustrated by their crying that he even tried to get them fired.
#8: There's a Reason Michelle Tanner Is Ambidextrous
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Throughout “Full House’s” run, the producers had to make sure that viewers couldn’t tell when it was Ashley acting and when it was Mary-Kate. But aside from making sure their haircuts were identical, they had one pretty big obstacle in front of them. Mary-Kate is right handed and Ashley is left-handed! Because this affects how they perform so many different actions, Michelle Tanner inevitably had to be ambidextrous, meaning she does things with both her right and left hands. We wonder if anyone actually noticed or if it flew under the radar...
#7: Mary-Kate Had a Feud with Spencer Pratt
In recent years Mary-Kate and Ashley have largely stayed out of the spotlight, and didn’t seem to want much attention from the paparazzi. But in the late aughts, Mary-Kate was not above fanning a feud with a notorious reality star. While promoting a movie, she talked to David Letterman and had nothing positive to say about Spencer Pratt. But her words were totally justified because Pratt was going around and proudly telling of a time when he made $50,000 by selling a photo of an intoxicated Mary-Kate at a party.
#6: Troian Bellisario Was Their Neighbor
You probably recognize Troian Bellisario from her role as Spencer Hastings on “Pretty Little Liars,” but did you know that she has a connection to the Olsen twins? It turns out that she lived across the street from them many years ago, and that they were friends when they were kids. They lost touch when the Olsen family moved away, but found themselves reunited on the set of “Billboard Dad” in which the Olsens starred and Bellisario had a minor role. She says that when she auditioned for the movie, she didn’t even realize they were involved!
#5: They Share a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
There are lots of benefits to being a twin: you’ve got a built-in best friend, you can (if you look alike or are identical) switch places and trick your friends, and of course there’s that ability that some twins apparently have to read each other’s minds. But there are some downsides too, including the fact that you might not get individual acknowledgement for your accomplishments. This is definitely the case for the Olsens, who share a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were actually the first set of twins to be bestowed with this honor!
#4: They Skipped Prom to Host “Saturday Night Live”
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Most teenagers look forward to their high school’s senior prom, but despite their fame and fortune, Mary-Kate and Ashley didn’t get to attend theirs. But they had a pretty good reason for missing it! They were actually shooting the season finale of “SNL” where they were the episode’s hosts. They said that they didn’t realize that they had double booked before it was too late, but that the decision to do the legendary comedy show was a no-brainer, because they love making fun of themselves. They even joked about missing the rite of passage in their opening monologue that evening.
#3: There Was a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Museum
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Since they were just kids, the Olsen twins have had a seriously dedicated fanbase. And in 2016, some superfans, Matt Harkins and Viviana Rosales, decided to host a somewhat tongue-in-cheek pop-up museum dedicated to MK and A in an old doctor’s office in Brooklyn. The exhibit was titled "The Olsen Twins Hiding from the Paparazzi" and was crowdfunded online. The contents of the pop up were...bizarre, to say the least. There were the usual paintings and pieces of memorabilia but there were also some pretty creepy dolls and a phone that — supposedly — only received calls from Candace Cameron Bure.
#2: Ashley May Have Had Lyme Disease
In 2015, the Olsens had largely retreated from the spotlight, and that’s when reports began to surface that one of the reasons was that Ashley had been diagnosed with lyme disease. The source said that it was actually something she had been dealing with for years, and that unfortunately, it was only caught when it had already entered the late stages. Lyme disease is spread by ticks and can cause a host of physiological symptoms including joint pain, headaches and even the inability to move parts of your face. Yikes! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Mary Kate Is a Competitive Horseback Rider They Wore Fake Teeth on Set They Don’t Like Social Media They’re Not Fans of Online Shopping
#1: They Were Producers When They Were Still Little Kids
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By 1993, the Olsen twins' popularity was already soaring, so they (well, uh, probably their parents and managers) made the decision to start Dualstar as a production company for their films. So although they became ultra-young producers — they were only about to turn seven years old! — they wouldn’t actually run the company until they turned 18. At that time they changed the direction of their marketing to appeal to teens rather than kids. But their films and product lines made them among the most financially successful females in entertainment, even before they went to high school, although the company later fell upon hard times.
