Actress Mary-Kate Olsen 1986

Actress. Born June 13, 1986 in Sherman Oaks, California. The daughter of mortgage banker David Olsen and manager Jarnie Olsen, Mary-Kate and her twin sister, Ashley, have become among the most popular—and bankable—female personalities in America. They made their acting debut in 1987 at nine months old, sharing the role of the youngest daughter, Michelle Tanner, on the ABC family sitcom Full House. The series ran for eight years, during which the Olsen twins' career took off.

By the age of twelve, the girls had starred in home videos, feature films, multi-media entertainment and another ABC TV series, Two of a Kind. Under the name Dualstar Entertainment, they produced several straight-to-video movies, a line of musical detective videos entitled The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley, and the hugely successful You're Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley's party tapes. They have also introduced a series of companion books to accompany the videos. In 1993, Our First Video went to the top of the Billboard video music chart, and was followed shortly by I Am The Cute One and Brother for Sale. The twins made their big screen debut in 1995 in It Takes Two.

In addition to acting, the Olsens have become a huge force in girl marketing. Products bearing their names, including computer games, dolls, and an enormously popular clothing line for Wal-Mart, are estimated to generate about $1 billion in retail sales alone per year.

Mary-Kate and Ashley announced their plans to attend New York University in the fall of 2004. Shortly after the news, Mary-Kate checked herself into a rehabilitation facility for the eating disorder, anorexia. In the wake of rumors about Mary-Kate's health, the twins released their next feature film, New York Minute.

In 2005, Mary-Kate and her sister purchased the minority shares of Dualstar, taking full control of the company. During this time, Mary-Kate also ended her relationship with Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos III. The break-up, combined with the changes at Dualstar, led Mary-Kate quit school and return to California to focus on business ventures with her company.

The next year, the sisters began appearing together in the Badgley Mischka ad campaign. They also made their foray into the world of high-end fashion by launching a line of their own called The Row. In 2007, they announced another line of more contemporary clothing, Elizabeth and James, which is named after their brother and sister.

In January of 2008, Mary-Kate made headlines when her close friend, actor Heath Ledger, died of a prescription drug overdose. Olsen remains silent on the matter, but sources say Ledger's staff contacted Mary-Kate through a speed-dial function on Ledger's cell phone. Olsen then called her security staff in New York to investigate the matter. Ledger was pronounced dead later that day.

In October of that same year, the twins released the book Influence, a work introducing readers to the artists and designers who have influenced the Olsens over the last decade. Released through a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group, the work features figures such as Christian Louboutin, Lauren Hutton and Bob Colacello. It became an instant best seller, and the twins are currently wrapping up a promotional tour for the book.

Mary-Kate recently returned to acting, making regular appearances on the HBO television drama Weeds throughout 2007, a cameo on the show Samantha Who?, and a co-starring role in the film The Wackness (2008).

In addition, Mary-Kate has embarked on a solo fashion project with celebrity stylists Jane Magnitude and Fred Holston. The line is currently in development.