Whenever you hear the name “Olsen”, your mind automatically runs to Mary Kate and Ashley, whether you’re thinking of them as fashion queens, crazy young starlets, or those little girls from “Full House”. Well now, the twins’ younger sister, Elizabeth is getting into the family business.
Olsen has not one, but two big movies at Sundance this year: MARTHA MACY MAY MARLENE, where she plays a young women trying to readjust to life after escaping from a cult, and SILENT HOUSE, a film directed by the same duo who did OPEN WATER, about a girl who begins to suspect her summer house may be haunted. And through it all, she knows she is very lucky to have the parts:
“It’s hard for independent films when they want to get money…And to have a lead be an unknown – it’s kind of a risk for people to take. And so the fact that they took that risk was like made my year, my life, I don’t know! It was really exciting.”ÂÂÂ
The 21-year-old took some time off from her Drama major at NYU to film the two movies, and says that her theater background served her well, especially since SILENT HOUSE was filmed in one continuous take:
“When I was auditioning, I was like, ‘Just so you know I’m used to the medium of theater, so like I can stand on my feet for this long!”ÂÂÂ
But through everything, the younger Olsen seems to be taking everything in stride and with much grace, and even with being surrounded by Papparazzi since they were little, she is still aiming for her dream:
“When I would go shopping with my sisters when I was younger, it would be dangerous. People would almost get us into car accidents. I just think it’s crazy in general but I want to be an actor – and I have since I was a little girl – and if that happens, then you figure out how to deal with it where it doesn’t completely infringe upon your life,” said Olsen. “I haven’t experienced that personally yet. Hopefully I don’t have to but I think it’s a really weird part of this business.”
All the best to her.