‘WandaVision’ Star Elizabeth Olsen Gets Honest About Growing Up With Mary-Kate and Ashley

Whether Marvel Cinematic Universe fans saw it coming or not, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is showing a different side of Elizabeth Olsen’s character, Wanda Maximoff.

After the release of WandaVision in January 2021, the 33-year-old actress earned praise for adding depth to her Avenger superhero. Though Elizabeth has starred as Scarlet Witch in the MCU for years, her character was front and center alongside the invincible android Vision (Paul Bettany) in the Emmy-nominated Disney+ series. Now, with Dr Strange 2 hitting theaters, fans saw the return of Wanda and she delivered a memorable performance yet again.

Of course, Elizabeth had already established herself in Hollywood before entering the MCU, starring in films like Silent House and Godzilla. But even still, Elizabeth admits that breaking into the world of acting wasn’t easy, especially since her sisters are former child actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Growing up with Mary-Kate and Ashley, both 35, Elizabeth remembers her earlier years being pure “insanity.”

“There were times when my sisters would always be spotted and I would be in the car with them and it would really freak me out,” Elizabeth recalled to The Sun.

Nonetheless, her two older sisters did influence her acting endeavors in unexpected ways. “It has helped me navigate how I want to approach my career. I always had this need to prove myself to everyone around me that I work really hard,” she continued. “I couldn’t walk in a room without everyone already having an opinion. The thing about nepotism is the fear that you don’t earn or deserve the work. There was even a part of me when I was a little girl that thought if I’m gonna be an actress I’m going to go by Elizabeth Chase, which is my middle name.”

Thankfully, when Elizabeth started acting more, her mindset shifted for the better: “I was like, ‘I love my family, I like my name, I love my sisters. Why would I be so ashamed of that?’ It’s fine now.”

Most recently, she opened up to Harper’s Bazaar U.K. about how she looked to Mary-Kate and Ashley for guidance in Hollywood. “I always felt that having older twin sisters was an advantage,” she told the magazine. “I felt very clear about how I was going to navigate lots of things because of watching them. I also felt very protected.”

While she couldn’t tap into their unique bond, she also wasn’t the odd man out. “There’s something that I’ll never experience of that connection, but I feel lucky to be witness to it,” Elizabeth shared with the outlet. “I actually think it’s an amazing feeling, being the younger sibling to twin sisters. If I was spoiled by one, the other wanted to match it. I loved it.”

For those of you unfamiliar with the Olsen siblings, keep on scrolling for a closer look:

James Trent Olsen

Like his famous sisters, the oldest Olsen of Jarnett Olsen and David Olsen, who goes by his middle name, has also been involved in the acting world. Per his IMDB, Trent’s latest acting credit is when he played Nick in the TV series Comedy Corner in 2014. Apart from that, Trent, 38, appeared in some of Mary-Kate and Ashley’s video shorts back in the ’90s as himself. What’s more, Cosmopolitan.com reports that he’s since become a successful comic book writer.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

After making their acting debuts on Full House as Michelle Tanner, the fraternal twins went on to become child-acting prodigies, spurring their own wildly successful book and movie franchises (ahem, who didn’t love Passport to Paris?). More than a decade ago, the sisters quit acting, started flying under the radar and transitioned into focusing on building a fashion empire, which includes their labels Elizabeth and James and The Row.

Courtney Taylor Olsen

The 25-year-old is the youngest Olsen sister. Like Mary-Kate and Ashley, Courtney keeps a very low profile these days, which explains why not much is known about her.

Jake Olsen

Last but not least, there’s Jake, who is now 23 years old. Following the example set by his older siblings, Jake is also staying out of the spotlight, though it’s been reported that he once tried out modeling.

Kayla Keegan leads Good Housekeeping’s editorial growth strategies in the partnership, news, social, branded, membership and newsletter spaces. Prior to her new position, she was the Senior News and Entertainment Editor for the brand, covering and editing all things in the entertainment, pop culture and celebrity world for Good Housekeeping. She’s also worked as a social editor for House Beautiful and had previous writing stints at Redbook, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.