Elizabeth Olsen Considered Changing Her Name To Avoid Being Associated With Her Famous Sisters

Elizabeth Olsen, unlike her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley, began acting later in life. That is to say, she didn’t make her first credited appearance until she was five years old in How the West Was Fun. In the meantime, Mary-Kate and Ashley were just six months old when they were cast as Michelle Tanner on Full House. They became millionaire moguls by the time they were young. Elizabeth is known for not talking about her older sisters in interviews, but she did tell British Glamour that being connected to Mary-Kate and Ashley had an effect on her when she grew up.
“I was 10 and I was curious about auditioning… and I realized very quickly it wasn’t for me because I was missing my sports teams, my dance class, and all the extracurricular activities at school. But during that time, I thought ‘I don’t want to be associated with [Mary-Kate and Ashley],’ for some reason,” the WandaVision star said. “I guess I understood what nepotism was like inherently as a 10-year-old. I don’t know if I knew the word, but there is some sort of association of not earning something that I think bothered me at a very young age.” Olsen even considered going by a different name:
“It had to do with my own insecurities, but I was 10. So I don’t know how much I processed, but I did think, ‘I’m going to be Elizabeth Chase [her middle name] when I become an actress.’”
In a surprise turn of events, 10-year-old “Lizzie” is now the Olsen most identified with acting. Elizabeth was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her role in Martha Marcy May Marlene, and she’s been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014, including playing the co-lead in the critically acclaimed WandaVision. Mary-Kate and Ashley left the industry to concentrate on their careers in fashion, while Elizabeth was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene. In How the West Was More Fun, the three should reunite.