Elizabeth Olsen opens up about how her childhood shaped her, describing her early years alongside Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as anything but ordinary.
The actress said The times that being the youngest of four siblings, all born within five years, made life “pretty chaotic”.
Elizabeth, now 36, remembers spending much of her youth on film sets while Mary-Kate and Ashley worked.
This fast-paced environment meant that some daily routines from her childhood didn’t exist for her.
She said the idea of a slow, calm bedtime always seems special because “So now I think the idea of a calm bath and bedtime story routine is so tender and sweet because we didn’t have anything like that.”
These demanding schedules also meant that her older sisters always had to show up for her, even when she continued to play as a child.
She explained that the twins “were forced to watch all my plays my whole life and go to my dance performances.”
Despite what seemed like a strong support system, Elizabeth said there wasn’t much career advice exchanged between them.
When asked if her sisters had advised her, she replied: “No. We’re just a supportive family,” adding that it doesn’t seem necessary to talk about the past after working alone for years.
The actress grew up in Los Angeles with her siblings Mary-Kate, Ashley and James Trent, born to Jarnette and David Olsen.
His parents later divorced and his father remarried and had two more children with his wife McKenzie Olsen.
Even with so much movement and responsibilities within the household, Elizabeth does not reflect negatively on these memories.
Speaking in March, she shared that being surrounded by a large, busy family was always rewarding, saying she “loved it” and especially loved being the youngest.
Looking back, she recognizes the chaos but also the closeness it created.
It wasn’t a traditional childhood, but it was one that made her the person she is today, someone who still appreciates the little moments she didn’t always experience growing up.
