Elizabeth Chase Olsen (born February 16, 1989) is an American actress. Born in

Sherman Oaks, California Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California located in the San Fernando Valley, founded in 1927. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density than ...

, Olsen began acting at age four. She starred in her debut film role in the thriller ''

Martha Marcy May Marlene ''Martha Marcy May Marlene'' is a 2011 American psychological thriller- drama film written and directed by Sean Durkin, and starring Elizabeth Olsen (in her film debut), John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, and Hugh Dancy. The plot focuses on a young ...

'' in 2011, for which she was acclaimed and nominated for a

Critics' Choice Movie Award The Critics' Choice Movie Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Writt ...

among other accolades, followed by a role in the horror film '' Silent House''. Olsen received a

BAFTA Rising Star Award The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Rising Star Award, currently styled as the EE Rising Star Award for commercial reasons and previously known as the Orange Rising Star Award, is an award that acknowledges new talents in the ...

nomination and graduated from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

two years later. Olsen gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

media franchise, appearing in the superhero films '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015), '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018), '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), and ''

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ''Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Doctor Strange. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel ...

'' (2022), as well as the miniseries ''

WandaVision ''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is the first television series in ...

'' (2021). Her performance in ''WandaVision'' garnered her nominations for a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

and a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

. Outside of her work with Marvel, Olsen starred in the monster film ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

'' (2014), the mystery film '' Wind River'' (2017), and the dramedy ''

Ingrid Goes West ''Ingrid Goes West'' is a 2017 American black comedy drama film directed by Matt Spicer and written by Spicer and David Branson Smith. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, Billy Magnussen, Wyatt Russell, Pom Klementieff, and O'Shea Jack ...

'' (2017). She executive produced and starred in the drama series ''

Sorry for Your Loss ''Sorry for Your Loss'' is an American drama series created by Kit Steinkellner that premiered on September 18, 2018 on Facebook Watch. The series follows a young widow and her family as they struggle to cope with the unexpected death of her husb ...

'' (2018–2019), earning a

Critics' Choice Television Award The Critics' Choice Television Awards are accolades that are presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fourt ...

nomination for her role as a widow.

Early life and education

Elizabeth Chase Olsen was born on February 16, 1989, in

. Her mother, Jarnie, is a former dancer, while her father, Dave, is a real estate agent. She is the younger sister of twin fashion designers

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986), also known as the Olsen twins as a duo, are American fashion designers and former actresses. The twins made their acting debut as infants playing Michelle Tanner on the television s ...

, who became successful television and film actresses as children. Olsen also has an older brother, a younger half-brother, and a younger half-sister. Her parents divorced in 1996. Olsen began acting when she was four years old, appearing in Mary-Kate and Ashley's projects, including the 1994 television film ''

How the West Was Fun ''How the West Was Fun'' is a 1994 Revisionist western film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Synopsis 8-year-old twin girls Jessica and Susie Martin (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) live with their father, Stephen ( Patrick Cassidy), in Philadelp ...

'' and the straight-to-video series ''

The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley ''The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley'' is a series of musical mystery videos starring twin actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The series was also written as children's books. A set of books was written as a companion piece to the show, showi ...

''. As a child, she took acting classes and spent time at musical theatre camp. Olsen nearly quit pursuing acting in 2004 due to the media attention toward Mary-Kate's eating disorder. She went to

Campbell Hall School , motto_translation = Do Not Forget , streetaddress = 4533 Laurel Canyon Boulevard , city = Studio City, Los Angeles , state = California , zipcode = 91607 , country = US , type = Private, day school , religion = Episcopal , ...

Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...

. Olsen attended

(NYU)'s

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...

, during which she took classes at

Atlantic Theater Company Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their actin ...

and spent a semester at the

Moscow Art Theatre School Moscow Art Theatre School is the studio school of the Moscow Art Theatre. It is a state educational institution that has existed since 1943. The initiator of the studio school was Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. She attained understudy roles in the 2008

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

production of the play ''Dust'' and the 2009

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production of the play ''

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

'', which led to her securing an agent. Olsen graduated from NYU in January 2013.

Career

Early roles and acclaim (2011–2014)

Olsen made her film debut in the 2011 thriller film ''

''. The film, along with her performance, received critical acclaim following its premiere at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

. Olsen earned several award nominations for her portrayal of the titular Martha, a young woman suffering from delusions after fleeing her life in a cult and returning to her family, including those for the

Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress is an award given out at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The awards are presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), and was first presented in 1995. There were no official ...

and the

Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead The Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead wass one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards to honor an actress who has delivered an outstanding Leading actor, lead performance in an independent film. It was first presented in 1985 with Gera ...

. She attributed her interest in the character to her own fascination with mental illnesses. Olsen next appeared in the horror film '' Silent House'', which garnered her "rave reviews". Despite premiering at the Sundance Film Festival alongside ''Martha Marcy May Marlene'', it was released in 2012, during which she also starred in the thriller '' Red Lights'' and the comedy ''

Liberal Arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

''. In January 2013, Olsen garnered a nomination for the

at the

66th British Academy Film Awards The 66th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 10 February 2013 at the Royal Opera House in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2012. The nominations were announced on 9 January 2013. P ...

. She played

Edie Parker Edie Kerouac-Parker (September 20, 1922 – October 29, 1993) was the author of the memoir ''You'll Be Okay'', about her life with her first husband, Jack Kerouac, and the early days of the Beat Generation. While an art student under Georg ...

, novelist

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian a ...

's first wife and the author of the

Beat Generation The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Generatio ...

memoir ''You'll Be Okay'', in the biographical drama '' Kill Your Darlings''. She appeared in the American remake of the 2003 South Korean film '' Oldboy'', playing Marie Sebastian, a nurse who helps the protagonist, played by

Josh Brolin Joshua James Brolin (; born February 12, 1968) is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''The Goonies'' (1985), ''Mimic'' (1997), ''Hollow Man'' (2000), ''Grindhouse'' (2007), ''No Country for Old Men'' (2007), '' American Gangste ...

, find his daughter. That same year, she starred as the titular Juliet in an off-Broadway production of the play ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' by William Shakespeare. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' critic

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...

described her portrayal as "alternating between saucy petulance and hysteria". She played the leading role in '' In Secret'', a film adaptation of

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

's 1867 novel ''

Thérèse Raquin ''Thérèse Raquin'' is an 1868 novel by French writer Émile Zola, first published in serial form in the literary magazine ''L'Artiste'' in 1867. It was Zola's third novel, though the first to earn wide fame. The novel's adultery and murder ...

''. The film was released in February 2014. Later that year, Olsen starred in the monster film ''

'', opposite

Bryan Cranston Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor and director who is best known for portraying Walter White in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and Hal in the Fox sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2 ...

and

Aaron Taylor-Johnson Aaron Perry Taylor-Johnson (né Johnson; born 13 June 1990) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in '' Kick-Ass'' (2010) and its 2013 sequel, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) character Pietro Ma ...

, which received positive reviews and grossed $529 million against a $160 million production budget. She and

Dakota Fanning Hannah Dakota Fanning (born February 23, 1994) is an American actress. She rose to prominence at the age of seven for her performance as Lucy Dawson in the drama film ''I Am Sam'' (2001), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomina ...

co-starred as teenage girls in Brooklyn in the film ''

Very Good Girls ''Very Good Girls'' is a 2013 American drama film and the first feature film directed by American screenwriter Naomi Foner, whose script for drama ''Running on Empty'' was Oscar-nominated. First screened publicly in early 2013, the film stars Dako ...

'', released that same year, which Josh Duboff of '' Vanity Fair'' characterized as unfavorably reviewed.

Marvel Cinematic Universe and continued success (2015–present)

Olsen starred in the 2015 superhero film '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'', a sequel to ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

'', joining the

media franchise. In the film, she portrayed Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, which marked the comic book character's film debut. She first appeared as the character in a

post-credits scene A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...

of the 2014 film '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'', alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who portrayed Maximoff's brother,

Pietro Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice * Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death * Pietro II Can ...

. Olsen played the part with an accent originating from a fictional country called Sokovia, which she described as similar to Slovakian. She reprised the role in '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018), and '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), the last of which became the second highest-grossing film of all time. With the role, Olsen rose to fame. Olsen portrayed

Audrey Williams Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (February 28, 1923 – November 4, 1975) was an American musician known for being the first wife of country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams, the mother of Hank Williams Jr. and the grandmother of Hank Willia ...

, the wife, manager, and duet partner of singer

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

, portrayed by

Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...

, in the 2015 biographical film '' I Saw the Light'', directed by

Marc Abraham Marc Abraham is an American film producer, director, and former president of Strike Entertainment, a production company he launched in early 2002 with a multi-year, first look arrangement with Universal Pictures. Career Abraham began his care ...

. In 2017, she starred as a novice FBI agent in the mystery film '' Wind River'' and a social media influencer in the comedy-drama film ''

'', both of which were released in August to critical praise. ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

''s

David Edelstein David Edelstein (born 1959) is a freelance American film critic who has been the principal film critic for ''Slate'' and ''New York'' magazine, among others, and has appeared regularly on NPR's ''Fresh Air'' and ''CBS Sunday Morning'' programs. O ...

found Olsen's "incongruously high-schoolish demeanor" in ''Wind River'' problematic, while

Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...

of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' wrote that she gave a "major eye-opener of a performance" in ''Ingrid Goes West'', deeming it "toxic perfection". The following year, she appeared in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

film ''

Kodachrome Kodachrome is the brand name for a color reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was one of the first successful color materials and was used for both cinematography and still photography. For many years Kodachrome was widely used ...

'', playing a caregiver to a photographer, played by

Ed Harris Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in ''Apollo 13'' (1995), ''The Truman Show'' (1998), ''Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award n ...

. Olsen executive produced and starred as a young widow named Leigh Shaw in the

Facebook Watch Facebook Watch is a video on demand service operated by American company Meta Platforms (previously named Facebook, Inc.). The company announced the service in August 2017 and was available to all U.S. users that month. Facebook Watch's original ...

web television series ''

'', which premiered in September 2018. She said the three years it took to develop the series enabled her to immerse herself in Shaw's impulses. Critics reviewed the series positively, and Olsen's performance, which earned her a nomination for the

Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards to recognize the work of television actresses in the drama genre. It was introduced in 2011, when the a ...

, was noted as "stunning", "disciplined and sharp", as well as "slyly sympathetic". The series was canceled in January 2020 after two seasons. Alongside

Paul Bettany Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an English actor. He is mostly known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starring in the Disney+ miniseries ''WandaVision'' (2021), for which he was nominated fo ...

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

, Olsen played Maximoff again in the superhero miniseries ''

'', which premiered on

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...

in January 2021. In addition to complimenting Olsen and Bettany's chemistry, critics praised the cast, with '' Vox''s Alex Abad-Santos writing Olsen was brilliant in her portrayal and

Linda Holmes Linda Holmes (born March 16, 1959) is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 42nd District since January 2007. The 42nd district includes all or parts of Aurora, Boulder Hill, Montgomery, Naperville, North Aurora and O ...

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

highlighting her "indelible central performance" in their respective reviews. Olsen earned a

nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and

nomination for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for her performance. She reprised the role in the film ''

'', which was released in May 2022 to mixed reviews. Olsen's performance received praise, with

Owen Gleiberman Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for ''Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...

of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' writing that it "generates an operatic fire". Olsen is set to star as housewife

Candy Montgomery Candace Lynn Montgomery (née Wheeler; born November 15, 1949) is an American woman who killed her lover's wife, Betty Gore. The killing took place in Wylie, Texas, on June 13, 1980. During the assault, Gore was struck 41 times with a Axe#Axes_de ...

in ''

Love and Death ''Love and Death'' is a 1975 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. It is a satire on Russian literature starring Allen and Diane Keaton as Boris and Sonja, Russians living during the Napoleonic Era who engage in mock-serious p ...

'', an

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...

limited series about a 1980 murder in Texas.

Personal life

Olsen says she became an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

at the age of 13 because she believes "religion should be about community and having a place to go in prayer, not something that should determine women's freedoms." She formerly held a

real estate license Real estate licenses, authorizations issued by state governments, give agents and brokers the legal ability to represent a home seller or buyer in the process of buying or selling real estate. Real estate agents and real estate brokers are required ...

in New York, which she obtained after first moving there. Olsen is an ambassador for the company Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. She and actor

Boyd Holbrook Robert Boyd Holbrook (born September 1, 1981) is an American actor. He has starred in the Netflix series ''Narcos'' (2015-2017) as DEA agent Steve Murphy and ''The Sandman'' (2022-) as the Corinthian, as well as in the History miniseries '' Hatf ...

were in a relationship from 2011 to 2014. Olsen became engaged to musician Robbie Arnett, of the American band

Milo Greene Milo Greene is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles.Bacher, Daniell"No leader but quite a following" "Los Angeles Times," June 23, 2012, accessed July 26, 2012. The band started as a quintet but is currently a trio, with members Ro ...

, in July 2019 after three years of dating. The two secretly married before the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, having

eloped Elopement is a term that is used in reference to a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting ma ...

. She and Arnett live in Los Angeles. They co-wrote a children's book, titled ''Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective'', which released in June 2022.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Accolades

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Elizabeth 1989 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American child actresses American film actresses American television actresses American people of English descent American people of Norwegian descent American atheists 21st-century atheists Living people Olsen family People from Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles Tisch School of the Arts alumni