Olsen Twins: From Baby Stars to Teen Moguls

ByABC News
January 23, 2002, 9:34 PM

Feb. 6 -- Though their combined age makes them younger than Julia Roberts, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen sit atop an entertainment empire that is poised to generate $1 billion.

After the 15-year-olds were named by The Hollywood Reporter as among the 100 most powerful women in Hollywood, they gave Connie Chung a behind-the-scenes look at their lives and their career as the twin princesses of self-packaging.

Bribed With Candy as Toddlers

When the fraternal twins were still in diapers, a family friend got their reluctant mother to take them to a TV audition.

"The producers held us and we didn't cry," Mary-Kate said. "That was our only audition."

But that one audition was more than enough. It was the first step on a fast track to fame and fortune that would leave little time for the simple pleasures of childhood.

Tag-teaming it on camera, the twins shared a starring role on Full House from 1987 to 1995. While most kids their age were learning their first words from parents and preschool teachers, they had their lines fed to them by scriptwriters and professional handlers.

"There would be somebody standing off-camera bribing them with Gummy Bears to get them to say their line," remembered David Coulier, who played Joey on the show.

The prompting worked. As young Michelle, the twins stole the best scenes, and Full House became a ratings smash. But after eight seasons, the show was canceled.

"When we got home, I think we sat down and we cried," said Mary-Kate. "We cried away."

Little Girls, Big Business

But there was someone in the wings who saw that the little girls could be big business. Robert Thorne, their entertainment attorney, set out to market the innocence that had endeared the twins to millions.

He cast Mary-Kate and Ashley in their own made-for-video adventures, targeting an audience of girls under 12. He created a company called Dual Star, and gave the girls real power as pint-sized executive producers.

"If they didn't want to do something, or they wanted to do something differently, their voice ruled," said Thorne referring to the time since the girls were 4. "I couldn't say 'Do this.' I couldn't order them."