Up and coming actress Elizabeth Olsen , younger sister to Mary-Kate and Ashley , has revealed that she nearly gave up her acting dreams after watching her sisters constantly deal with rumors, paparazzi and crazy fans.
Elizabeth, who graces the cover of Nylon Magazine’s October 2011 issue, explained that although she grew up in “such a normal family” where “The idea of being an actor was always a realistic thing,” the abuse dealt by the media on her twin sisters made her rethink her future as an actress.
“I thought I really didn’t want to be in this industry,” the 22-year-old told Nylon. “They turned 18 and what was going on in her life – I’m talking about Mary-Kate – was all over the news and I didn’t want to be a part of it. I just thought, ‘This is such b*******’.”
To skip all the cameras and “drama” that goes hand-in-hand with the Hollywood entertainment world, Elizabeth opted to start somewhere a little more low key – theatre.
“I just always thought that theatre was different from being an actor in Hollywood for some reason. It was like this safe place where people aren’t harassed. But I was apprehensive because I saw how brutal people can be when other people put themselves out there,” Olsen told the mag.
While she does look up to her big sisters — particularly given their financial independence — Elizabeth credits someone else for her work ethic.
“I have to attribute the way I have always looked at [work] to my father, because he was a really good influence on us,” Elizabeth explained. “It was always very important to him that his daughters be financially independent. He wanted us to know that we could take care of ourselves, because he never liked the idea of us needing a man. And witnessing how my sisters can take care of themselves financially was a great model to have. I consider myself lucky to have such a normal family.”
To see more of Elizabeth Olsen head over to Nylon’s website or check her out in Martha Marcy May Marlene , a drama-thriller film scheduled for limited release on October 21, 2011.
