Elizabeth Olsen made a name for herself in Hollywood last year, and not because of her famous last name. In fact, she once changed her name to make sure people didn’t associate her with her famous siblings.
Elizabeth admits she felt under pressure because of the success of her siblings, Mary-Kate and Ashley, who found fame as child stars before launching their own fashion business. Elizabeth decided to hold off her acting career because of her sisters’ fame, and she even changed her name at school to avoid the inevitable comparison to her siblings.
She tells the Sydney Morning Herald, “In high school, I thought I’d go by the name Elizabeth Chase, which is my middle name. I knew I was always going to be introduced as ‘the sister of’ and I have no control over it, and that’s why I kind of held off trying to work, because growing up I really compensated by going to so many acting conservatories and being the one that rehearsed the most.”
The 22-year-old concedes she will always be associated with her famous family, but she is happy to be carving out a career on her own, adding, “Right now it’s just a fact of my life. But I always knew that if the work stood on its own, we were ultimately going to be seen as one of those families where there are multiple people who are in the public eye.”
Expect to see a lot more of Elizabeth in the future. She has upcoming movies with Zac Efron, Daniel Radcliffe, and Chace Crawford. Definitely looks like she’s in good company.
