Elizabeth Olsen | |
---|---|
Born | Elizabeth Chase Olsen February 16, 1989 Sherman Oaks, California, U.S. |
Alma mater | New York University |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1993–present |
Spouse | Robbie Arnett |
Relatives |
|
Elizabeth Chase Olsen (born February 16, 1989) is an American actress. Born in Sherman Oaks, California, Olsen began acting at age four alongside her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. She had her debut film role in the thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene in 2011, for which she was acclaimed and nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award. Olsen received a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination and graduated from New York University two years later.
Olsen gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 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 (2022), as well as the miniseries WandaVision (2021) and the second season of What If...? (2023). Her performance in WandaVision garnered her nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Outside of her work with Marvel, Olsen starred in the monster film Godzilla (2014), the mystery film Wind River (2017), and the dramedy Ingrid Goes West (2017). She executive produced and starred as a widow in the drama series Sorry for Your Loss (2018–2019), earning a nomination for a Critics' Choice Television Award. Olsen has since portrayed Candy Montgomery in the miniseries Love & Death (2023), for which she was nominated for another Golden Globe Award.
Elizabeth Chase Olsen [1] was born on February 16, 1989, in Sherman Oaks, California. [2] [3] Her mother, Jarnie, is a former dancer, while her father, Dave, is a real estate agent. [4] [5] She is the younger sister of twin fashion designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who became successful television and film actresses as children. Olsen also has an older brother, a younger half-brother, and a younger half-sister. [5] Her parents divorced in 1996. [6] Olsen began acting when she was four years old, [7] appearing in Mary-Kate and Ashley's projects, including the 1994 television film How the West Was Fun and the straight-to-video series The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley . [8] [9] [10] As a child, she took acting classes and spent time at musical theatre camp. [8] Olsen nearly quit pursuing acting in 2004 due to the media attention toward Mary-Kate's eating disorder. [11] She went to Campbell Hall School in Studio City, California. [12] Olsen attended New York University (NYU)'s Tisch School of the Arts, during which she took classes at Atlantic Theater Company and spent a semester at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia. [5] She attained understudy roles in the 2008 off-Broadway production of the play Dust and the 2009 Broadway production of the play Impressionism , which led to her securing an agent. [5] [8] Olsen graduated from NYU in January 2013. [13]
Olsen made her film debut in the 2011 thriller film Martha Marcy May Marlene . [14] The film, along with her performance, received critical acclaim following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. [15] [16] 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, [15] [17] including those for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. [16] She attributed her interest in the character to her own fascination with mental illnesses. [14] Olsen next appeared in the horror film Silent House , which garnered her "rave reviews". [18] Despite premiering at the Sundance Film Festival alongside Martha Marcy May Marlene, it was released in 2012, [19] during which she also starred in the thriller Red Lights and the comedy Liberal Arts . [20]
In January 2013, Olsen garnered a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 66th British Academy Film Awards. [21] She played Edie Parker, novelist Jack Kerouac's first wife and the author of the Beat Generation memoir You'll Be Okay, in the biographical drama Kill Your Darlings . [22] 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, find his daughter. [23] That same year, she starred as the titular Juliet in an off-Broadway production of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The New York Times critic Ben Brantley described her portrayal as "alternating between saucy petulance and hysteria". [24] She played the leading role in In Secret , a film adaptation of Émile Zola's 1867 novel Thérèse Raquin . The film was released in February 2014. [25] Later that year, Olsen starred in the monster film Godzilla , opposite Bryan Cranston and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, which received positive reviews and grossed $529 million against a $160 million production budget. [26] [27] She and Dakota Fanning co-starred as teenage girls in Brooklyn in the film Very Good Girls , released that same year, [28] which Josh Duboff of Vanity Fair characterized as unfavorably reviewed. [29]
Olsen starred in the 2015 superhero film Avengers: Age of Ultron , a sequel to The Avengers , [30] joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise. [31] [32] In the film, she portrayed Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, which marked the comic book character's film debut. [33] She first appeared as the character in a post-credits scene of the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier , alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who portrayed Maximoff's brother, Pietro. [31] [34] Olsen played the part with an accent originating from a fictional country called Sokovia, which she described as similar to Slovakian. [32] She reprised the role in Captain America: Civil War (2016), [35] Avengers: Infinity War (2018), [36] and Avengers: Endgame (2019), [37] the last of which became the second highest-grossing film of all time. [38] With the role, Olsen rose to fame. [39] [40]
Olsen portrayed Audrey Williams, the wife, manager, and duet partner of singer Hank Williams, portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, in the 2015 biographical film I Saw the Light , directed by Marc Abraham. [41] 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 Ingrid Goes West , both of which were released in August to critical praise. [42] [43] [44] Vulture 's David Edelstein found Olsen's "incongruously high-schoolish demeanor" in Wind River problematic, [45] while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that she gave a "major eye-opener of a performance" in Ingrid Goes West, deeming it "toxic perfection". [46] The following year, she appeared in the Netflix film Kodachrome , playing a caregiver to a photographer, played by Ed Harris. [47] Olsen executive produced and starred as a young widow named Leigh Shaw in the Facebook Watch web television series Sorry for Your Loss , which premiered in September 2018. [48] She said the three years it took to develop the series enabled her to immerse herself in Shaw's impulses. [49] Critics reviewed the series positively, [50] and Olsen's performance, which earned her a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, [51] was noted as "stunning", [52] "disciplined and sharp", [53] as well as "slyly sympathetic". [54] The show was canceled in January 2020 after two seasons. [55]
Alongside Paul Bettany as Vision, Olsen played Maximoff again in the superhero miniseries WandaVision , which premiered on Disney+ in January 2021. [56] In addition to complimenting Olsen and Bettany's chemistry, critics praised the cast, [57] with Vox 's Alex Abad-Santos writing Olsen was brilliant in her portrayal and Linda Holmes of NPR highlighting her "indelible central performance" in their respective reviews. [58] [59] Olsen earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for her performance. [60] [61] She reprised the role in the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , which was released in May 2022 to mixed reviews. Olsen's performance received praise, with Owen Gleiberman of Variety writing that it "generates an operatic fire". [62] [63]
Olsen starred as housewife Candy Montgomery in Love and Death , an HBO Max limited series about a 1980 killing in Texas. [64] Her performance earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film. [65] She is attached to appear in the drama film The Assessment, Todd Solondz's film Love Child, and David Freyne's romantic comedy Eternity. [66] [67] [68]
Olsen says she became an atheist 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." [69] She once held a real estate license in New York, which she obtained after first moving there. [70] Olsen is an ambassador for the company Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. [50] She and actor Boyd Holbrook were in a relationship from 2011 to 2014. [71]
Olsen became engaged to musician Robbie Arnett, of the American band Milo Greene, in July 2019 after three years of dating. [72] [73] The two secretly eloped. [74] She and Arnett live in Los Angeles. [75] Together, they co-wrote the children's books Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, released in June 2022, and Hattie Harmony: Opening Night, released in June 2023. Olsen and Arnett's experiences with anxiety inspired the books' creations. [76] [77]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Martha / Marcy May / Marlene Lewis | [16] | |
2012 | Red Lights | Sally Owen | [20] | |
Silent House | Sarah | [19] | ||
Peace, Love & Misunderstanding | Zoe | [8] | ||
Liberal Arts | Zibby | [20] | ||
2013 | Kill Your Darlings | Edie Parker | [22] | |
Oldboy | Marie Sebastian / Mia Doucett | [23] | ||
2014 | In Secret | Thérèse Raquin | [25] | |
Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Wanda Maximoff | Uncredited cameo | [34] | |
Very Good Girls | Gerry Fields | [28] | ||
Godzilla | Elle Brody | [26] | ||
2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Wanda Maximoff | [30] | |
I Saw the Light | Audrey Williams | [41] | ||
2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Wanda Maximoff | [35] | |
2017 | Ingrid Goes West | Taylor Sloane | [42] | |
Wind River | Jane Banner | [42] | ||
2018 | Kodachrome | Zooey Kern | [47] | |
Avengers: Infinity War | Wanda Maximoff | [36] | ||
2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Wanda Maximoff | [37] | |
2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch | [62] | |
2023 | His Three Daughters | Christina | Also executive producer | [78] |
TBA | The Assessment† | Mia | Post-production | [66] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | How the West Was Fun | Girl in Car | Television film | [9] |
2016 | Drunk History | Norma Kopp | Episode: "Siblings" | [79] |
2017 | HarmonQuest | Stirrip | Episode: "The Keystone Obelisk" | [80] |
2018–2019 | Sorry for Your Loss | Leigh Shaw | Main role; also executive producer | [50] |
2021 | WandaVision | Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch | Main role | [56] |
2021–2022 | Marvel Studios: Assembled | Herself | 2 episodes | [81] [82] |
2022 | Saturday Night Live | Herself | Episode: "Benedict Cumberbatch/Arcade Fire" | [83] |
2023 | Love & Death | Candy Montgomery | Miniseries | [64] |
What If...? | Wanda-Merlin Maximoff / Scarlet Witch | Voice; 2 episodes | [84] |
Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Romeo and Juliet | Juliet | Classic Stage Company | [24] |
Paul Bettany is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021), for which he garnered a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego is an American actress. Known for her work in science fiction film franchises, she has starred in four of the highest-grossing films of all time. Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $14 billion worldwide and, as of 2023, she is the second-highest-grossing film actress. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.
Kathryn Marie Hahn is an American actress and comedian. She began her career on television, starring as grief counselor Lily Lebowski in the NBC crime drama series Crossing Jordan (2001–2007). Hahn gained prominence appearing as a supporting actress in a number of comedy films, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Step Brothers (2008), The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009), Our Idiot Brother (2011), We're the Millers and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Glass Onion (2022).
Sebastian Stan is a Romanian–American actor. He gained recognition for his role as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise beginning with the film Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and including the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).
Elizabeth Debicki is an Australian actress. After studying drama at the Victorian College of the Arts, she made her film debut in the Australian comedy A Few Best Men (2011). Her role in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (2013) won her the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played Ayesha in the Marvel films Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). She gained critical attention for her performance in Steve McQueen's heist thriller Widows (2018). The following year, she received the Cannes Film Festival's Trophée Chopard. She then co-starred in Christopher Nolan's science fiction thriller Tenet (2020).
Kaitlyn Rochelle Dever is an American actress. She became known for her roles in series such as Justified (2011–2015), Last Man Standing (2011–2021), Unbelievable (2019), and Dopesick (2021). She earned Golden Globe Award nominations for Unbelievable and Dopesick, in addition to a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Dopesick.
Jo-Issa Rae Diop, credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, and producer. Founder of Hoorae Media, she achieved wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the HBO television series Insecure (2016–2021), for which she was nominated for multiple Golden Globes Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards.
The Lobster is a 2015 dystopian absurdist science fiction romantic dark comedy drama film directed and co-produced by Yorgos Lanthimos, from a screenplay by Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou. It stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, Ariane Labed, Angeliki Papoulia, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Michael Smiley, and Ben Whishaw. The film follows a newly single bachelor who moves into a hotel with other singletons, who are all obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days, or else be transformed into animals.
Millie Bobby Brown is a British actress. She gained recognition for playing Eleven in the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things (2016–present), for which she received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Brown has starred in the monster film Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and its sequel Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). She also starred in and produced the Netflix films Enola Holmes (2020), its 2022 sequel, and Damsel (2024).
Letitia Michelle Wright is a Guyanese-British actress. She began her career with guest roles in the television series Top Boy, Coming Up, Chasing Shadows, Humans, Doctor Who, and Black Mirror. For the latter, she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She then had her breakthrough for her role in the 2015 film Urban Hymn, for which the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) named Wright among the 2015 group of BAFTA Breakthrough Brits.
The Vision is a fictional character portrayed by Paul Bettany in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Vision is a vibranium-based male android created by Ultron to serve as his body. However, the body is stolen by the Avengers and brought to sentience by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, who upload the core software of Stark's AI, J.A.R.V.I.S., into the body constructed by Ultron, with energy provided by Thor. Vision subsequently joins the Avengers, kills Ultron, and later develops a romantic relationship with his teammate, Wanda Maximoff. Most of Vision's powers including flight, matter phasing, and energy-based beam attacks, stem from the Mind Stone in his forehead, which also keeps him alive. Vision is killed by Thanos when he removes the Mind Stone to complete the Infinity Gauntlet in order to initiate the Blip. Years later, Vision's body is reactivated via Wanda's magic, albeit initially without his memories and with a different appearance. Additionally, Wanda recreates Vision when she magically forms a false reality in the town of Westview, New Jersey, but this version vanishes when she returns to reality.
Wanda Maximoff is a character primarily portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Wanda is initially depicted as a Sokovian refugee who, along with her twin brother Pietro, volunteers to be experimented on by Hydra. The Mind Stone amplifies her natural telekinetic and energy manipulation abilities, known as Chaos magic. Wanda initially comes into conflict with the Avengers but later joins them to defeat Ultron, becoming one of their most powerful members.
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 the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is set after the events of the film Avengers: Endgame (2019). It follows Wanda Maximoff and Vision as they live an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey, until their reality starts moving through different decades of sitcom homages and television tropes. Schaeffer served as head writer for the series, which was directed by Matt Shakman.
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 to Doctor Strange (2016) and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Sam Raimi, written by Michael Waldron, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. In the film, Stephen Strange must protect America Chavez (Gomez), a teenager capable of traveling the multiverse, from Wanda Maximoff (Olsen).
"Previously On" is the eighth episode of the American television miniseries WandaVision, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It follows Maximoff and Agatha Harkness as they explore Maximoff's past to see what led her to create an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Laura Donney and directed by Matt Shakman.
Famous alumni include all three Olsen sisters, Dakota and Elle Fanning and Modern Family's Ariel Winter; Denzel Washington has sent his kids there.