Elizabeth Olsen Bio
Elizabeth Chase Olsen (born February 16, 1989) is an American actress. She gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014, with her performance in the miniseries WandaVision (2021) earning her nominations for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. 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 received praise. Olsen received a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination and graduated from New York University two years later.
Early Life and Background
Elizabeth Chase Olsen was born on February 16, 1989, in Sherman Oaks, California. Her mother, Jarnie, is a former dancer and personal manager, while her father, Dave, is a real estate agent. Their father has Norwegian ancestry while their mother is of French, German, and Italian ancestry. 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, James “Trent” Olsen. Her parents divorced in 1996, and their father remarried that same year. Through him and his second wife, McKenzie, the four siblings have two half-siblings: Courtney and Jake. 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 and the straight-to-video series The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley. Despite being signed to the children’s music label, Olsen never recorded any music. As a child, she took ballet lessons and acting classes and spent time at musical theatre camp. For a time, she chose ballet over acting and at one point wanted to work as an accountant on Wall Street.
Path to Hollywood
Olsen got back into acting while in high school, but nearly quit pursuing acting in 2004 due to the media attention toward Mary-Kate’s eating disorder. She attended Campbell Hall School in Studio City, California. Olsen later attended New York University (NYU)’s Tisch School of the Arts. During college, she took classes at Atlantic Theater Company and spent a semester at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia, where she began to take acting more seriously than she had before. 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. Olsen graduated from NYU in January 2013.
Elizabeth Olsen Career
Early Career (2011–2014)
Olsen made her film debut in the 2011 thriller film Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film, along with her performance, received critical acclaim following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. 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 and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. 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. In January 2013, Olsen garnered a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 66th British Academy Film Awards. Later that year, she played Edie Parker, novelist Jack Kerouac’s first wife, in the biographical drama Kill Your Darlings. She also appeared in the American remake of the 2003 South Korean film Oldboy, playing Marie Sebastian, a nurse who helps the protagonist find his daughter. That same year, she starred as the titular Juliet in an off-Broadway production of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
Breakthrough (2015–present)
Olsen starred in the 2015 superhero film Avengers: Age of Ultron, a sequel to The Avengers, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe 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 of the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Olsen played the part with an accent originating from a fictional country called Sokovia. 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, the wife, manager, and duet partner of singer Hank Williams in the 2015 biographical film I Saw the Light. 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. The following year, she appeared in the Netflix film Kodachrome, playing a caregiver to a photographer. 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. Critics reviewed the series positively, and Olsen’s performance earned her a nomination for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Alongside Paul Bettany as Vision, Olsen played Maximoff again in the superhero miniseries WandaVision, which premiered on Disney+ in January 2021. Olsen earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for her performance. She reprised the role in the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was released in May 2022 to mixed reviews. Olsen starred as housewife Candy Montgomery in Love and Death (2023), an HBO Max limited series about a 1980 killing in Texas. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
Notable Works and Milestones
Elizabeth Olsen is best known for her role as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her performance in WandaVision earned her critical acclaim and multiple award nominations.
Elizabeth Olsen Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Elizabeth Olsen has received several award nominations, including nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for her role in WandaVision, as well as a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination in 2013.
Elizabeth Olsen Awards Won
Elizabeth Olsen has not yet won any major awards but has been recognized for her performances with multiple nominations, including for the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
Elizabeth Olsen Family
Elizabeth Olsen is married to Robbie Arnett, a musician, since 2019.
Personal Life
Olsen has credited Diane Keaton as a primary influence in her acting and personal life. She has also spoken about her experiences with anxiety, which inspired her and Arnett to co-write children’s books focusing on mental health.
