TV Guide 1990 Article

[musicradio77]

Here is an article taken from the December, 1990 issue of TV Guide from Marleen's Mary-Kate & Ashley Site:

DOUBLE TAKE
It Takes Two To Play Prime Time's Top Mopet
From TV Guide: 12/8/90

"Just swing your head back and be sexy," instructs the acting coach. "Can you be sexy? Come on... show me how to be cool." On cue, the actress pops her head back, snaps her fingers and starts strutting. No, we're not at the taping of another Jackie Collins miniseries. And the main character in this scene is no sex siren. She's 4-year-old Ashley Olsen who along with her twin sister, Mary-Kate stars as cute, precocious Michelle Tanner on ABC's sitcom "Full House". The series about a widower (Bob Saget) raising his three kids with the help of his brother-in-law (John Stamos) and best friend (Dave Coulier). This combination of three men and three little ladies (Mary-Kate/Ashley, Jodie Sweetin, who plays middle sister Stephanie; and Cadence Cameron who portrays their older sister, DJ) has proven irresistible for the teeny-bopper set. "Full House regularly ranks among the Top 20 shows and is the anchor of ABC's Friday night family-show lineup. The scene described above, which Saget, Coulier and Stamos teaching Michelle how to skip, has to be reshot six times. Ashley doesn't seem to mind. Between takes, Adria Later, the twins' acting coach and teacher, feeds her cues, acting out what she must do in the scene. Various cast and crew members come up to Ashley, talking to her, hugging her, tickling her. Then the cameras roll, and she recites her lines again. When the director is finally satisfied, Ashley trots off to the playroom, and Mary-Kate is brought out for a scene in which Comet the family dog, licks her face over and over. Mary-Kate stands here, smiling, complacent. It's just another day on the set. "Full House" fans may not know Ashley & Mary-Kate by name-or even that twins share the role-but the fraternal pair (no, they're not identical) have played Michelle since the show debut in 1987. They were 9 months old then. Their parents had sent some family snapshots to a talent agency, encouraged by a friend's agent who worked there. "We didn't think anything would come of it," says their father, Dave Olsen. But the agency, liking what it saw, sent Ashley and Mary-Kate to their first audition-for the pilot of "Full House". Twins were necessarry for the role of baby Michelle because child labor laws limit the amount of time an infant can be on camera. "We saw seven sets of twins," recalls creator/executive producer Jeff Franklin. "There was no contest. The other kids were crying. Ashley and Mary-Kate had a great time. They were happy kids with these amazing big, blue eyes." Now approaching 5 years old, Ashley and Mary-kate have become so popular with television viewers that they have a TVQ rating second only to Bill Cosby's. A talking "Michelle" doll will be introduced in February. Fortunately, fame hasn't turned the twins' heads. They seem remarkably well-adjusted. And very polite. Acting, to them, is simply lots of fun. "I like it because I have a dressing room and play school," says Ashley. Mary-Kate nods in agreement. "They don't think of acting as work," explains Monica Roth, their nanny and a family friend. "They started out so young, it's a part of their life." Still, it's clear that the twins love being in the limelight. Their biggest thrill came when they got the chance to sing their favorite group, the Beach Boys, last year on "Full House". They listen to Beach Boys tapes everyday on the way to work. Work or play, as the girls view it takes up about half their week. Legally, they can rehearse and preforme a maximum of six-and-a-half hours daily. They rehearse from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Tuesdays; pre-tape from 2:15 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesdays; and do final taping on Thursday from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The remainder of the week is spent in nursury school near the San Fernando Valley home. The Girls live with their father (a mortgage banker), their mother, Jamiee, their 6-year-od brother, Trent and baby sister, Elizabeth. They share a room at home and dress alike, although "I don't like to," Mary-Kate admitts. They also share opinions especially on boys. "They're disgusting!" Ashley yells. "No boys!" Mary-Kate chimes in. They play house and collect stuffed animals. "I have 65 teddy bears," Ashley says proudly. Favorite outing include playing with friends and going out for ice cream. They like going to the park than anything else. And they're learning to do magic tricks. Their favorite cast member? John Stamos. "I got to go to his house and swim," say Mary-Kate. On the set of their TV home, while one is acting, the other can be found playing in a dressing room adomed with alphabet posters and stuffed animals. "I'm going to make you a hamburger," Ashley announces to a visitor, as she pretends to fry a plastic burger on a play stove. Ashley is the more verbal of the two. "Ash is the rougher, tougher, spunkier twin," explains Later. "We use her scenes when Michelle has to have a real attitude. For her sensitive scene, we use Mary-Kate. Mary-Kate will do something 20 times I ask her. Ashley had enough after five or six." That doesn't mean Mary-Kate never has a star tantrum. Executive Producer Franklin recalls one memorable scene in which Mary-Kate was required to have peanut butter off. She said, 'If you don't, I'm going to start singing and I'm not going to stop.' That's exactly what she did. It was her first realization that she could actually stop production. It's easier to work with them now that they're 4," says Franklin. "We can tell them what's going on in a scene, and we make it a game for them. They're amazing little troupers." The main problem the girls' stardom has posed has been handling those mobs of overager fans. "Ashley and Mary-Kate are recognized just about every place we go," their father admits. "It's too much attention. We went to Carmel and people were pulling us over, wanting photos, it's frightening." What happens when the show and all the attention ends? "They're really grown attachedto these people," says Olsen. "But if the show ends in the next year or two, I don't think it'll be much loss. Once "Full House" is over, I wouldn't push acting. I'm more concerned with the girls' education." In spite of the fun they're having now, the twins don't want to be movie stars when they grow up. Mary-Kate's fondest dream is to be Batgirl. And Ashley wants to be pom-pom girl. Whatever "Full House" reruns to remind them of the time when they were famous actresses.

[barb1686]

Ahh, I remember that article. It's funny how their attitudes have changed from one to the other...Mary-Kate is now the one to say no and not do things several times and Ashley is the more sensitive one. One thing did stay the same though...Ashley is the more talkative one...

...and by appearances you can tell they don't want to be doing what they're doing....well, mostly Mary-Kate.

Here is a graphic I made for my signature in posting on some other message boards...

[barb1686]

Originally posted by Jen1989
That's cool. It's the first time I've read taht article. I remember the episode that they are referring to where they get Michelle to skip.
So they couldn't be on camera for more than 6 & 1/2 hours combined between the two of them a day or was that no more than 6 & 1/2 hours a day for each of them?

Yeah, I remember the episode as well...in fact, it was on tv not too long ago. And it's 6.5 for each...but it's not just in front of the camera...it's on the set.

[bschmale1113]

you what the funniest thing that when they look back at tthe time how famous that there on the show they more famous then ever before