Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution (ESD) is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media, such as paper or DVDs. The term online distribution is typically applied to freestanding products; downloadable add-ons for other products are more commonly known as downloadable content.

Content distributed online may be streamed or downloaded. Streaming involves downloading and using content "on-demand" as it is needed. Meanwhile, fully downloading the content to a hard drive or other form of storage media allows for quick access in the future.

Basis

The major attraction for online distribution is its direct nature. To make a commercially successful work, artists usually must enter their industry’s publishing chain. Publishers help artists advertise, fund and distribute their work to retail outlets. In some industries, particularly videogames, artists find themselves bound to publishers, and in many cases unable to make the content they want; the publisher might not think it will profit well. This can quickly lead to the standardization of the content and to the stifling of new, considerably risky ideas.

By opting for online distribution, an artist can get their work into the public sphere of interest easily with potentially minimum business overheads. This often leads to cheaper goods for the consumer and increased profits for the artists, as well as increased artistic freedom.

Online distribution also opens the door to new business models (e.g., the Open Music Model). For instance, an artist could release one track from an album or one chapter from a book at a time instead of waiting for them all to be completed. This either gives them a cash boost to help continue or warns that their work is not financially viable before they have sunk excessive money and time into it. Videogames have increased flexibility in this area, demonstrated by micropayment models such as the one in Gunbound. A clear result of these new models is their accessibility to smaller artists or artist teams who do not have the time, funds, or expertise to make a new product in one go.

An example of this can be found in the music industry. Indie artists are for the first time able to access the same distribution channels as major record labels, with none of the restrictive practices or inflated manufacturing costs; there is a growing collection of 'internet labels' that offer distribution to unsigned or independent artists directly to online music stores, and in some cases marketing and promotion services. Further, many bands are able to bypass this completely, and offer their music for sale via their own independently-controlled websites; this gives even further advantage to the artist, as it completely cuts out a distributor—and their cut of the profits.

Impact on traditional retail

The rise of online distribution of music in particular has been blamed for a number of traditional retail venues closing, such as the iconic Canadian music chain Sam the Record Man in 2007-08.

Notable online distributors

7digital

CD Baby

Direct2Drive

Djshop

DotEmu

GamersGate

Good Old Games

Impulse

iTunes Store

Mac App Store

Netflix

Nimbit

OnLive

Nokia Ovi Store

PlayStation Store

Steam

Xbox Live Marketplace

See also

Electronic commerce

Content delivery network

Video on demand

Gaming on demand

eBooks

List of digital distribution platforms for mobile devices

List of Internet television providers

Film distribution

Film distributor

References

Category:Video game development Category:Digital rights management Category:Electronic commerce

ca:Distribució digital de:Electronic Software Distribution es:Distribución digital ko:전자 소프트웨어 배급 it:Distribuzione digitale ja:ダウンロード販売 pl:Electronic Software Distribution pt:Distribuição digital ru:Цифровая дистрибуция sr:Дигитално преузимање tr:Sayısal dağıtım uk:Цифрова дистрибуція

name	Ian Somerhalder
birth date	December 08, 1978
birth place	Covington, Louisiana, U.S.
birthname	Ian Joseph Somerhalder
occupation	Actor, model, producer
yearsactive	1997–present }}

Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American model, actor and producer, best known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama ''Lost'' and Damon Salvatore in the TV drama ''The Vampire Diaries''.

Early life

Somerhalder was born and raised in Covington, Louisiana, the son of Edna, a massage therapist, and Robert Somerhalder, an independent building contractor. He was raised a Catholic and attended St. Paul's, a private Catholic school in Covington. He embarked on a modeling career from age 10 to 13, and by the age of 17 he decided to go into acting.

Career

In the summer of 2000, Somerhalder starred in the short-lived WB series ''Young Americans'', a spin-off of ''Dawson's Creek''. He played Hamilton Fleming, the son of the dean of a prestigious boarding school. In 2002, Somerhalder played bisexual character Paul Denton in Roger Avary's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel, ''The Rules of Attraction'', alongside James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, and Jessica Biel.

In 2004, Somerhalder scored his breakthrough role when he played Boone Carlyle in the hit TV show ''Lost''. Despite his character's death in the twentieth episode of the first season, Somerhalder returned to the role of Boone for seven more episodes, between 2005 and 2010, including the series finale. In an ironic twist, Somerhalder was the first actor to be cast in a role for the series, but he was also the first character to die. He has stated that he was going to buy a house in Hawaii, where filming took place, until he learned his character was being killed off.

In May 2006, Somerhalder was named one of DNA Models' Top 10 Male Models.

In September 2009, Somerhalder appeared in the movie ''The Tournament'' where he played the role of an assassin participating in a lethal competition with other assassins. On 10 October 2009, it was announced that he will star in the Gothic movie ''Cradlewood'', which is to be directed by Harry Weinmann. The movie is set to be released in 2013.

Somerhalder appears in the limited-edition coffee table book ''About Face'' by celebrity photographer John Russo and Press Worldwide publishers.

Somerhalder currently stars in the CW television drama ''The Vampire Diaries'' as Damon Salvatore, portraying a dangerous, maniacal, witty, whole-hearted vampire in love with his brother's human girlfriend, Elena Gilbert, who is the doppleganger of the Salvatore brothers past love.

Philanthropy

Somerhalder was the first actor/celebrity to become actively involved in the cleanup after the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling disaster on April 22, 2010. His efforts included cleaning of oiled wildlife and taping public service announcements to let the public know how they could help. Numerous Youtube videos are of him speaking of the horrific environmental impacts the oil has done and how others can help. Somerhalder also supports the St. Tammany Humane Society, an organization for animal shelter and welfare. On November 13, 2010, he hosted a Bash on the Bayou charity fundraiser for the St. Tammany Humane Society. During the event, Somerhalder was presented with a donation of $11,100 by ''The Vampire Diaries'' fandom for his birthday project.

Together with his ''The Vampire Diaries'' co-star Candice Accola, Somerhalder is also one of many supporters of the It Gets Better Project, a project that has made it a goal to prevent suicide among LGBT youth, associated with The Trevor Project.

Somerhalder announced, via Twitter, and in various interviews that he is in the process of setting up The Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which he hopes will educate people on the importance of protecting the environment and animals. Somerhalder has stated:

}}

He hopes that donations will be used to provide proper medical services to stray animals and he established the foundation on December 8, 2010, his 32nd birthday.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1998		Unconfirmed	Uncredited
2001	''Life as a House''	Josh
2002	''Changing Hearts''	Jason Kelly
2002		Paul Denton
2004		U.S.S. Swordfish Danny Miller
2004	''The Old Man and the Studio''	Matt	Short Film
2006	''National Lampoon's TV: The Movie''	Unconfirmed	Uncredited
2006		Dexter
2006	''The Sensation of Sight''	Drifter
2008	''The Lost Samaritan''	William Archer
2008	''Lost City Raiders''	Jack Kubiak
2009		Tyler
2009		Miles Slade
2010	''How to Make Love to a Woman''	Daniel Meltzer
2012	''Cradlewood''	Josh	Pre-production

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1997		I.Q.	1 episode: "The Black Bag"
1999	''Now and Again''	Brian	1 episode: "A Girl's Life"
2000		Hamilton Fleming	8 episodes
2001	''Anatomy of a Hate Crime''	Russell Henderson	TV Film
2002	''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Tony Del Nagro	1 episode: "Revenge Is Best Served Cold"
2003	''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''	Charlie Baker	1 episode: "Dominance"
2003	''CSI: Miami''	Ricky Murdoch	1 episode: "The Best Defense"
2004		Jordan Gracie	TV Film
2004	''Smallville''	Adam Knight	7 episodes
2007		Marco Polo	TV Film
2007	''Tell Me You Love Me''	Nick	6 episodes
2008	''Lost City Raiders''	Jack Kubiak	TV Film
2009	''Fireball''	Lee Cooper	TV Film
2004–2010		Boone Carlyle	27 episodes
2009–present	''The Vampire Diaries''	Damon Salvatore	Lead role

Awards

!Year	!Category	!Shared with	!Recipient	!Result
2002	Exciting New Face – Male	N/A	N/A	Winner
2005	Choice TV Breakout Performance – Male	N/A		Nominated
2006	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series			Winner
	Choice TV Villain			Winner
Choice Male Hottie	Nominated
	Choice TV Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi	Winner
Choice Vampire
Choice Male Hottie
2011	Favourite TV Drama Actor	N/A	''The Vampire Diaries'' (2009)	Nominated

References

External links

Category:1978 births Category:Actors from Louisiana Category:American film actors Category:American male models Category:American television actors Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Covington, Louisiana Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana

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name	Nina Dobrev
birth name	Nina Konstantinova Dobreva
birth date	January 09, 1989
birth place	Sofia, Bulgaria
nationality	Bulgarian-Canadian
occupation	Actress and model
yearsactive	2006–present }}

Nina Dobrev (born Nina Konstantinova Dobreva; in Bulgarian, ''Нина Константинова Добрева''; January 9, 1989) is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mia Jones, the single teenage mother, on ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'', from the show's sixth to ninth season. She currently stars as Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The CW television teen drama, ''The Vampire Diaries''.

Early life

Nina Dobrev was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and moved to Canada at the age of two, where she was raised in Toronto, Ontario. She speaks fluent French, English, and Bulgarian. Her mother is an artist, and her father is a computer scientist. She has one older brother. From a very young age, she showed great enthusiasm and talent for the arts—dance, gymnastics, theater, music, visual arts, and acting.

She attended J. B. Tyrrell Sr. Public School and Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts in Scarborough, Ontario. She attended Ryerson University in Toronto, majoring in sociology. She left in 2008 to pursue her acting career.

Career

Modeling jobs led to commercials, which then turned into film auditions. Shortly thereafter, she booked roles in feature films, including ''Fugitive Pieces'', ''Away from Her'', ''Never Cry Werewolf'', and the television series ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''. She starred in a number of Lifetime original movies. She also was in an MTV movie called ''The American Mall'' on CTV. She is currently starring in The CW's drama ''The Vampire Diaries'', playing the dual role of Katherine Pierce, a vampire that the same brothers each loved while they were still human during the American Civil War, and Katherine's doppelgänger Elena Gilbert, a human who is caught between the same two vampire brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore. In June 2011, Dobrev and ''The Vampire Diaries'' co-star Ian Somerhalder appeared in a public romance.

She also had a minor role in the erotic thriller ''Chloe'', theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics on March 26, 2010. The film had enjoyed commercial success and became director Atom Egoyan's biggest moneymaker ever.

In August 2010, Dobrev appeared in the opening sketch of the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

In April 2011, she was cast as Candace in the film adaptation of ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower'', alongside Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Paul Rudd. Shooting began in May of that year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and she completed her scenes on June 27.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
2008	''Repo! The Genetic Opera''	Teenage Zydrate Addict
2006	''Away from Her''	Monica
2006		Shania
2006–2009	''Degrassi: The Next Generation''		TV, 46 episodes
2007	''How She Move''	Tall Girl in the Bathroom
2007		Rachel
2007		Bella
2007	''My Daughter's Secret''	Justine
2007	''Too Young to Marry''	Jessica
2008	''Mookies Law''	Rosebella	Short film
2008	''The American Mall''	Ally Shepherd	A singer, Keely Hawkes, sung for her as she had never had any previous vocal training
2008	''Never Cry Werewolf''	Loren Hansett
2008		Maia	TV, 2 episodes: "Articles of Faith" and "Blowback"
2009		Anna
2009	''Degrassi Goes Hollywood''
2009		Grace Dahl	TV, 1 episode: "Eternal"
2009	''Merry Madagascar''	Cupid the Reindeer	Voice
2009–present	''The Vampire Diaries''	Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce	Main roleTV, 44 episodes
2011	''The Super Hero Squad Show''	Ellen	VoiceTV, 1 episode: "This Man-Thing, This Monster!"
2011	''The Roommate''	Maria	Cameo
2011	''Arena''		Post-production
2012		Candace	Post-production

Accolades

! Year	! Award	! Category	! Work	! Result
2010	2010 Teen Choice Awards	Breakout Star Female	''The Vampire Diaries''
2010	2010 Teen Choice Awards	Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi	''The Vampire Diaries''
2011	2011 Teen Choice Awards	Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi	''The Vampire Diaries''
2011	2011 Teen Choice Awards	Female Hottie
2011	2011 Teen Choice Awards	Vampire

References

External links

Category:1989 births Category:Bulgarian expatriates in the United States Category:Bulgarian film actors Category:Bulgarian emigrants to Canada Category:Bulgarian television actors Category:Canadian child actors Category:Canadian expatriate actors in the United States Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian people of Bulgarian descent Category:Canadian television actors Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada Category:Living people Category:People from Sofia Category:People from Toronto

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name	Paul Wesley
birthname	Paul Thomas Wasilewski
birth date	July 23, 1982
birth place
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1999–present
othername	Paul Wasilewski
spouse	Torrey DeVitto (m. 2011–present) }}

Paul Thomas Wasilewski (born July 23, 1982), known professionally as Paul Wesley, is an American actor. Best known for his roles as Stefan Salvatore in The CW TV series ''The Vampire Diaries'' and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries ''Fallen''.

Early life

Wesley was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey to Polish parents Agnieszka and Thomas Wasilewski, and grew up in Marlboro Township, New Jersey. He has one older sister, Monika, and two younger sisters, Julia and Leah. In addition to English, he also knows Polish, having spent four months every year in Poland until the age of 16.

Wesley attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey and Marlboro High School for a period during his high school years. During his junior year in high school, Wesley was cast in the soap opera ''Guiding Light'' as character Max Nickerson. He transferred from Marlboro High School to Lakewood Prep School in Howell, New Jersey because the school was able to accommodate his acting schedule. He graduated from there in 2000 and then started college at Rutgers University but left after one semester with his parents' support when more roles were offered to him and he realized he could make a career out of acting.

Career

In 2005, he began to credit himself as Paul Wesley. When asked why he changed his professional name to Paul Wesley, he replied: "my birthname is too hard to pronounce! I asked my family's permission to change it, and it really helped my career."

He has had a number of roles on shows such as ''24'', ''8 Simple Rules'', ''American Dreams'', ''Army Wives'', ''Cane'', ''Everwood'', ''Guiding Light'', ''Smallville'', ''The O.C.'' and ''Wolf Lake''. He also starred opposite Amber Tamblyn in CBS' ''The Russell Girl'' and had the lead role in ''Fallen'' miniseries.

Wesley is currently starring as vampire Stefan Salvatore in ''The Vampire Diaries'' which premiered September 2009 on The CW. In May 2011, he joined the cast of ''The Baytown Disco''. He has been offered the role of Paris in a 2012 film adaptation of ''Romeo and Juliet'', scheduled to shoot in September.

Personal life

He enjoys playing ice hockey and snowboarding. Wesley has also expressed an interest in directing and writing. Wesley married long term girlfriend and ''Pretty Little Liars'' star Torrey DeVitto in April of 2011.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
2004	''The Last Run''	Seth
2005	''Roll Bounce''	Troy
2006		Jackson Fargo
2006	''Peaceful Warrior''	Trevor
2006	''Lenexa, 1 Mile''	Rick Lausier
2008	''Killer Movie''	Jake Tanner
2009	''Elsewhere''	Billy
2009		Craig Morrison
2012	''The Baytown Disco''	Anthony Reese

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
1999		Sean McKinnon
1999–2001	''Guiding Light''	Max Nickerson #2
2000–2005	''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''	Danny Burrell/Luke Breslin	2 episodes: "Wrong Is Right" and "Ripped"
2001	''Shot in the Heart''	Gary (Age 15-22)	Television film
2001–2002	''Wolf Lake''	Luke Cates	9 episodes
2002	''Young Arthur''	Lancelot	Television film
2002	''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''	Luke Miller	1 episode: "Malignant"
2002–2005	''American Dreams''	Tommy DeFelice	10 episodes
2003	''The Edge''	Himself	Television film
2003		Lucas Luthor	1 episode: "Prodigal"
2003	''The O.C.''	Donnie	1 episode: "The Outsider"
2003–2004	''8 Simple Rules''	Damian	2 episodes: "Premiere" and "Opposites Attract: Part 3: Night of the Locust"
2003–2004	''Everwood''	Tommy Callahan	9 episodes
2004	''CSI: Miami''	Jack Warner Bradford	1 episode: "Legal"
2005	''CSI: NY''	Steve Samprass	1 episode: "Grand Murder at Central Station"
2006	''Crossing Jordan''	Quentin Baker	1 episode: "Thin Ice"
2006	''Fallen''	Aaron Corbett	Television film
2007		Aaron Corbett	3 episodes: "The Time of the Redeemer", "Mysterious Ways and All That" and "Someone Always Has to Die"
2007		Nick	3 episodes: "Family Business", "Brotherhood" and "One Man Is An Island"
2007		Justin Bishop	1 episode: "Shaun of the Dead"
2008	''The Russell Girl''	Evan Carroll	Television film
2008		Petey Murphy '08	1 episode: "Bad Reputation"
2008–2009	''Army Wives''	Logan Atwater	6 episodes
2009–2010		Stephen	4 episodes
2009–present	''The Vampire Diaries''	Stefan Salvatore	Lead role

Awards

Breakout Star Male

Year !! Award !! Category !! Work !! Result
rowspan="2"	2010	Teen Choice Awards	|	The Vampire Diaries
rowspan="2"	Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi
rowspan="2"	2011
rowspan="1"	Vampire

References

External links

Category:1982 births Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:People from Marlboro Township, New Jersey Category:Rutgers University alumni

ar:بول ويزلي bg:Пол Уесли cs:Paul Wesley da:Paul Wesley de:Paul Wesley es:Paul Wesley fa:پائول ویسلی fr:Paul Wesley hy:Փոլ Ուեսլի hr:Paul Wesley it:Paul Wesley he:פול וסלי hu:Paul Wesley nl:Paul Wesley no:Paul Wesley pl:Paul Wesley pt:Paul Wesley ru:Уэсли, Пол sk:Paul Wesley fi:Paul Wesley sv:Paul Wesley tr:Paul Wesley

name	Mary-Kate OlsenAshley Olsen
birth date	June 13, 1986
birth place	Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
occupation	Actresses
years active	1987–present
website	http://www.mary-kateandashley.com
notable role	Michelle Tanner in ''Full House'' }}

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses.

Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. Although they look similar in appearance, they are genetically different fraternal twins.

Biography

Early life

The girls were born in 1986 in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen (b. 1953) and Jarnette (Jarnie) Fuller (b. 1954).

In 1987, the twins started their acting careers on the television series ''Full House''. They were hired at the age of six months and filming began when they were nine months old. The show was widely popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s. thumb|Mary-Kate Olsenthumb|Ashley Olsen Both sisters played the same character, Michelle Tanner, taking turns during the tapings to do so, in order to comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors. For the first year, Ashley would cry when she was brought on set to do a scene, so Mary-Kate had more screen time in the first season.

Because the producers did not want viewers to know that Michelle was played by twins, the sisters were originally credited as "Mary Kate Ashley Olsen", but in the last season and most of season one, they were credited as separate people. During the eight year run, Mary-Kate and Ashley made several direct-to-video movies, in addition to ''Full House'', such as ''To Grandmother's House We Go'' (1992).

Career

Shortly after the end of ''Full House'', Mary-Kate and Ashley began heavily merchandising their image. They established a company called Dualstar in 1993 and their brand has been sold in more than 3,000 stores in the United States and over 5,300 stores worldwide. Because of this, they have been on the Forbes' "''The Celebrity 100 list''" since 2002, and in 2007, Forbes ranked them, collectively, as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of US$100 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley were popular figures in the preteen market during the late '90s and early 2000s. Their names became a cottage industry, with their likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies and posters. There were even Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls made by Mattel from 2000–2005.

They starred in the video series ''The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley'' and ''You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's...'', the ABC show ''Two of a Kind'', and ABC Family's ''So Little Time''. However, ''So Little Time'' was panned by critics and disappointed fans. Despite this, they were ranked number three on the VH1 program ''100 Greatest Child Stars''. They also appear in a few direct-to-video movies about twins visiting places in Europe; ''Passport to Paris'', ''Winning London'', and ''When in Rome''.

In May 2004, they were part of a Got Milk? campaign and dual-hosted Saturday Night Live (which show caused them to miss their prom). In June, the Got Milk? campaign was pulled following Mary-Kate's disclosure that she was being treated for an eating disorder.

Their most recent theatrical venture was in the light-hearted romantic comedy, ''New York Minute'', also starring Eugene Levy. The film was expected to launch the girls into more serious adult roles, but was a box office flop.

Mary-Kate's first acting appearance without Ashley was in the movie ''Factory Girl'', released in December 2006. Mary-Kate was originally in several scenes, but only appeared in the background in the finished film. Mary-Kate was also a recurring guest role in the third season of the Showtime series Weeds and she is also in the 2008 independent film ''The Wackness'' starring Ben Kingsley, with whom she shares a passionate kiss.

Fashion

As the sisters have matured, there has been greater interest in their fashion choices, with the ''New York Times'' declaring Mary-Kate a fashion icon for pioneering her signature (and now popular among celebrities and fans alike) "homeless" look. The style, sometimes referred by fashion journalists to as "ashcan" or "Boho-chic" or bohemian-bourgeois, is similar to that of Bohemian chic popularized in Britain by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. The look consists of oversized sunglasses, boots, loose sweaters, and flowing skirts all with an aesthetic of mixing high end pieces with low end. Their fashion choices, however, have not been without controversy. Ashley Olsen was included on PETA's 2006 Worst Dressed list for wearing fur.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have a clothing line in Wal-Mart stores across North America for girls ages 4 – 14 as well as a beauty line called "''Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real fashion for real girls''". In 2004 they made news by signing a pledge to allow all the workers that sew their line of clothing in Bangladesh full maternity leave. The National Labor Committee, which organized the pledge, later praised the twins for their commitment to worker rights. The director of the organization, Charles Kernaghan, is quoted as saying, "The Olsen twins have done the right thing. Now it is up to Wal-Mart to either support Mary-Kate and Ashley’s commitment to women’s rights, or tragically to shut them down."

They were tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka in 2006, in an attempt to gain credibility in the fashion industry after their association with Wal-Mart. They have also launched their own new couture fashion label "''The Row''" named after the famous Savile Row of London. The pair have also started a new line for The Row, entitled "''Elizabeth & James''", named after their siblings.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have been criticized by animal rights group PETA for their use of fur in their fashion line, The Row.

Personal lives

Mary-Kate and Ashley have an older brother, Trent, and younger sister, Elizabeth, as well as two half-siblings, Taylor (b. 1996) and Jake (b. 1997). The twins' parents divorced in 1995. Taylor and Jake are from their father's second marriage, to Martha Mackenzie-Olsen.

Mary-Kate and Ashley announced in 2004 that they would be attending college at New York University after graduating high school. In 2005, Mary-Kate moved back to California. She decided to stay on the West Coast and pursue more individualized work with their company, Dualstar. Ashley also left the university a couple months later.

In 2004, Mary-Kate checked into rehab in Utah for six weeks because she was suffering from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It was rumored that there was also a drug problem, but the Olsens' publicist said, "Mary-Kate was not admitted for drugs. Period." Mary-Kate put on about five to seven pounds immediately after her stint in rehab and pictures had shown that she may have gained more weight. However, Star magazine has, as of January 2007, released a cover story article on Mary Kate's, once again, very low weight. They claim she is at 80 pounds. Her spokesperson has denied the weight loss claiming "Mary-Kate has not lost weight. She is taking good care of herself."

In 2005, Mary-Kate ended her romance with Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos III. Mary-Kate said that the breakup was one of the main factors in her leave of absence from New York University. "I miss him and I love him," Mary-Kate said, "It's a hurtful and a painful subject." When asked if there was a specific reason for her leaving NYU, she replied, "I think we can all guess." The breakup and Niarchos's subsequent pairing with Paris Hilton led to a rift between Hilton and Mary-Kate. "[Paris and I] always only had nice things to say about each other," Olsen said. "Now I guess you can tell we're not talking."

In 2006, Ashley filed a US$40 million lawsuit against tabloid magazine ''National Enquirer'' for printing a headline reading "Ashley Olsen Caught In Drug Scandal," with a story accompanied by an unflattering photo of Ashley with her eyes half-closed. The lawsuit stated that the photo was clearly used to create a misrepresentation of Olsen under the influence of drugs. Ashley completely denies the accusations and said that she has not and does not use or sell illegal drugs. The suit consisted of US$20 million in libel damages and US$20 million in false light invasion of privacy damages. Per her suit, Ashley Olsen and her lawyers believe that "freedom of the press is a valuable right, but it is not a license for gossipy tabloids to tar and feather innocent celebrities and destroy their reputations and businesses for the rag's profits."

In 2008, Mary-Kate Olsen was caught up in the media-hype surrounding the death of Heath Ledger after Masseuse Diane Lee Wolozin, who had gone to the apartment to give Ledger a 15:00 massage and found his naked body in his bed, phoned the 21-year-old Olsen twice before calling the 911 emergency service. There is also speculation that Olsen was having a relationship with Ledger at the time of his death. Olsen released a statement through her publicist, stating, "Heath was a friend. His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family."

Selected filmography

: ''This section lists the filmography of the twins as a duo. See Mary-Kate Olsen for other productions in which she has appeared.''

Television
! Year(s)	! Title	! Mary-Kate's role	! Ashley's role	! Notes
1987–1995	''Full House''		Shared role
1998–1999		Mary-Kate Burke	Ashley Burke
2001–2002	''Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action!''	Misty (voice)	Amber (voice)	Animated series
2001–2002	''So Little Time''	Riley Carlson	Chloe Carlson
Video series
! Year	! Title	! Mary-Kate's role	! Ashley's role	! Notes
1994–1997	''The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley''	Mary-Kate	Ashley
1995–2000	''You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's...''	Mary-Kate	Ashley
Films
! Year	! Title	! Mary-Kate's role	! Ashley's role	! Notes
1992	''To Grandmother's House We Go''	Sarah Thompson	Julie Thompson	TV movie
1993	''Double, Double, Toil and Trouble''	Kelly Farmer & Young Aunt Sophia	Lynn Farmer & Young Aunt Agatha	TV movie
	''How the West Was Fun''	Jessica Martin	Susie Martin	TV movie
	Twin #2	Twin #1	Minor roles
1995		Amanda Lemmon	Alyssa Callaway
1998	''Billboard Dad''	Tess Tyler	Emily Tyler
	''Switching Goals''	Sam Stanton	Emma Stanton	TV movie
''Passport to Paris''	Melanie Porter	Allyson Porter
2000		Maddie Parker	Abby Parker
	''Winning London''	Chloe Lawrence	Riley Lawrence
	Madison Stewart	Alex Stewart
	''Getting There''	Kylie Hunter	Taylor Hunter
	Charli Hunter	Leila Hunter
		Shane Dalton	Elizabeth Dalton
''Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle''	Future Angel	Future Angel	Uncredited cameo
2004		Roxy Ryan	Jane Ryan	Main Roles

See also

Brother For Sale

List of twins

Lizzie Olsen (actor)

References

Further reading

Olsen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, with Damon Romine. ''Mary-Kate and Ashley: Our Story: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's Official Biography''. HarperEntertainment 2000. ISBN 0061075698.

Tracy, Kathleen. ''Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen''. Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1584152567.

External links

Dualstar Entertainment Group Corporate Website

Category:1986 births Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American businesspeople Category:Actors from California Category:Celebrity duos Category:Living people Category:New York University alumni Category:People from the San Fernando Valley Category:People from Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles Category:Sibling duos

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