Kaitlin Olson is a popular American actress and comedian, best known for her roles in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mick, and Finding Dory. But is she related to the famous Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, who rose to fame as child stars in Full House and later became fashion icons? The answer is no. Despite the similarity in their last names, Kaitlin Olson and the Olsen twins have no family connection whatsoever. Here are some facts that prove it.
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Different Spelling of Their Last Names
The most obvious clue that Kaitlin Olson and the Olsen twins are not related is the different spelling of their last names. Kaitlin’s surname ends with “son”, while Mary-Kate and Ashley’s surname ends with “sen”. This indicates that they have different origins and ancestry. According to Ancestry.com, the surname Olson is derived from a Scandinavian patronymic meaning “son of Ole”, while the surname Olsen is derived from a Danish or Norwegian patronymic meaning “son of Ola” or “son of Olaf”.
Different Parents and Siblings
Another way to confirm that Kaitlin Olson and the Olsen twins are not related is to look at their parents and siblings. Kaitlin is the only child of Donald Lee Olson, a publisher, and Melinda Leora, a nurse and the founder of Earth Mama Organics. She was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up on a farm in various parts of Washington state.
Mary-Kate and Ashley, on the other hand, have four other siblings: an older brother Trent, a younger sister Elizabeth (who is also an actress known for her role as Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and two half-siblings Courtney and Jake from their father’s second marriage. They were born in Sherman Oaks, California, to David Olsen, a mortgage banker and real estate developer, and Jarnette Jones, a personal manager.
Different Careers and Achievements
Kaitlin Olson and the Olsen twins also have different careers and achievements in the entertainment industry. Kaitlin started her acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in various sketch comedy shows and sitcoms such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Drew Carey Show, and The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. She gained recognition for her role as Deandra “Sweet Dee” Reynolds in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which she has been starring in since 2005 alongside her husband Rob McElhenney. She also created and starred in The Mick, a comedy series that ran from 2017 to 2018 on Fox. Additionally, she has voiced characters in animated films such as Finding Dory, The Angry Birds Movie, and Escape from Planet Earth.
Mary-Kate and Ashley started their acting career when they were only nine months old, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner in Full House from 1987 to 1995. They went on to star in numerous films and TV shows as twins, such as To Grandmother’s House We Go, Double Double Toil and Trouble, It Takes Two, Two of a Kind, Passport to Paris, Winning London, So Little Time, New York Minute, and more. They also established a media empire under their company Dualstar Entertainment Group, producing movies, books, magazines, video games, dolls, clothing lines, and cosmetics for their fan base. In 2004, they co-authored a book called Influence, featuring interviews with influential people in fashion and art. In 2006, they retired from acting and focused on their fashion careers, launching high-end labels such as The Row, Elizabeth and James, Olsenboye, and StyleMint. They have won several awards for their fashion design work,
such as the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2012 and 2015.
Conclusion
Kaitlin Olson is she related to the twins? No. She is not one of the Olsen twins or their sister. She has a different last name spelling, different parents and siblings,
and different careers and achievements than Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. They are simply three talented actresses who happen to share a similar sounding surname.
