Mary-Kate Olsen in 'Marie Claire': I Wouldn't Wish My Upbringing On Anyone (PHOTOS)

Mary-Kate Olsen covers the September issue of Marie Claire and in the interview she talks about her childhood on the 'Full House' set, dealing with her friend Heath Ledger's death and her clothing line 'The Row.' Here are some excerpts, read a longer preview here.

On growing up on television:
"I look at old photos of me, and I don't feel connected to them at all... I would never wish my upbringing on anyone." MK also calls herself and her sister Ashley "little monkey performers."

On her eating disorder:
"I think it's really important to be able to talk when something's wrong. I learned at a really young age that if you don't talk about it, it can drive you insane."

On her career:
"I still read scripts, and if something great comes along, that's great... but this is my day job. The Row is where I go every day."

PHOTOS:

See the rest of her cover shoot here.

Comments

[gcomt]

10:26 AM on 08/08/2010

The reason they were little monkey performers is that they had NO talent. In all the years that show was on the air they never delivered even one line correctly, ever (the lines were very badly written, also). They stood there on camera looking like a deer in the headlights and saying a monotone line of dialog. And they never got better on that show.

Later when they did their teenage series, they showed great comedic timing. It was still a dumb show, but they pulled it off well. Didn't see any of the movies.

[Kathryn Hostettler]

02:46 PM on 08/07/2010

I just wish she would stop spending her money from that horrible upbringing on so much hideous fur. It's sickening.

[boonesfarmer]

04:38 PM on 08/07/2010

I was thinking the exact same thing and wondered if anyone else would comment on it.

[Irish52]

01:43 AM on 08/08/2010

Thought the same thing. Lose the fur no one needs to wear it except the animals that it belongs to.

[atjewell]

10:25 PM on 08/06/2010

Huff Post can do better. Shortly after saying she wouldn't wish her upbringing on anyone she clearly says she nonetheless wouldn't trade that upbringing for anything in the world. She appreciates what it's given her, so stop hating people. Read the full article. A clip or soundbite never tells the full story.

[ywcachieve]

01:02 PM on 08/07/2010

''she nonetheless wouldn't trade that upbringing for anything in the world'''

Where did you read that at? Tell us where you got that from.

[atjewell]

10:20 AM on 08/08/2010

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/mary-kate-olsen-i-would-never-wish-my-upbringing-on-anyone/45076

[atjewell]

10:27 AM on 08/08/2010

Or a person could just take 10 minutes to read the full article at a local bookstore. I repeat: clips and soundbites never tell the full story.

[logic-a-go-go]

10:15 PM on 08/06/2010

Wah, wah. Go cry in your bags of money.

[U of Joes Bar and Grill]

03:00 PM on 08/06/2010

Oops! I thought I cared; turns out I don't.

[mikeg0477]

06:17 PM on 08/06/2010

yet you cared enough to comment

[millicent101]

01:20 PM on 08/06/2010

It just goes to show that no matter who you are adverse treatment sucks. She did not say, I hated being on set and going to school for -- number of hours and on the weekends I had to go do publicity stuff and I worked full time, overtime since the day I was 3. She said she was tired, just like all the bitter pills commenting.

[alieninvader]

08:49 AM on 08/06/2010

Rich people are automatically happy and well adjusted, no matter how they became rich and average or poor people are automatically miserable. Got it. Now I can get back to my miserable life. Thanks for letting me know that I don't have the key to happiness. I guess I'll wipe the smile off my face.

Isn't it funny that almost all child stars say their childhood sucked and very few make it out in an emotionally stable condition? She's saying nothing we haven't heard before, but compared to many, she made it out pretty well.

[loeska]

08:45 AM on 08/06/2010

An emotionally difficult childhood is just that - it hurts, regardless of riches. And it needs to be told. It's the other side of the coin (so to speak).

There are so many damaged stars (I don't need to name them, we all know). So many who have been exploited for the sake of money. Why shouldn't Mary-Kate Olsen say so?

[cdnbystander]

10:42 AM on 08/08/2010

Very true, but stars such as herself should at least acknowledge that her "damaged" childhood allowed her the life of luxury she has now. There are many others with crappy childhoods that don't have her benefits. I'm sure it's just my bias against whiny starts, but I think, well you have enough money, go to therapy and work it out.

[oldgeek1]

08:34 AM on 08/06/2010

If her comment implied she grew up with no sense of reality or how difficult other children lives were, I think her comment is proof. Try growing up without parents or parents who had to struggle to put food on the table. I suspect she did not understand how her answer would sound and was not well thought out.

[CKieffer]

08:19 AM on 08/06/2010

The lack of reading comprehension here sometimes amazes me. At no point did she say she doesn't appreciate what she has now; is not enjoying her life and has not had some bumps along the way.

Meanwhile.. ALL she said is that she wouldn't wish her childhood on anyone - - was there a second comment that was edited out... "but I realize it has made all that I have now possible"? Who knows... but again.. ALL she said is that she wouldn't wish her childhood on anyone. That is a perfectly sane thing to say when your childhood consisted, from infancy practically.... of working and being tightly controlled to fit a TV SHOW... come on people... just for once... stay on topic.

As a child.... would you have wanted to spend 75% of your time being treated like a commodity?

How many of your lasting memories from your childhood involved a seemingly mundane moment that turned into something hilarious or risky or unique??

Put your big girl/boy pants on and stop confusing the quality of her life now to a simple comment about her childhood. H*ll... if you're in a snarky mood.. go hit up the Kardashian thread.

[HuffFan1]

08:27 AM on 08/06/2010

Man O Man, I'd want you to have my back any day. Fan 89.

[PoisonAddict21]

11:29 AM on 08/06/2010

You know what CKieffer it's just like all of those situations in past history of alot of human societies and present day, The poor want someone who is at their status to become rich or famous or both yet when said person reaches a level above that is above theirs they start to backlash and fight against and reject the person they once considered a friend and liked. It's amazing how alot of people in the world aspire to climb to the top and how society and your friends and family says that is what you must do yet when you make it to a higher status monetarily alot of people no longer see you as one of them and people somehow forget that money and fame can't buy happiness and just because you have them doesn't mean you are no longer a person that doesn't have emotions, that doesn't feel hurt, doesn't feel disappointment, have never been used, wants to be loved.

[KidShalleen]

08:07 AM on 08/06/2010

To some degree I can understand why there are all the snide remarks, being made here.
I guess it's normal to want to make fun of someone in such an enviable position, monetarily.
Doesn't anyone out there feel any empathy for these girls, at all? You must realize that the juggernaut that the "Olson Twins" became was a construct of others, or do you think these kids were signing payroll checks at nine y/o!?!? It's easier to mock someone, I guess, than to make the effort to understand their situation. This is an attitude that prevails, in this country. We see it in our politics. We see it in our entertainment. We see it in our educational system. And we see it in our day to day treatment of each other in our associations with others, be it at work or play.
Our cynical attitudes and willingness to mock and degrade and debase others for our own aggrandizement has now successfully permeated our every relationship.

WOW!!! Are we ever fecked!!

[CheechandBruno]

01:01 PM on 08/06/2010

"mock and degrage" - you're excellent at it btw..

[henrypapillon]

07:16 PM on 08/07/2010

First of all it is Olsen, Danish or Norwegian, not Swedish.

[KidShalleen]

08:17 PM on 08/07/2010

Jesus mother humpin' Christ.

After all that, you correct my feckin' spelling!?!?!?!

What an a$$wipe!!!

[ncconcernedcitizen]

07:59 AM on 08/06/2010

I am glad to see her focused on something, even if it is fashion. With all of her money, she could be living a Hilton lifestyle. I hope she blooms into a butterfly.

[okornot]

07:36 AM on 08/06/2010

Poor little rich girl

when was the last time she stood in an unemployment line?
when was the last time she was on food stamps?
when was the last time she couldn't pay her rent?
when was the last time she heard the word "NO"??

[millicent101]

01:27 PM on 08/06/2010

when was the last time you worked 18 hrs a day? 7 days a week? at anything? your house, your food from scratch, your job, your livliehood?

[henrypapillon]

07:17 PM on 08/07/2010

Probably nevber, just like the Olsen twines never did that. That is the main reason they used two.

[nik101]

07:28 AM on 08/06/2010

She goes to The Row everyday for work on her way to the bank. Booo Hooo!

[syrius]

07:01 AM on 08/06/2010

Ummm...aren't these twins worth a gazillion dollars? Oh I feel for them...at least she has the freedom to go wherever she wants, be able to be treated for whatever ails her, and have everyone buy her clothing. Yea, I feel for her. Cry me a river.

[millicent101]

01:31 PM on 08/06/2010

They are still pretty young and they earned all that money before they were 18 years old. They made a dozen movies, a television show and other things. They have worked everyday since they were three years old. Not many three years old can memorize script and whether you believe they were overpaid or not they earned it by working grueling hours.

[henrypapillon]

07:18 PM on 08/07/2010

Oh, pulleze