# Elizabeth Olsen

Elizabeth Chase Olsen (born February 16, 1989) is an American actress. 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.
Olsen gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise, including in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and the miniseries WandaVision (2021). Her performance in WandaVision garnered her nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Outside of her work with Marvel, Olsen starred in the monster film Godzilla (2014), the mystery film Wind River (2017), and the dramas Ingrid Goes West (2017) and His Three Daughters (2024). She also starred as a widow in the drama series Sorry for Your Loss (2018–2019) and as Candy Montgomery in the miniseries Love & Death (2023), with the latter earning her another nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

## Early life and education

Elizabeth Chase Olsen was born on February 16, 1989, in Sherman Oaks, California. Her mother, Jarnie, is a former dancer, while her father, Dave, is a real estate agent. 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 (born 1984). 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. 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 at Wall Street.
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 went to Campbell Hall School in Studio City, California. Olsen attended New York University (NYU)'s Tisch School of the Arts. During college, she took classes at Atlantic Theater Company. She also 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.

## Career
### Early roles and acclaim (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 and the author of the Beat Generation memoir You'll Be Okay, 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, played by Josh Brolin, 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. The New York Times critic Ben Brantley described her portrayal as "alternating between saucy petulance and hysteria".
She played the leading role in In Secret, a film adaptation of Émile Zola's 1867 novel Thérèse Raquin. The film was released in February 2014. Later that year, Olsen starred in the monster film Godzilla, opposite Bryan Cranston and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, which received positive reviews and grossed $529 million against a $160 million production budget. She and Dakota Fanning co-starred as teenage girls in Brooklyn in the film Very Good Girls, released that same year, which Josh Duboff of Vanity Fair characterized as unfavorably reviewed.

### Marvel Cinematic Universe and continued success (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, alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who portrayed Maximoff's brother, Pietro. Olsen played the part with an accent originating from a fictional country called Sokovia, which she described as similar to Slovakian. 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, portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, in the 2015 biographical film I Saw the Light, directed by Marc Abraham. 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. Vulture's David Edelstein found Olsen's "incongruously high-schoolish demeanor" in Wind River problematic, while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that she gave a "major eye-opener of a performance" in Ingrid Goes West, deeming it "toxic perfection". The following year, she appeared in the Netflix film Kodachrome, playing a caregiver to a photographer, played by Ed Harris. 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. She said the three years it took to develop the series enabled her to immerse herself in Shaw's impulses. Critics reviewed the series positively, and Olsen's performance, which earned her a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, was noted as "stunning", "disciplined and sharp", as well as "slyly sympathetic". The show was canceled in January 2020 after two seasons.
Alongside Paul Bettany as Vision, Olsen played Maximoff again in the superhero miniseries WandaVision, which premiered on Disney+ in January 2021. In addition to complimenting Olsen and Bettany's chemistry, critics praised the cast, with Vox's Alex Abad-Santos writing Olsen was brilliant in her portrayal and Linda Holmes of NPR highlighting her "indelible central performance" in their respective reviews. Olsen earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and 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's performance received praise, with Owen Gleiberman of Variety writing that it "generates an operatic fire".
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. Following the series, Olsen then starred in Azazel Jacobs' drama film His Three Daughters and the science fiction thriller The Assessment.
Olsen will next appear in David Freyne's romantic comedy Eternity, which has been filmed but not yet released, and in Sam Esmail's thriller Panic Carefully, which began filming in January 2025. She will also voice a variant of Wanda in Marvel's animated series Marvel Zombies.
In 2025, Deadline reported that FX had ordered a pilot for Seven Sisters, a drama series. The report also indicated that the project would reunite Olsen with director Sean Durkin, who previously directed her in the 2011 film Martha Marcy May Marlene.

## Personal life

Olsen has credited Diane Keaton as a primary influence, both in her acting and personal life. Keaton has helped Olsen learn to be "the kind of woman I wanted to be, because I hadn’t seen the woman I felt connected to in films. I was like, I’m not the sexy one, I’m not the nerd, I don’t know where I fit." Her older sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley, have also influenced her and given her career advice, though at one point Olsen considered changing her name to her middle name, Chase, to distance herself from her sisters, as she wanted to be noticed for her talent and not solely for being their sister.
Olsen says she became an atheist at the age of 13 because she believes "religion should be about community and having a place to go in prayer, not something that should determine women's freedoms." She once held a real estate license in New York, which she obtained after first moving there. Olsen is an ambassador for the company Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. She and actor Boyd Holbrook were in a relationship from 2011 to 2014.
Olsen became engaged to musician Robbie Arnett, of the American band Milo Greene, in July 2019 after three years of dating. The two secretly eloped that same year. She and Arnett live in Los Angeles. Together, they co-wrote the children's books Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, released in June 2022, and Hattie Harmony: Opening Night, released in June 2023. Olsen and Arnett's experiences with anxiety inspired the books' creations.

## Filmography

Key :
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Martha / Marcy May / Marlene Lewis | |
| 2012 | Red Lights | Sally Owen | |
| 2012 | Silent House | Sarah | |
| 2012 | Peace, Love & Misunderstanding | Zoe | |
| 2012 | Liberal Arts | Zibby | |
| 2013 | Kill Your Darlings | Edie Parker | |
| 2013 | Oldboy | Marie Sebastian / Mia Doucett | |
| 2014 | In Secret | Thérèse Raquin | |
| 2014 | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Wanda Maximoff | Uncredited cameo |
| 2014 | Very Good Girls | Gerry Fields | |
| 2014 | Godzilla | Elle Brody | |
| 2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Wanda Maximoff | |
| 2015 | I Saw the Light | Audrey Williams | |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Wanda Maximoff | |
| 2017 | Ingrid Goes West | Taylor Sloane | |
| 2017 | Wind River | Jane Banner | |
| 2018 | Kodachrome | Zooey Kern | |
| 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | Wanda Maximoff | |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Wanda Maximoff | |
| 2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch | |
| 2023 | His Three Daughters | Christina | Also executive producer |
| 2024 | The Assessment | Mia | |
| TBA | Eternity † | Joan | Post-production |
| TBA | Panic Carefully † | TBA | Filming |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | How the West Was Fun | Girl in Car | Television film |
| 2016 | Drunk History | Norma Kopp | Episode: "Siblings" |
| 2017 | HarmonQuest | Stirrip | Episode: "The Keystone Obelisk" |
| 2018–2019 | Sorry for Your Loss | Leigh Shaw | Main role; also executive producer |
| 2021 | WandaVision | Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch | Main role; 9 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Marvel Studios: Assembled | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Saturday Night Live | Herself | Episode: "Benedict Cumberbatch/Arcade Fire" |
| 2023 | Love & Death | Candy Montgomery | Miniseries |
| 2023 | What If...? | Wanda-Merlin Maximoff / Scarlet Witch | Voice; 2 episodes |
| 2025 | Marvel Zombies † | Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch | Voice |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
| 2013 | Romeo and Juliet | Juliet | Classic Stage Company | |

## Accolades

Accolades received by Elizabeth Olsen :
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2011 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Most Promising Performer | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2011 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2011 | Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Breakthrough Performance | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2011 | Elle Women in Hollywood | Woman of the Year | — | Won |
| 2011 | Florida Film Critics Circle | Pauline Kael Breakout Award | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2011 | Ghent International Film Festival | Special Mention | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2011 | Gotham Independent Film Awards | Best Breakthrough Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2011 | Gotham Independent Film Awards | Best Ensemble Performance | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2011 | Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2011 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association | New Generation Award | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2011 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2011 | San Diego Film Critics | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2011 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Motion Picture | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2011 | St. Louis Film Critics Association | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2011 | Toronto Film Critics Association | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Runner-up |
| 2011 | Village Voice Film Poll | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | 5th place |
| 2011 | Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2012 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Breakthrough Performance | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2012 | Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2012 | Dublin Film Critics' Circle Awards | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | 5th place |
| 2012 | Dublin Film Critics' Circle Awards | Breakthrough Artist | Martha Marcy May Marlene | 3rd place |
| 2012 | Dorian Awards | We're Wilde About You / Rising Star Award | — | Nominated |
| 2012 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Female Lead | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2012 | International Cinephile Society Awards | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2012 | NewNowNext Awards | Next Mega Star | Silent House | Nominated |
| 2012 | Online Film Critics Society | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2012 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Nominated |
| 2012 | Vancouver Film Critics Circle | Best Actress | Martha Marcy May Marlene | Won |
| 2013 | British Academy Film Awards | BAFTA Rising Star Award | — | Nominated |
| 2013 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Leading Actress | Silent House | Won |
| 2014 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Breakout Star | Godzilla | Nominated |
| 2015 | Deauville American Film Festival | Hollywood Rising Star Award | — | Won |
| 2015 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Breakout Star | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Nominated |
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Chemistry | Captain America: Civil War | Nominated |
| 2018 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Fight | Avengers: Infinity War | Nominated |
| 2018 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Action Movie Actress | Avengers: Infinity War | Nominated |
| 2019 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Sorry for Your Loss | Nominated |
| 2021 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Performance in a Show | WandaVision | Won |
| 2021 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Fight | WandaVision | Won |
| 2021 | Hollywood Critics Association Awards | Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2021 | Dorian Awards | Best TV Performance | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2021 | TCA Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2021 | People's Choice Awards | Female TV Star of 2021 | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Superhero Series | WandaVision | Won |
| 2022 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2022 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Female TV Star (Family) | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2022 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress in a Streaming Television Series | WandaVision | Nominated |
| 2022 | People's Choice Awards | Female Movie Star of 2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Won |
| 2022 | People's Choice Awards | Action Movie Star of 2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Won |
| 2023 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actress | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Nominated |
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Superhero Movie | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Nominated |
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Villain in a Movie | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Nominated |
| 2023 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Villain | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Won |
| 2024 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Love & Death | Nominated |
| 2024 | Independent Spirit Awards | Robert Altman Award | His Three Daughters | Won |