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Why Elizabeth Olsen Didn’t Want to Follow in Her Sisters’ Footsteps

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Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Make Rare Public Appearance at NYFW 2025

Elizabeth Olsen had a vision for her future.

And while it certainly included the WandaVision alum becoming an actress, she wasn’t interested in the same kind of stardom her older sisters Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen experienced as kids.

“I thought I wanted to be a child actor,” Elizabeth confessed to InStyle in an interview published, Oct. 21, “but then my ballet teacher wouldn’t put me in The Nutcracker because I’d missed so many rehearsals.”

As the 36-year-old recalled, that was the only production of The Nutcracker that she missed because she was “auditioning for TV or film.” 

“I wanted to have the career I have now,” the Emmy nominee continued, “but I didn’t need to do it until later. I wanted to do recess with my friends.”

Though she did have a few cameos in her older sisters’ movies—like 1994’s How the West Was Fun—it wasn’t until 2011 when Elizabeth truly made her name as an actress after her film Martha Marcy May Marlene debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.

“I thought everyone was insane,” she recalled of the hype around the film. “I thought everyone was drinking Kool-Aid that I’d never tried.”

The Marvel actress explained that she had to change how she viewed the success, saying, “The only way I analyzed it was: Everyone’s in a literal snow globe there. They kept telling me, ‘Do you know how much your life’s going to change from this?’” 

Donato Sardella/Getty Images for InStyle

However, there are a few things she wishes she could change about her early acting days. 

“I made some decisions, sometimes working with, like, maybe not the most…curated group of people,” the Eternity actress shared. “I didn’t realize I have the power of curation. I was so excited anyone wanted me to be in anything.”

But now that she has reached the kind of career she was hoping for, Elizabeth has the luxury to keep her private life out of the spotlight.

Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

In fact, she and husband Robbie Arnett didn’t reveal their marriage until two years after their wedding, which prompted a slew of headlines about the couple’s secret elopement.

“Why is it a ‘secret?’” she laughed to InStyle. “I eloped. You just didn’t know about it.”

Elizabeth quipped, “I’m not mysterious. I think I’m private in certain aspects, but I say too much.”

For more stars who kept their wedding low-key, keep reading.

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Chris Evans & Alba Baptista

The Marvel star and Warrior Nun actress married in an intimate ceremony in Massachusetts on Sept. 9, 2023.

Instagram

Naomi Watts & Billy Crudup

Naomi confirmed she tied the knot with the actor in a June 10 Instagram, sharing behind-the-scenes photos of their surprise wedding.

Instagram

Lukas Gage & Chris Appleton

The celebrity hairstylist and The White Lotus star confirmed that they tied the knot in an April 26 Instagram, sharing photos of Kim Kardashian and Shania Twain at their wedding.

AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Jessica Alba & Cash Warren

Jessica Alba and Cash Warren, who share three children, married in 2008 when she was expecting their first child, daughter Honor. “We eloped and I think I was nine months pregnant!” she told Glamour U.K in 2022. “It wasn’t planned.”

The actress continued, “It was literally, ‘Honey, do you have anything to do this morning?’ And he was like, ‘No.’ So I said, ‘Should we go to the courthouse and get married?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah.’ And then I said, ‘Can we get waffles afterwards because I have a doctor’s appointment? Will you come to my doctor’s appointment?’ And that’s how it happened!”

Instagram

Johnny Costello & Kimberly Perry

“Today my love, @juannycostello, and I are celebrating 6 months since ‘I do!'” Kimberly Perry shared about her secret wedding to Johnny Costello on Instagram on Dec. 18. “On June 17th we hit the road from LA to Las Vegas in a black corvette and got married at midnight. It was wild and wonderful and reminded me all over again that God is the most glorious creator and the master of the most beautiful blueprint for our lives! I love you Johnny and can’t wait for forever.”

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Christina Ricci & Mark Hampton

Two months after announcing their baby news, the Casper actress revealed that she and the celebrity hairdresser tied the knot!

Instagram

Uzo Aduba & Robert Sweeting

The actress announced she wed Robert Sweeting in a heartfelt Instagram post on Sept. 12, writing, “For some of us, it can feel like we spend our whole lives waiting for our special someone. My heart, my love — I’m so happy my life started last year with you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Photo by Gilbert Flores/Golden Globes 2024/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images

Elizabeth Olsen & Robbie Arnett

The WandaVision star subtly revealed she and the musician had tied the knot by referring to him as her “husband” during an interview with Kaley Cuoco for Variety.

Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Justin Hartley & Sofia Pernas

In May 2021, a source revealed to E! News that the This Is Us star privately married the actress after about a year together.

Instagram

Ariana Grande & Dalton Gomez

The pop star exchanged vows with the real estate broker during an intimate May 2021 ceremony held at her home in Montecito, Calif. 

A source told E! News, “There were only about 20 guests, close family and friends. It was a beautiful day and very romantic. Everyone is happy for them. It was perfect and just what Ari wanted.”

The couple has since split.

Swan Gallet/WWD/Shutterstock

Sophie Turner & Joe Jonas

The Jonas Brothers singer and Game of Thrones actress secretly tied the knot in a small ceremony in Las Vegas shortly after the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. They had a second, larger wedding with more friends and family in France months later.

The couple has since split.

Instagram

Bradley Whitford & Amy Landecker

The Transparent co-stars eloped in July 2018—and the bride had a last-minute fashion emergency. After seeing that the actress wore a periwinkle dress on her big day, a commenter wrote she had “loved the white one, too.”

“I destroyed it with makeup right before the wedding,” she wrote in the comments section. “Thank God I packed this!”

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Heidi Klum & Tom Kaulitz

The supermodel and former Project Runway host secretly obtained a marriage license and wed the German rocker in early 2019. 

Jim Smeal/REX/Shutterstock; Twitter

Miranda Lambert & Brendan McLoughlin

“The House That Built Me” singer revealed in 2019 that she and NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin tied the knot. E! News confirmed that they got married on Jan. 26, 2019 in Davidson County, Tenn. “In honor of Valentine’s Day I wanted to share some news. I met the love of my life. And we got hitched!” she wrote on Instagram. “My heart is full. Thank you Brendan McLoughlin for loving me for…. me.”

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Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth

After a 10-year relationship, the pop star and Australian actor exchanged vows in an intimate wedding ceremony held in Tennessee over Christmas 2018. Cyrus wore a satin Vivienne Westwood gown for the top-secret affair. The pair has since divorced.

Rob Kim/Getty Images

Joe Scarborough & Mika Brezezinski

The Morning Joe co-hosts tied the knot at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. on November 24, 2018. Vanity Fair reported that they got married alongside the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. 

Joe Schildhorn/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

Karlie Kloss & Joshua Kushner

The supermodel and her main man hosted an intimate ceremony in upstate New York just three months after announcing their engagement in 2018. 

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Robin Wright & Clement Giraudet

The Golden Globe-winning actress married her longtime beau in August 2018, according to Vogue Paris. The House of Cards star and Saint Laurent VIP relations manager reportedly tied the knot in a low-key ceremony at an unknown location. 

Taylor Hill/Getty Images, Jordi Vidal/Redferns via Getty Images

Michelle Williams & Phil Elverum

The Golden Globe winner secretly married Mount Eerie frontman Phil Elverum in early July 2018 in the Adirondacks. They split in 2019

Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for blu

Cardi B & Offset

The Migos rapper publicly proposed to the “Bodak Yellow” performer in October 2017, but it was revealed nine months later that the pair had actually tied the knot in a no-frills ceremony in September of that year. 

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Emily Ratajkowski & Sebastian Bear-McClard

The Gone Girl actress and star of Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines” music video married the actor at a New York courthouse in February 2018. The news came just weeks after it was reported she was no longer living with her then-boyfriend, music producer Jeff Magid.

The couple has since split.

Instagram

Amy Schumer & Chris Fischer

The Trainwreck actress and comedienne married her beau, a chef, at a private home in Malibu in February 2018 and just two days after she went public with their relationship.

Earl Gibson III/WireImage

Jordin Sparks & Dana Isaiah

In late 2017, the singer and actress announced she and her boyfriend eloped in Hawaii. 

Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock

Jason Momoa & Lisa Bonet

The longtime couple tied the knot in a wedding ceremony held at their house in Topanga, California, near Los Angeles in 2017. 

The couple has since split.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Amanda Seyfried & Thomas Sadoski

The actor said in mid-March 2017 the two had eloped the previous weekend. E! News had confirmed in September that the two were engaged. Two months later, Seyfried’s rep said the actress was pregnant with their first child.

Prince Williams/FilmMagic

Tyrese Gibson & Samantha Lee

The Fast & Furious star announced in February 2017 he had tied the knot on Valentine’s Day, posting a pic of him and his wife, who he did not name. He later confirmed a report that said she is Samantha Lee, a New Jersey social worker. Tyrese and Samantha split in 2020.

darthvadenz/Instagram

Penn Badgley & Domino Kirke

The Gossip Girl alum married the actress, Jemima Kirke‘s sister, in a courthouse in Brooklyn in February 2017.

Noel Vasquez/GC Images

Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher

After announcing their first pregnancy, everyone was buzzing about the potential for a real life Jackie and Kelso wedding. But the That 70s Show lovebirds kept their 2015 nuptials well under wraps.

Eric Charbonneau/WireImage

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds

Despite their now (relatively) public romance, the two actors were über private about their 2012 wedding. Thanks to a collab with Martha Stewart Weddings, we do know Lively wore a Marchesa dress and that it happened on a plantation in South Carolina. 

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Leighton Meester & Adam Brody

The actors said “I do” in a secret ceremony back in 2015. Later that year they welcomed their first child together, daughter Arlo.

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