They Thought I Was You

🥺 We love this podcast. We love the journey it's taken us on, the lessons it's taught us, and the people we've met making it. 10 year old Becca and Lani didn't know what podcasts were, but we dreamed of making this one. And only 6 short years later, we did it. JK it took us over 20 years, but our wildest dreams came true! We met Clarice Kensington, Jordan Landers, Larry Slotnick, Brigitte from Passport to Paris, Rachel from Winning London, Lyndi from Getting There, the writer of It Takes Two, Mary-Kate and Ashley’s TV & movie dad, an MTV VJ and so many more! We got to revisit our most beloved childhood movies and TV shows. We got to go back in time every week with our favorite twins. We discovered that they were, by every imaginable account, just normal f*cking girls. Best of all, we found the Mary-Kate to our Ashley. And we got to share this all with thousands of others with our same niche obsession, making us feel a little less alone. It really was magical. Which is why this episode, our 100th, is a bittersweet one. Although we could talk about Mary-Kate and Ashley literally forever, we also have to heed their lessons and know when to explore other ventures. And after taking time (more than we expected, very sorry about that), we've decided that time has come. This isn't goodbye forever, but goodbye for now. The era of the (bi)weekly podcast has come to a close, but the episode catalogue will continue to live in this feed and on YouTube. We may even come back to visit when the mic calls ;) We love you all so much. This really has been that cant-eat, cant-sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over-the-fence, world-series kinda stuff. Thank you for making us the two luckiest podcast hosts in the world. Please stay in touch, we'll be around: Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

The scores have been tallied... and today they are finally revealed. In this episode, we continue our scoring starting with Switching Goals and go through New York Minute, and we end up with a final ranking (sub category wins will be announced on our Instagram). Today we decide once and for all what is the BEST Mary-Kate and Ashley movie (proven by science). You can watch the video version of this ep, fill out your own score sheet, and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Follow us! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

Since the beginning of this podcast, we knew this day would eventually have to come. We have spent the past 3 years becoming Mary-Kate and Ashley scholars, dissecting every movie front to back, talking to writers, talking to costars, talking to fellow Mary-Kate and Ashley fans, and leaving no stone unturned. And all that work has made us the most qualified two people on the planet to create the definitive ranking of every Mary-Kate and Ashley movie ever made. So we do what must be done. And because we are who we are, we do it in two parts. Since we knew this would be contentious, we approach this incredibly subjective task in the most objective way humanly possible: we score each movie in 10 categories (story, execution, characters, location, boys, fashion, music, vibes, lasting impression & overall), we add up our results, and the movie with the highest scores win. Science would be so proud of us. In this episode, we breakdown their first six movies from To Grandmother's House We Go through Passport to Paris. Next week, we'll give our results of the final 8 movies and reveal our definitive ranking, once and for all. You can watch the video version of this ep, fill out your own score sheet, and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. The unfortunate Vogue Ranking Follow us! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

Continuing our trend of talking to people the internet introduced us to, our guest today is a fellow millennial content creator whose viral Mary-Kate and Ashley-related videos constantly pop up on our feeds. When we reached out to her, we learned that she also listens to our podcast, and we felt like we found our long lost doppelgänger at summer camp. We are so thrilled to be joined today by Mary-Kate and Ashley superfan and TikTok/Instagram influencer Madeleine Byrne! We ask Madeleine how she became a Mary-Kate and Ashley fan, which of their movies was her favorite, and which fashion era was the most influential to her. We also talk about Mary-Kate and Ashley's influence on our generation, how much different teen media is now compared to the 2000s, and why Mary-Kate and Ashley were so aspirational to millennials. Madeleine also drops a bombshell about the Mary-Kate and Ashley onscreen boyfriends that she dated IRL (fulfilling every MKA superfan's dreams), and we introduce her to our classic, unhinged game: Mary-Kate or Ashley. You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Follow Madeleine! TikTok: @MadeleineByrne Instagram: @MadeleineByrne Follow us! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

A few episodes ago, we talked about Mary-Kate and Ashley’s visit to TRL in 2004 to promote their upcoming film, New York Minute. In that TRL appearance, they were interviewed by a VJ who thought a picture they were in with Robert DeNiro was creepy. We were very confused by this, so we found that VJ on Instagram to get to the bottom of the story, which is why today we are joined by TRL VJ himself, Damien Fahey! We talk to Damien about how he became a VJ on MTV at such a young age, what made him dry heave every morning when he woke up to go to work, and how he became known as the guy who would refuse to go to Jennifer Aniston's birthday party. We of course dig into what he remembers about that fateful interview with Mary-Kate and Ashley in 2004 and why he made that weird comment about Robert Deniro. We also indulge our teenage hearts and ask what a typical day looked like in the life of a 2004 TRL VJ. Spoiler alert: we were not disappointed. We hope this interview sings to your inner pop-culture loving 2000s teenager like it did for us. Sending a HUGE thank you to Damien for coming on our show and not hating us for calling him creepy two months ago <3 You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Damien: @damienfahey Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

This is it. The final episode of our final two-part review of a film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley. This journey has gone faster than a New York Minute. Today we finish our review of the second half of the film and get a little bit deeper into how we felt about it. We unfortunately have to address the incredible misstep of Andy Richter's entire character, the uselessness of both Mary-Kate and Ashley's "love" interests, the awkwardness of the House of Bling, the incredibly well acted yet woefully unearned final fight between Mary-Kate and Ashley, and the palpable creepiness of Darrell Hammond. Of course, we also offer our own punch ups that we think could have saved this movie (except for Andy Richter's whole storyline, that just needed to go). Despite our misgivings, we (mostly Lani) still find parts of this movie that we genuinely loved. The fashion, the one-liners, the iconic Mary-Kate faces, and the perfect Bob Saget cameo ❤️ And at long last we finally figure out where New York Minute fits in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Universe... kind of. So put on your low rise jeans, hold your day planner close, and for the love of God, don't do any offensive accents, because it's 2024 and today is our last episode revisiting the 2004 classic, New York Minute. You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

We can't believe we're finally here. Our final Mary-Kate and Ashley movie review. And just like we suspected: it's a two part episode. On May 7th, 2004 (exactly 20 years ago today), Mary-Kate and Ashley's final film together, New York Minute, was released in theaters. The movie had an impressive cast including Eugene Levy, Andy Richter, Jared Padalecki, Andrea Martin, Darrell Hammond, and the most 2004 cast member of all: Jack Osbourne. The movie follows Jane Ryan (Ashley) and her twin sister Roxy (Mary-Kate) as they venture into New York City on separate missions, bickering the entire way. Roxy is a rocker, and Ashley is a Republican, so they couldn't be more different! Chaos ensues. For today's episode, we start by remembering where we were 20 years ago when this movie came out and how we felt about it back then. We discuss what it meant for Mary-Kate and Ashley to have this kind of wide spread movie release and what we remembered about watching it for the first time. And since neither Becca nor Lani has seen this movie in the 20 years since, we talk about why we felt so nervous before pressing play. Then, we dive in deep. We get through about half of the movie in this review before going on a tangent about where New York Minute fits in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Universe, so make sure to tune in next week for part two! We hope you enjoy this beginning to the end of an era, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO NEW YORK MINUTE! You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

On Saturday, May 15th, 2004, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had a decision to make: they could either attend their senior prom or host the season finale of Saturday Night Live. As you probably guessed, they chose SNL. And as a consolation for missing their high school prom, Jimmy Fallon, Will Forte, Maya Rudolf, and Amy Poehler gave Mary-Kate and Ashley a miniature prom during their 5 minute monologue on the stage of Studio 8H. The rest of the night featured Mary-Kate and Ashley playing paparazzi, selling perfume, selling backpacks, spoofing The Swan, enduring Jimmy Fallon, and playing as angsty teens on home video. So today, Becca and Lani give their review of the episode sketch by sketch* and discuss what the significance was of Mary-Kate and Ashley hosting Saturday Night Live. We are also painfully reminded of just how long ago 2004 was with how wildly racist, sexist, and homophobic so many of the jokes are. At least there was one sketch in this episode that we both agree was utter perfection (can you guess which one?) We hope you enjoy this deep dive into this culturally significant moment in television and allow us to geek out over the construction of sketch scene (it's our expertise, after all). But most of all, we hope you join us in celebrating Mary-Kate and Ashley for successfully accomplishing the enormous feat of hosting this insanely difficult show on live television. You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. If you don't have Peacock, watch (most of) the SNL episode here: Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 1 Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 2 Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 3 Mary-Kate and Ashley Host SNL part 4 Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com *We just learned that we missed the "Bloater Brothers" sketch during our review so here it is: bad sketch, but Mary-Kate and Ashley do a great job. And they look SO cute in 70s clothes & hair, OMG! Support the show

We're counting down the days to New York Minute's 20th anniversary, but before we get there, we have to talk about another countdown that is unfortunately a touchstone of this era in Mary-Kate and Ashley's careers: the countdown to their 18th birthday. During the press tour for New York Minute in 2004, which opened just one month before the girls turned 18, the media became fascinated with a new trend of websites dedicated entirely to counting down the days, hours, minutes & seconds to when Mary-Kate and Ashley would become "legal." This type of discourse has been around since Hollywood has had child stars and 40-something creeps have had air to breathe, but one thing was different about 2004: the internet. As many of our sources mention, only a little over a dozen Mary-Kate and Ashley "countdown" sites were created, which by today's standards would hardly warrant a thought, let alone a news segment. But during the early days of the internet and with the world's most famous twins at the center of the story, this became a cultural fixation. Mary-Kate and Ashley even had to address this fixation themselves when they hosted SNL, with Mary-Kate signing off the show saying, "and remember, we're legal in 4 weeks!" So today, we're talking about what we remember about this time, how we feel about it now, and why why WHY does stuff like this happen? There are times when this topic gets difficult to talk about, so like for many of our podcasts during this time, please take care while listening. As promised, here are the links we talk about in this episode: Quick tiktok Another tiktok An old countdown website A gross forum from 2003 Eminiem song "Ass like that" (MK&A part starts at 2:21) E! Online blurb from 2004 Article written for The Pool in 2018 with a lot of research on the history of celebrity women's "countdown"s Non-countdown related videos: Regis and Kelly 2004 The Today Show 2004 Access Hollywood 2004 Entertainment Tonight 2004 MTV "Home Video" 2004 You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

Today we reckon with one of the most infamous Mary-Kate and Ashley interviews of all time. On April 28th, 2004, Oprah invited Mary-Kate and Ashley onto The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss their upcoming film New York Minute, to ask about their plans after graduation, and to address the rumors that had been hounding them in the tabloids. And it's that last point that made this interview infamous. While Mary-Kate and Ashley calmly tried to cool the temperature on the tabloids' relentless speculations over Mary-Kate, Oprah bluntly asks the seventeen year olds their dress size. It's painful and uncomfortable, so much so that the clipped resurfaced on TikTok in 2021 and created such an uproar, that the full video of the interview is nearly impossible to find online anymore. So for this episode, we piece together the scraps of this interview we could still find and discuss them in depth. We discuss the weird parts of the interview aside from "the moment," the difference between tacos in 2004 and 2024, and the cultural significance of Oprah in the early '00s (with a surprise guest appearance by our good friend, Jessica Charles). We also touch on Mary-Kate and Ashley's followup interview with Oprah in 2008, and the remarkable rate at which Mary-Kate and Ashley became two wise women in four short years. Here are the links we discuss: 2004 "Opening": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQn68nu_BbM&t=22s How to tell them apart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eucwHCNimY College: https://youtu.be/5wbJfnbyjE4?si=hdnMNp65XUCMaU_q Allowance: https://youtu.be/bwG_zh2XWKU?si=Pc70FpuDrviR8XXR Favorite tacos: https://youtu.be/YKgSNRi-Ck8?si=bTDmOdnD4EhSv3Bv Two different people: https://youtu.be/r4_bX1ttaFg?si=35l0SYHcnZgf9YX0 THE moment: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTUTbUW/ Another NY Minute interview just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Koa4jVoX0Nk 2008 Video of MKA interviewing each other: https://www.oprah.com/own-oprahshow/the-olsen-twins-interview-each-other Oprah article summarizing the interview: https://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/millionaire-moguls/all You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

The countdown to New York Minute continues! And today, we're examining all the late night interviews and talk show appearances that Mary-Kate and Ashley did to promote their action comedy feature, New York Minute (excluding their appearance on Oprah, that will be its whole own episode). Many of these interviews happened just days apart, but watching them all in sequence feels like watching a lifetime go by. In their first interview with Letterman, they're poised, well trained, and eager to promote their SNL episode and upcoming film. The next day at their TRL appearance, they're goofier, loose, and casual, clearly trying to relate to their fellow teens. Then, while hosting "25 hottest under 25," we see them hollow, bored, and aloof, seemingly trying to fit into the '"sexy" MTV aesthetic of the 00's. All of these appearances seem to demand something different from them, and on top of that they're also in the throes of graduating from high school, getting ready to host SNL, and somehow trying to celebrate an 18th birthday that the world keeps counting down to. To say they were under pressure would be a wild understatement. We discuss each of these appearances and what stood out to us, and also try to figure out if they knew before this press tour if they were going to be firing their team as soon as they turned 18, or if this grueling schedule brought them to that decision. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to follow along with the videos we discuss, here are the links: Letterman, May 3rd 2004, Lettermanhttps://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTNPUPC/https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTNUYB4/https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTFgnVP/https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRTNgpmc/"Olsen Eye for the Video Guy" Jan 2004 (not NYM promo, but we're obsessed)Teen People's 25 Hottest under 25Rove Australia (just Ashley) June 2004VMA’s, September 2004You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

We are officially on the road to New York Minute! In our next few episodes, we will cover the press & publicity tour that Mary-Kate and Ashley went on in 2004 ahead of their much anticipated theatrical release, New York Minute. And our first stop is the press that Mary-Kate, Ashley and their team didn't have much control over: the tabloids. In 2004, celebrity gossip magazines were at the peak of their popularity and ruthlessness: Britney Spears was dating Kevin Federline, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston were about to get divorced, and Paris Hilton was Hollywood's it-girl. The profits were white hot, and they had their eyes set on their next targets: the Olsens. Since this is an extremely delicate topic that we weren't thrilled about diving into, we decided the best way to approach it would be to go directly to the source. We purchased 6 tabloids from 2004 on eBay and thumbed through each one to examine *how* the tabloids talked about Mary-Kate and Ashley instead of dwelling on *what* they talked about, since we all know it was all trash. We track the progression of the stories, the sources they site, and the pictures they pull. We also contemplate the legality of talking about the sexuality of minors-- seriously, how is it legal? We also take care to burn sage before and after opening these magazines, being mindful of the dark energy they possess. Please take care while listening to this episode. You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

On April 29th, 2004, at 17 years old, Mary-Kate and Ashley received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And on February 14th, 2024, two thirty-somethings, Lani and Becca, finally visited it. Since Lani and Becca both live in Los Angeles and had somehow never gone to see the Olsen's star, we decided there was no better time than now for our podcast's first field trip. Located on 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, their star is in the primest of prime locations, on the same block as the TCL Chinese Theater and among megastars-- we could not have been prouder when we finally found it. When we get back to our studio, we unpack the physical and emotional journey we just embarked on. We also discuss what the Hollywood Walk of Fame even is and why (and if) it matters to us and pop culture at large. And most importantly, we talk about what Mary-Kate and Ashley getting this star meant to us back in 2004, what we remember, and how we feel about it now. You can watch the video version of this ep and get more bonus content by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Do you have more information about the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show Support the show

Welcome to our first interview of 2024! Today we talk with Viviana Rosales Olen and Matt Harkins, the creators of THNK1994 and the masterminds behind the "Olsens Hiding from Paparazzi" museum and the Mary-Kate and Ash Tray. Viviana and Matt tell us about how THNK1994 was first started with a museum in the hallway of their apartment and has blossomed into an experimental pop culture empire. Their second exhibit in 2016, "The Olsens Hiding From Paparazzi," featured paintings by Laura Collins of Mary-Kate and Ashley literally hiding from cameras, which gave museum goes an eerie invasive feeling as they walked through the gallery. THNK1994 is now an entire creative agency which bridges the world of experimental art and pop culture trash in the most delightful ways. Of course, we had to dig into the nitty gritty of their fascination with our gals MK&A. We talk about what inspired them to feature Mary-Kate and Ashley in their second exhibit, how creating the museum changed their perception of them, and what they hope for them now. We hope you enjoy a trip into the bizarre and inspiring world of THNK1994 as much as we did. You can watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here. Follow THNK1994 on Instagram: @thnk1994 Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Do you have a favorite picture of MK&A smoking? Email us at: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

In July 2003, Vanity Fair, whether intentionally or not, put together the most monumental photoshoot in history. A photoshoot like nothing that had ever been done before and, dare we say, could never be done again. A photoshoot so deeply iconic, every pop culture loving person still knows 20 years later: "It's Totally Raining Teens." On that fateful day in 2003, Amanda Bynes, Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, Alexis Bledel, Evan Rachel Wood, Raven, Lindsay Lohan, and our gals Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, wearing metallics and soft pinks, posed for in the same room together for this iconic cover. The inside of the magazine was bursting with even more teens (and shockingly some twenty-somethings) including Brittany Snow, Solange Knowles, Christina Milian, Shia LaBeouf, Bow Wow, Aaron Carter, the Harry Potter kids, Milo Ventimiglia, Jared Padelecki, Kaley Cuoco, and even more teens I'm too tired to name! It was literally raining teens! Every teen was also asked what kind of cell phone they used, if they preferred Britney or Christina, and how many Juicy Couture outfits they owned. It was the most 2003 thing that has ever 2003'd, and we are obsessed with it. Why did this happen? We may never know. But what we do know is that this little time capsule is one of the most important documents in modern history. So we read through every profile, contemplate every photograph, and much like we did in 2003, try to decipher secrets of culture and girlhood that we know this magazine holds. If you, like us, have tragically misplaced your original hard copy of this iconic issue, you can read it along with us this link from Simply Olsen (our Olsen media lord and savior). You can watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here. Some other links we talk about: Lindsay Lohan reflects on the cover Hilary Duff reflects on ‘anxiety-inducing’ Vanity Fair cover Evan Rachel Wood, The Real Story Behind That Iconic 'Raining Teens' Vanity Fair Cover Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Do you know if Juicy Couture sponsored the "It's Totally Raining Teens" issue? Do you know the correct way to pronounce "Ryan Phillippe?" Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

We can finally say it-- HAPPY NEW YEAR! We didn't intend for this to be a 2 part episode, but you know ur girls. We can never have a short conversation ;) So as promised, the remaining questions and long anticipated voice mails are answered in this episode! This episode was the most perfect way for us to end last year and start the new one, and we hope it leaves you feeling inspired & motivated as we rev up our engines for 2024. Love you all so much!!! You can watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

It’s the most wonderful time of the year— it’s our end of year Q&A! Last week, we collected questions from you— our listeners, Patreon subscribers, Instagram followers, etc, about topics ranging from our favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley dads to what has been the greatest lesson we’ve learned since starting our podcast. We absolutely love doing these episodes, and this year, your questions were really something special. So special we couldn’t them all in one episode. Classic us. Please enjoy this first part of our Q&A, and if your question didnt get answered, tune in next week for part 2! Thank you all so much for all your love and support this year. We’re so grateful for this community, and we wish you all the happiest holidays and a wonderful new year! You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

"You know, anonymity is a luxury as well.” - Mary-Kate Olsen, 2023 On Nov 17th, 2023 (that's right THIS year, just a few weeks ago) Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen sat down for an extremely rare interview with Financial Times Fashion to discuss their brand The Row and the meaning of "stealth wealth." We so rarely get a peak into Mary-Kate and Ashley's lives these days, let alone a whole snippet of a conversation between the two of them, so we jumped at the chance to do a whole episode on this article. In this interview, we get a glimpse into Mary-Kate and Ashley's approach to their business, their dynamic as adults, and a few secrets about their brand's Instagram and distaste for interviews. Most importantly, we learn straight from Mary-Kate and Ashley themselves how The Row is and always has been directly influenced by the careers they had in the spotlight (for better or for worse). What stands out the most from this interview is the strength that Mary-Kate and Ashley yield now as women. We can't help but gush about how continually proud we are of them, and how inspired we are that they've been able to take back so much control and power of their lives and careers. And my god, the quotes in this interview are ZINGERS! We hope you enjoy our deep dive into this exclusive interview (major props to the writer Jo Ellison for this impressive feat), and don't forget to read the whole interview in all its glory on Financial Times. You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Next week's episode is a Q&A and we need YOUR questions! Email us your questions (or a short & cute voice memo) at theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Links we talk about: Gigi Hadid Fights Off Man Who Grabbed Her Outside Fashion Show Cara Delevingne Talks About 'Paper Towns' “That’s not the truth, Ellen”: How Dakota Johnson won her birthday feud against Ellen DeGeneres Support the show

Today, we conclude our conversation about Mary-Kate and Ashley's final direct to video film, The Challenge (2003). And if you know this movie, you know that the ending is what makes this film a piece of magic. Both Lani and Becca had parts of the surprise ending spoiled for them, so we thought we were prepared, but we absolutely weren't. We even thought we were prepared to talk about the ending, but we absolutely were not. So we cry as we talk about how Mary-Kate and Ashley knew this was their final film just for their fans, and how they gave us the sweetest sendoff we could have ever imagined. We HIGHLY recommend watching this nice warm hug of a film, so if you don't still have the DVD or VHS, you can watch by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for). You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Our producer Camara Rauen: @camararollin Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show

On May 3rd, 2003, Mary-Kate and Ashley released their last direct-to-video film, The Challenge, marking the end of an era. Yes, the sisters would go on to star in New York Minute a year later, but that would get a theatrical release, have much higher stakes, and was generally completely different. Starting with the release of Billboard Dad in 1998, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, with their manager Robert Thorne and their company Dualstar, carved out a niche in low budget direct-to-video films for teen girls, which was then solidified by the massive success of their sophomore dtv film, Passport to Paris. Over the next 5 years, these movies would function as the anchor for their brand, creating a genre of teenage fantasy travel films, and endearing the twins and their style to girls (and some boys!) all around the world. Though the quality and success of these films waned towards the end of their 5 year run, they were still beloved by many and played a pivotal role in making Mary-Kate and Ashley the most powerful young women in Hollywood. And The Challenge, a film about two estranged twin sisters Shane and Lizzie competing on a Survior-esque reality game show in Mexico, was their last one (and they knew it would be). Months ago, we promised that as soon as the SAG-AFTRA strike was over, we would review this film for the podcast. When we made that promise, we had no idea the strike still had so many months left, and how difficult and painful this year would be. Watching this film now that a tentative deal has been reached was the greatest gift we ever could have been given, and you'll see why. And in typical Becca & Lani fashion, we had simply too much to talk about, so we had to break this episode up into two parts. So, we present to you the first part of our conversation about Mary-Kate and Ashley's penultimate film. Their final Dualstar direct-to-video feature. Their love letter to us, their fans. We HIGHLY recommend watching this film before listening to this ep, and if you don't still have the DVD or VHS, you can do so by clicking the link in SimplyOlsen's Instagram bio (which we are forever grateful for). You can also watch the video version of this ep by subscribing to our Patreon here. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou TikTok: @theythoughtiwasyou Becca: @beccaroth Lani: @laniharms Our producer Camara Rauen: @camararollin Email us: theythoughtiwasyou@gmail.com Support the show