Show Notes
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were on television before they could talk and millionaires before they could read. Former Us Weekly editor-in-chief Dan Wakeford, author of the new Celebrity Intelligence newsletter, joins Back Row to break down the Full House casting story, the Dual Star empire, the billion-dollar licensing machine, and the NYU years that changed everything.
Part Two — revealing the secrets behind The Row — is available to Premium subscribers. Sign up at Back Row to get newsletter access included with your subscription, or in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Find Part Two in Apple Podcasts here
Find Part Two in Spotify here
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:40 Dan Wakeford and Celebrity Intelligence
02:47 Why the Olsens are a unique case study
07:50 The Full House casting story
10:07 The reality of child stardom
16:22 How their personalities diverged early
19:49 From pennies to $80,000 an episode
26:27 The home video empire begins
33:28 The billion dollar licensing machine
48:00 Turning 18 and taking control
53:41 NYU and the paparazzi years
57:47 How everything changed
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