15 Famous Celebs Who Surprisingly Starred In Mary-Kate & Ashley Olson Movies

We're not sure about you, but we were definitely part of the generation who lived, breathed, and slept thinking about the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley. Well, maybe we weren't exactly THAT obsessed, but they were a major part of our lives and were two of the best young ladies to look up to when it came to pre-teen romcoms!

Growing up, we definitely made it our personal missions to indulge in every MK and Ashley movie they made, whether they were blockbusters, straight-to-TV flicks, or flops. But back then we hardly knew any pop culture references. We only knew about the Olsen sisters… and the fact that we had to watch the latest movie that the most popular twins in Hollywood put out there.

Looking back and watching these films all over again, we are all like, "What the HEY?". We are noticing some major issues here. Mainly, why did they always appear more grown up than they really were? But more pointedly, how did we not notice the long list of stars who made it into the Olsen world?

The Olsen twins may not be making movies anymore - turning from cinema to clothing design - but the actors they starred within their decades-old movies still are!

15 Elizabeth Olsen Exercised Her Acting Chops Well Before 'Avengers'

If that cute, adorable face looks familiar to you - a little Mary-Kate or Ashley, perhaps? - it's because that little sweetheart is Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sis of the famous twins. Before Elizabeth decided to become a big-time Hollywood actress (a career path that MK and Ash abandoned soon after becoming adults who could make their own decisions), Elizabeth decided to test out the acting gig by being behind the camera and taking directions when she was just four years old.

Initially, Elizabeth starred in her sister's movies, like How the West Was Fun and The Case of Thorn Mansion, but she hit the pause button on acting because her sisters were so often in the tabloids. It was the whole media scandal of Mary-Kate's alleged personal struggles with food that really made Elizabeth take a break from the silver screen and focus more on education. But in 2011, Elizabeth returned to her passion of entertaining the masses to star in Martha Marcy May Marlene, winning her multiple nominations and awards. But now, we all know Elizabeth for a much larger role: Wanda Maximoff, or Scarlet Witch, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Elizabeth impressed audiences worldwide starring in various movies, such as Captain America: Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

14 Michael Cera Rocked Some Serious 'Tude While Shopping For Shoes

We love Michael Cera, in anything he does. Whether he's slinging frozen bananas alongside Jason Bateman in Arrested Development, cursing up a storm with Jonah Hill in Superbad, or navigating young parenthood in Juno, Michael Cera is the Canadian cutie we'll forever follow in his acting career.

But even though the Brampton, Ontario native hasn't been in much lately, he got his start at a young age, so he's already spent a huge chunk of his life behind the camera.

After filming a commercial for Tim Horton's, Michael only had a couple of small roles before starring in the Olsen movie, Switching Goals. In this soccer-themed straight-to-TV movie, Michael plays a bossy child named Taylor in need of some shoes (and a serious attitude check!). If the young Olsen twins weren't cute enough in their heyday, they had to add squeaky-voiced Michael to the mix to make us all squeal over how young and darling he is in this movie! If you want to see Michael's squeezable cheeks and listen to his high-pitched dialogue, just find a copy of this movie, grab some popcorn, and enjoy everything there is about this oldie flick!

13 Jack Osbourne Made A Brief Appearance With The Twins In NYC

Jack Osbourne is a B-list celeb at best, but he's definitely made appearances in some of our favorite shows, including Dawson's Creek, That 70's Show, and a number of popular reality shows, such as The X Factor and the show based around his rock-star family, The Osbournes. But while Jack follows on the coattails of his celebrity parents, Ozzy and Sharon, this Brit has certainly had a long list of appearances and cameos in his lifetime, one of which was in the last Olsen twin movie ever, New York Minute.

In this fast-paced flick that follows the sisters throughout the Big Apple, they cross paths (very briefly!) with Jack, who played a music promoter named Justin. Now, we're not saying this was one of Jack's most memorable roles, but he was definitely famous enough at the time that, when re-watching this movie, we all took note of him being there. Obviously, his cameo skills were strong enough to be cast in this almost-nothing role, making it easy to feature him and his recognizable English accent, fro, and thick-rimmed glasses. While Jack seems to fight for television roles nowadays, he's also fighting with his health - suffering from multiple sclerosis - and his wife. In May 2018, the two legally separated.

12 Jesse Spencer Was Practically Prepubescent In This British Flick

For a movie that was based in London, England, we were kind of surprised that Jack Osbourne didn't make a cameo in this Brit-based TV movie, but given the fact that the lead male role had to go to someone who was relatively charming (and hunky!), we totally get why the producers of Winning London decided to cast a young Jesse Spencer as Mary-Kate's love interest - and son of an uptight Lord!

Although Jesse is technically Australian, you wouldn't know! It was costarring in small roles like this - and even Uptown Girls! - that proved to filmmakers that he's got a ton of range well before he was chosen to play the second-most-popular doctor on the hit show, House.

When the medical drama finally ended its eight-season run, Jesse barely had to bat an eyelash before being cast in another top-rated show, Chicago Fire.

And since Jesse is all hunk, it makes sense that he would go from playing a steamy doctor to the delicious firefighter! Obviously, Hollywood can't let a man like that go to waste - he was meant to be eye candy! The Olsen twins were the first to recognize his purpose, but it helps that he also knows how to act!

11 Ethan Peck Had The Thrill Of Playing MK's BF While In Europe

While Ethan Peck - the grandson of classic actor, Gregory Peck - is still a relative newcomer to the movie biz, his star is slowly rising, thanks to roles like ABC's 10 Things I Hate About You - a short-lived show based on the movie, which was originally based off of Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew - and other minor television and film roles. Ethan played Patrick Verona in the show based off of the movie, but this role was a whole decade after his first movie role, which was playing Michel in Passport to Paris.

In this movie, Ethan plays a Parisian love interest of Mary-Kate who scoots about town on a moped and gets the American twins into trouble on the regular. While the film doesn't have the greatest ratings, it was a pretty significant film for Mary-Kate, as it was the movie that first showed her kissing a costar - and it was Ethan! Now, Ethan has been dabbling in the odd role here and there, playing young Kelso on That 70's Show and even making a two-episode appearance in Gossip Girl. You can also spot Ethan in blockbusters, including Mine Games, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and In Time (a sci-fi flick featuring Justin Timberlake!).

10 Sara Paxton Brought All The Cuteness To An Olsen Holiday Musical Flick

Bubbly blonde and cheeky actress, Sara Paxton, was born in California (which was basically an open door to stardom) and was the stepping stone to landing her a few gigs on screen, including her first ever unofficial movie/musical role in You're Invited To Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's Christmas Party. Officially, it is said that Sara's first movie role was in the movie Liar, Liar which starred Jim Carrey, but maybe Sara's people are forgetting about her small singing and dancing debut in this holiday flick featuring the Olsen sisters? Or perhaps it was Sara who wanted to brush this one under her filmography rug, as her distant relative Bill Paxton, certainly left some big Hollywood shoes for her to fill.

While Sara isn't super famous or anything, she has starred in a few movies and television shows alongside some top female celebs, like Hilary Duff, Emma Roberts, Amanda Bynes, and Mischa Barton.

She also has an adorable, never-aging face that's totally fit for the big screen, so we have no doubt that her name will grow over the next ten years, making her brief musical role seem as forgettable as a twenty-year-old commercial that never even made it to YouTube.

9 Eric McCormack, Before He Starred In Will & Grace

Waaaaay back in 1993, the young Olsen twins starred in the Halloween movie, Double, Double Toil And Trouble (a film that had them sport some hideous wigs). The two played sisters (obvi!) who attempt to break a spell that was cast on their great aunt (who also happened to be a twin). Their father in the movie, Don, is played by none other than Eric McCormack, the Toronto-born funny man who played Will Truman in Will & Grace in the late nineties; a series that ended in 2006 before it was revived after ten years, debuting the ninth season late last year in September.

While Will Truman is probably Eric McCormack's most well-known character, Eric has been an actor in many film and TV roles since the 80's, including appearances in The New Adventures of Old Christine, voice roles in Pound Puppies and American Dad, and taking on a lead role of Grant in the sci-fi show Travelers, a show that is now exclusively owned and streamed off of Netflix. Eric has had a long career filled with many roles, both large and small, but we bet that he would never have thought that he would act alongside the famous Olsen twins!

8 Theo Rossi Played It Safe Before Turning Thug On TV

If you're a fan of dramas such as Sons of Anarchy and Netflix's Marvel Universe series, Luke Cage, then you are already familiar with the swoon-worthy Staten Island New Yorker-turned-actor, Theo Rossi.

Theo normally chooses roles that are similar to his strong-male comfort zone, leading him to be typecast as characters that are very masculine and 'bad boy'.

But before he became the recognizable, motorcycle-riding, tattoo wearing, and OCD-ridden "Juice" in the show Sons of Anarchy, he played an innocent young Italian boy who loves food and cooking in the Olsen movie The Challenge. In this movie, the plot is very loosely based off of the popular reality show, Survivor, making Theo and the twins part of a Mexico-based competition in which young students perform tasks to win a scholarship.

The Challenge was the last direct-to-TV movie that Mary-Kate and Ashley ever filmed together, making this 2003 film not only a memorable one in the long-line of Olsen movies, it was a great chance to build on Theo's budding acting career. Now, we get to indulge in Theo anytime we want just by opening our Netflix account and binging on Luke Cage, where he plays the villainous character Hernan "Shades" Alvarez.

7 Eugene Levy Attempts To School MK For Ditching Class

Just a year after filming The Challenge, Mary-Kate and Ashley decided to do one big last HURRAH with a big-budget feature film before calling it quits as an acting twosome with New York Minute. In addition to these familiar faces - and a cameo from their former Full House dad, Bob Saget - the movie starred Canadian Eugene Levy as a high school tyrant officer (named Max Lomax) who tries to hunt down the delinquent, Mary-Kate (or Roxy, in the movie) taking him through the busy streets of New York in a series of fumbles and hilarious adventures. His role was so significant in the film that he actually shares the credits alongside the Olsen twins on all of the promotional materials, including theatrical posters and the DVD's cover.

Eugene Levy is known for his comedic genius, offering his funny one-liners and hilarious timing to other roles such as the American Pie series of films as the awkward and nerdy father of Jason Biggs' character, Noah Levenstein, and the millionaire-turned-broke dad, Johnny, in the TV show Schitt's Creek. He has also voiced Dory's dad in Finding Dory and had other voice roles in Astro Boy, Over the Hedge, and Curious George.

6 Troian Bellisario Was Throwing Shade Well Before Her PLL Days

Spencer Hastings - one of the characters from the drama-filled show based on the book series of the same name, Pretty Little Liars - was played by L.A. native, Troian Bellisario; the daughter of a top television producer who created shows like Magnum P.I., Quantum Leap, and NCIS. Troian is the eldest of the five women who brought the fictional characters called "The Liars" to life in the show that ran for seven seasons, but she wasn't always hiding secrets or striving for perfection in the series.

A whole twelve years before landing the lead in Pretty Little Liars, Troian appeared alongside the Olsen twins in the movie 'Billboard Dad'.

She played the pre-teen Kristen who eagerly supported the antics of her gal pals, Mary-Kate and Ashley - or Emily and Tess, in this lighthearted film about two sisters hoping to land their widowed father a date. Nowadays, Troian isn't really focusing on her glory days of starring alongside the most famous twins in the world or watching her past episodes of PLL on Netflix. Instead, she's attending Megan and Harry's royal wedding, vacationing in Greece and swimming in the ocean with her husband, and trying to avoid rumors of a hidden pregnancy!

5 Austin Nichols Proves That He's More Than Just A Pretty Face

We wouldn't believe it if you told us, so we were surprised to learn that our favorite CW heartthrob, Austin Nichols, ever starred in a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie! The boy who played Julien in One Tree Hill and Spencer in The Walking Dead ALSO starred next to the twins in the Caribbean vacay movie, Holiday in the Sun. He played an old pal of the girls, Griffen in this 2001 throwback movie. But in case you never noticed his tanned, gorgeous skin in this sunshine-y flick, you may have noticed Austin in a number of movies, including Wimbledon and The Day After Tomorrow, and the TV shows, Bates Motel and even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

He's definitely got around since romancing Mary-Kate's character, Madison, and have starred in many popular TV shows, but never sticking around longer than one or two episodes. In the seventeen years since playing Griffen, Austin has been keeping busy with his obsessive hobby of watching movies, logging every movie he sees - which adds up to twenty per week! - and taking note of everyone involved, from the directors to the editors. Apparently, he even tracks the length of each movie. Talk about a genuine film buff!

4 Willie Garson Played An FBI Agent Before Playing Sidekick To SJP

Willie Garson is not known for much, but if he's good for anything as a reliable celeb, it was for portraying the role of Stanford Blatch in the Sex & The City series and movies, acting as Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Carrie Bradshaw's, best gay - and only guy - friend. However, we're a little outside of his demographic, since this man has been acting in various roles since the mid-eighties! (Let's face it, his sass is legendary in each and every role he fills; just look at that eyebrow-raise in the photo above to the right!)

In addition to his many small roles on the television screen and in films - 'Freaky Friday', 'Just Like Heaven', 'Little Manhattan', and 'There's Something About Mary' - Willie also starred in the Olsen twin flick, 'Our Lips Are Sealed'.

In this Australia-based movie, Mary-Kate and Ashley are relocated down under after witnessing a robbery, placing them in the Witness Protection Program. Willie plays FBI Agent Norm, a character who has to deal with the girl's shenanigans way more often than he gets paid to. In recent years, Willie has appeared on Scandal and in a few episodes of the Hawaii Five-O remake and starred in White Collar.

3 Riley Smith Played The Rebellious Bad Boy We All Crushed On

New York Minute was not only big at the theatres, it was big for kicking off a few well-known names in Hollywood, including Riley Smith. Before Riley was ever considered to play the role of Jim in the NYC teen flick, he was discovered at the age of seventeen and signed on to a modeling agency, first appearing in ads for Tommy Hilfiger. This unlikely job opportunity derailed his original life plans of dedicating his life to horse riding (we know, weird, right?), sending him in a whole new direction of being ridiculously good looking while trying to fine-tune his acting skills.

Riley was cast in a few movies before New York Minute, including Bring It On and Not Another Teen Movie, but it was only after his Olsen experience that he landed bigger, recurring roles on popular TV shows like Joan of Arcadia, 90210, True Blood, Nashville, and True Detective. That's a pretty great list of roles for a kid who never anticipated acting at all! However, the now forty-year-old credits ALL his fame from a Disney movie he filmed back in 2001 called Motocrossed. But even still, he's getting bored of the silver screen, now setting his sights on growing a music career!

2 Megan Fox Was All Sass Before Her Name Became Famous

You better believe that Megan Fox was turning heads even in her very first movie role EVER in the Olsen movie, Holiday in the Sun! Competing with Mary-Kate for Austin Nichol's affection in the sun-filled flick, Megan took on the role of Brianna, an heiress who - given her fed-up expression in the image above - did not behave nicely with the sisters, often acting as a spoiled and self-entitled antagonist.

This breakout role was MAJOR for Megan since her career only blew up from there!

She is known worldwide as one of the most beautiful women in the world, which has likely won her a few roles and have resulted in her being typecast as the attractive female lead, which was super obvious in films such as Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jennifer's Body, and This Is 40. Even though her characters are typically very centered around her beauty, Megan is living her best life with her long-time hubby, Brian Austin Green, and their three children. She also can be seen in the brief three-season show Hope & Faith and recent episodes of the adorable sitcom, New Girl, starring alongside Zooey Deschanel as Reagan, the girlfriend of the main character, Nick.

1 Jared Padalecki Bared His Abs For The Olsen Sisters

When it came to the Olsen twins' final movie, New York Minute, the identical duo certainly went all out when it came to casting. Not only did they cast Jack Osbourne, Eugene Levy, and Riley Smith, but they also brought in Gilmore Girls alum, Jared Padalecki! In the movie, Jared played Trey, an unlikely partner-in-crime for the sisters who have no choice but to let him tag along on their adventures.

Unlike other celebs on this list, Jared was already making a name for himself in Hollywood, thanks to playing the role of Dean in the teen drama, Gilmore Girls. Before he was cast in New York Minute, Dean - er, we mean Jared - had already starred in Cheaper by the Dozen, ER, and Flight of the Phoenix, which was released the same year as New York Minute. The following year, he starred in House of Wax, opposite Elisha Cuthbert and Paris Hilton, and landed a full-time gig as Sam in the long-running hit show, Supernatural. He has won and been nominated for many acting awards and is a regular at fan-filled conventions, such as Comic-Con. His wife, Genevieve Cortese, is also a star on Supernatural and the two share three children together, Thomas, Austin, and Odette.

References: Bustle.com, HelloGiggles.com, Wikipedia, Narcity.com, HollywoodLife.com, PopSugar.com