“Full House” creator recalls ‘miraculous’ on-set moment with 1-year-old twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: ‘How is this possible?’

Daysia TolentinoSat, September 5, 2026 at 9:54 PM UTC

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Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen as infantsCredit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via GettyJeff Franklin detailed the impressive acting that the child stars were doing during the first season of the sitcom.Key Points -

Full House creator Jeff Franklin recalled being impressed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s acting skills at just a year old.

The Olsen twins began starring as Michelle Tanner on Full House when they were 9 months old.

Franklin said the two sisters gave a “miraculous” performance in season 1 episode 25 of the sitcom.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen got it at a very young age, dude.

In fact, Full House creator Jeff Franklin recently recalled an episode in the first season of the sitcom where the twin sisters, who were just a year old at the time, nailed their scene.

In season 1 episode 25, Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) gets a gig as an Elvis impersonator while Uncle Joey (Dave Coulier) cashes out an old $5,000 savings bond, spreading the wealth with the entire Tanner family. Franklin recalled that it was one of the first episodes where the Olsen twins had a prolonged scene.

“If you go back and watch it, that was the show where — and I think it was Ashley — it went to entirely another level,” Franklin told PEOPLE in an interview published on Thursday. “For the first time, we had an Olsen twin playing a scene that went on for minutes, and they hit all their cues, played the scene, never looked at the camera, never looked up at the boom, never looked at the audience, stayed in character, hit every joke.”

Franklin, who directed the episode, shared that the moment was “insane.” He praised the then-infant sisters for pulling off “something that doesn’t exist anywhere else on the planet.”

“I’ll just never forget it,” Franklin continued. “It was just miraculous. How is this possible? In what universe does this little one-year-old person have the audience in the palm of her hand and is hitting jokes? It was just jaw-dropping.”

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Jeff Franklin attends the 35th Annual BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on May 15, 2019Credit: John Wolfsohn/Getty

While their acting skills were impressive for infants, their Full House costars recently revealed that the two youngsters did occasionally squabble over scenes. For example, there was one episode where the Olsens had to decide on which sister would get the opportunity to be in a scene shot on a parade float at Disney World, a dream role for any kid.

“I’m sure Adria [Later] made it fair,” Andrea Barber, who played Kimmy, said on a recent episode of How Rude, Tanneritos, referencing the on-set teacher who was dubbed “the Michelle(s) wrangler.”

Barber continued, adding, “I’m sure there was something equivalent that she offered the other twin that didn’t ride in the float. I don’t know how they decide who gets to go… who’s behaving well that day?”

Mary-Kate Olsen, Bob Saget, and Ashley Olsen attend ‘Cool Comedy Hot Cuisine 2009’Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty

Starting their joint role as Michelle Tanner on Full House at just 9 months old, the Olsen twins went on to star in numerous films in their youth, including 1993’s Double, Double Toil and Trouble, 1995’s It Takes Two, and 2004’s New York Minute. After attending New York University and launching their luxury fashion house The Row in 2005, the two confirmed that they had retired from acting in 2012.

“I don’t have to be a pretty face,” Ashley told Ellein March 2012. “I’ve done that, but now it’s important and liberating to be on the other side of the lens. I don’t like to be the center of attention anymore.”

on Entertainment Weekly

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