Christmas with TV's Top Tots

No, we're not at the taping of another Jackie Collins miniseries. And the main character in this scene is no sex siren. She's 4-year-old Ashley Olsen, who along with her twin sister, Mary-Kate, stars as cute, precocious Michelle Tanner on ABC's hit sitcom Full House. The series is about a widower (Bob Saget) raising his three kids with the help of his brother-in-law (John Stamos) and best friend (David Coulier).

This combination of three men and three "little ladies" (Mary-Kate/Ashley; Jodie Sweetin, who play middle sister Stephanie; and Candace Cameron, who portrays their older sister, D.J.) has proven irresistible for the teeny-bopper set. Full House regularly ranks among the top 20 shows and is the anchor of ABC's Friday night family-show lineup.

The scene described above, which has Saget, Coulier and Stamos teaching Michelle how to skip, has to be reshot six times. Ashley doesn't seem to mind. Between takes, Adria Later, the twins' acting coach and teacher, fees her cues, acting out what she must do in the scene. Various cast and crew members come up to Ashley, talking to her, hugging her, tickling her. Then the cameras roll, and she recites her lines again.

When the director is finally satisfied, Ashley trots off to the playroom, and Mary-Kate is brought out for a scene in which Comet, the family dog, licks her face over and over. Mary-Kate stands there, smiling, complacent. It's just another day on the set.

Full House fans may not know Ashley and Mary-Kate by name - or even that twins share the role - but the fraternal pair (no, they're not identical) have played Michelle since the show's debut in 1987. They were 9 months old then. Their parents had sent some family snapshots to a talent agency, encouraged by a friend's agent who worked there. "We didn't think anything would come of it," says their father, Dave Olsen. But the agency, liking what it saw, sent Ashley and Mary-Kate to their first audition - for the pilot of Full House. Twins were necessary for the role of baby Michelle because child-labor laws limit the amount of time an infant can be on camera.

"We saw seven sets of twins," recalls creator/executive producer Jeff Franklin. "There was no contest. The other kids were crying. Ashley and Mary-Kate had a great time. They were happy kids with these amazing big, blue eyes."

Now approaching 5 years old, Ashley and Mary-Kate have become so popular with television viewers that they have a TVQ rating second only to Bill Cosby's. A talking "Michelle" doll will be introduced in February.

Fortunately, fame hasn't turned the twins' heads. They seem remarkably well-adjusted. And very polite. Acting, to them, is simply lots of fun. "I like it because I have a dressing room and play school," says Ashley. Mary-Kate nods in agreement. "They don't think of acting as work," explains Monica Roth, their nanny and a family friend. "They started out so young, and it's just part of their life."

Still, it's clear that the wins love being in the limelight. Their biggest thrill came when they got the chance to sing with their favorite group, the Beach Boys, last year on Full House. They listen to Beach Boys tapes every day on the way to work.

Work, or play, as the girls view it, takes up about half their week. Legally, they can rehearse and perform a maximum of six-and-a-half hours daily. They rehearse from 11am to 4pm Tuesday, pre-tape from 2:15 to 7pm on Wednesday, and do final taping on Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30pm. The remainder of the week is spent in nursery school near their San Fernando Valley home.

The girls live with their father (a mortgage banker), their mother, Jarni, their 6-year-old brother, Trent, and baby sister, Elizabeth. They share a room at home and dress alike, although "I don't like to," Mary-Kate admits. They also share opinions - especially on boys. "They're digusting!" Ashley yells. "No boys!" Mary-Kate chimes in. They play house and collect stuffed animals. "I have 65 teddy bears," Ashley says proudly. Favorite outings include playing with friends and going for ice cream. They like going to the park more than anything else. And they're learning to do magic tricks. Their favorite cast member? John Stamos. "I got to go to his house and swim," says Mary-Kate.

On the set of their TV home, while one is acting, the other can be found playing in a dressing room adorned with alphabet posters and stuffed animals. "I'm going to make you a hamburger," Ashley announces to a visitor, as she pretends to fry a plastic burger on a play stove.

Ashley is the more verbal of the two. "Ash is rougher, tougher, spunkier twin," explains Later. "We use her in scenes when Michelle has to have a real attitude. For a sensitive scene, we use Mary-Kate. Mary-Kate will do something 20 times if I ask her. Ashley's had enough after five or six."

That doesn't mean Mary-Kate never has a star tantrum. Executives producer Franklin recalls on memorable scene in which Mary-Kate was required to have peanut butter on her hands. She didn't like it. "Mary-Kate wanted us to wash the peanut butter off. She said "If you don't, I'm going to start singing and I'm not going to stop." That's exactly what she did. It was her first realization that she could actually stop production.

"It's easier to work with them now that they're 4," says Franklin. "We can tell them what's going on in a scene, and we make it a game for them. They're amazing little troupers."

The main problem the girls' stardom has posed has been handling the mobs of overeager fans. "Ashley and Mary-Kate are recognized just about every place we go," their father admits. "It's too much attention. We went to Carmel and people were pulling us over, wanting photos - it's frightening."

What happens when the show - and all the attention - ends? "They're really grown attached to these people," says Olsen. "But if the show ends in the next year or two, I don't think it'll be much of a loss. Once Full House is over, I wouldn't push acting. I'm more concerned with the girls' education."

"With his flying reindeer," adds Mary-Kate. She has actually seen this. "Did you see the red nose?" asks Ashley, referring to Rudolph. Mary-Kate nods and says Santa waved to her. Upon hearing this, Ashley suddenly remembers that she, too, saw Santa. "His boots were sticking out," she recalls.

The twins will get to see Santa again soon-this time when their parents take them to a local shopping mall. Last year they received their best presents ever; matching bikes. This year, they're asking Santa for a teddy bear, a puppy and matching Barbie dolls.

To get in the Christmas spirit, Ashley and Mary-Kate will appear in the Hollywood Christmas Parade this month. "My arm might get tired from waving," worries Ashley.

On Christmas Eve, which they'll spend at home with their family, the twins will hang their stockings on the fireplace, then go to bed. Will they try to sneak a peek at Santa? "I am!" says Ashley. "You only get presents if you stay asleep," Mary-Kate chides her sister. "If you're bad, you don't get any."

Ashley then decides she won't stay up then. But she insists that she and Mary-Kate have been good all year, so getting presents should be no problem!