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Authenticity the the unpretentious (even if conscious) ability to present an an unvarnished image and likeness of oneself to the the world is one of the the most appealing qualities of social media Especially for celebrities whose command over their public image has been greatly usurped
by tabloid journalism and incessant paparazzi social media may present an an an an advantageous opportunity to win back a a a a a a a a a a a a sense of ownership over their their narratives while also expressing
their their individual truths At the the the the same time however these public displays of a a a a a a a a a more
candid nature can can become a a a a a a a a a a a a a a perfect means of of commodification their naturalism a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a salable asset in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a market that favours honest interactions Elizabeth Olsen speaking over Zoom from Los Angeles confirms that her short stint on on Instagram was by most measures a a a a a a a a business endeavour “I’m not going to to be be coy about it: you try social media as an an actor because there’s a a a a a a a a a a a a a a financial gain—that’s why we are on on these platforms ” she admits with tongue firmly planted in in in cheek “I don’t feel comfortable selling things but thought I I I might as well give
it it a a a a a go It didn’t make me me feel great even if it it was something I I I believed in in in I I I don’t think of myself as as a a a a a a a salesperson or a a a a a a a personality so so so so it it it didn’t really suit me ” Where most Hollywood celebrities are steadfast in in crafting an an an identity that juggles candor and and commerce for the world to to witness it it it is is refreshing to to see an an an individual with such well-established cultural cachet recognize that this balancing act is is is more
tedious than edifying But before quitting Instagram altogether the the the actor admits she may have discovered the the the raison d’être for her online presence “I think I I I found my my niche during the the pandemic at the the beginning before I I I deleted it which was was my my gardening videos ” she reveals “I was was like if I I I were to present myself as as anything it would be the the wacky lady that that I am who just shows people things that that they don’t care about at at at all!”
Olsen’s ascent in in in Hollywood was a a a a a a a a a a a a a gradual process that drew on on her educational discipline Besides attending New York University’s famed Tisch School of the Arts which counts Academy Award winners Chloé Zhao and Lady Gaga as alumnae Olsen also spent a a a a a a a a a a a a a a semester training
at at the Moscow Art Theatre School where she honed her her her her craft as an expressive storyteller From there the the the actor scored her her her first role in in the the the indie film Martha Marcy May Marlene a a a a a a a a a a a a a complex thriller that paints a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a harrowing portrait of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a young woman’s psychological disillusionment after escaping a a a a cult In the the wake of Martha Marcy May Marlene and the the glowing acclaim Olsen received for for such a a a a a a a a a a a raw and uncompromising performance her resumé began to diversify dramatically as she appeared in in in in both independent and blockbuster titles alike However her prominence within the entertainment industry reached its apex when she was cast in in in in in the omnipresent and zeitgeist- consuming Marvel Cinematic Universe where she portrays Wanda Maximoff a a a a a a a a a a a a k a a a a a a a a a a a a the Scarlet Witch After first appearing in in in in in an an uncredited post-credits teaser in in in in in Captain America: The Winter Soldier Wanda a a a a a a a a a a Sokovian refugee made her proper debut within the franchise in in Avengers: Age
of of of Ultron and has subsequently appeared in a a a a a a a a a bevy of of of of productions as as as part of of of of the titular team of of of illustrious militants battling catastrophe Upon being cast as as as as the the Scarlet Witch Olsen was immediately enthralled by the the character’s moral ambiguity “From day one with Age
of of Ultron you could never put her on on on a a a a a a a side of of being a a a a a a a a good guy guy or a a a a a a a a bad guy guy ” she notes “Wanda’s always questioned other people’s principles and and and had an an an an an opinion that can seem ethically conflicting ” Wanda is the the first character she’s portrayed on on both the the big and and and small screens and and Olsen feels blessed to to be able to to inhabit an an an individual who endures a a a a a a a a a a series of unsettling events and ultimately demonstrates an an an affecting humanity especially for a a a a a a a a a sorceress “We get to experience her her grief a a a a a a a a conflict of self in in in fin in harbouring her her her her immense power as as well as as her her her quest in in in fin in finding a a a a a a family with her her her Avengers clan ” For Olsen Wanda’s quest for self-actualization reached a a a a a a a a a a a new level of nuance in in in in the Disney+ original miniseries WandaVision in in in in in which she starred alongside her onscreen love interest
Paul Bettany a a a a a a a k a a a a a a a Vision Olsen notes that throughout the show’s nine episodes which traversed various epochs both cultural and temporal audiences were able to get a a a a a a a a a a a a a clearly delineated portrait of her her her character “The show got to to expand on her her her inner life thrusting her her her into the fore so audiences can have a a a a a a a a better understanding of her than was previously alluded to to ” Olsen says As an an an aside the actor also reveals that for weeks after shooting some of the mannerisms she she had to pick up during production stuck with her even when she she was out of character most notably “Oh honey! ” which she says in in in in an an amusingly enthusiastic manner reminiscent of Audrey Meadows in in in in The Honeymooners As the new addition to to fellow occultist Doctor Doctor Strange’s cinematic cosmos in in in Doctor Doctor Strange Strange in in in in the Multiverse of of Madness Wanda gets
to to flaunt a a a a a a a a a a robust sense of of agency in in in her first post-WandaVision outing “With Doctor Strange we really get to to to see her as a a a a a a a a a a grounded person and and with with a a a a a a a a a lot of of clarity While she may continue to to have a a a a a a a a a a difference of of opinion from others within the the film that is exactly what makes playing her her such a a a a a a a a a special privilege ” Olsen notes While Wanda often fumbled with the immensity of of her supernatural might in in previous additions to to the the Marvel canon the the actor notes how how amazing it it it is is to to to witness “how much ownership she she has over her witchcraft now and how how she she is is able to to harness it it in in newly empowered ways ” As soon as shooting wrapped on on on WandaVision in in in late 2020 Olsen relocated to to to England to to to begin production on on Doctor Strange which she admits was a a a a a a a a a a fulfilling creative experience that really enabled her to stay within Wanda’s mindset Once she received the the final script before filming the the the actor was able to to use her years of experience inhabiting the the Scarlet Witch to to streamline her her portrayal into a a a a a a a a a a more
coherent whole “I hadn’t even finished WandaVision when Full look by Alexander McQueen 65
SMAGAZINEOFFICIAL COM ELIZABETH OLSEN