Elizabeth Olsen got her start in indies, but not because she was afraid of stepping into the spotlight.
"I didn't really have another option—those were the jobs I was getting," the humble 25-year-old Martha Marcy May Marlene movie star says in Marie Claire's May 2014 cover story. "I feel very lucky that the reviewers have been on my side, even when it comes to a project that isn't so great. I was seizing every opportunity. I'm not embarrassed by my work in them or anything—it's all learning."
Elizabeth—who is hailed as "fresh face" alongside fellow cover girls Emilia Clarke, Elle Fanning, Kate Mara and Lupita Nyong'o—is shaking things up with her next two movies, Godzilla and The Avengers: Age of Ultron. "The cool thing is the studio pieces I have been lucky to become a part of are ensemble pieces, so it's not like I have this Hunger Games on my back," the engaged actress tells the magazine of her slow transition into blockbuster movies. "It's not going to skyrocket one person; it's a team thing."
Unlike some actresses her age, Elizabeth wants to be known for her talents rather than for her personal life. "I definitely know what kind of lifestyle I want to have. Some people recognize you for your work, not for being pictured going to clubs. So, I try and keep that kind of profile that people know you from your work and that's it," she says. "There are some jobs that I've said no to, because I know what kind of attention they will bring. I choose not to have that specific kind of attention."
As the younger sister of fashion designer twins Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, Elizabeth knows how tricky fame can be. "Everyone has their hurdle to get over, and if mine is that I have to [prove] I've earned my jobs, I'm OK with that," she tells the mag. "I'm in it for a ride, and I'm in it for the long run."
Still, having a famous namesake doesn't hurt. Plus, the twins named one of their fashion lines Elizabeth & James, which happens to be the given name of their brother. Of course, Elizabeth insists she's not their muse: "God, no. I just try and see what they do and copy them like the rest of the world does."
If Elizabeth keeps doing what she's doing, it won't be long until the world starts copying her, too!