Interview March 2009

The Mary-Kate that most of us don't know is a very thoughtful, intelligent woman with a blistering sense of humor and an enterprise that makes even hard-working friends feel like they aren't doing enough with their days. She walks quietly into rooms and gives you her full attention when you talk to her. And you always leave kind of wishing you'd hugged her more. Lately, she's been focusing on acting, and won kudos for her delightful performance as a weed-smoking Phish fan in last year's love letter to New York in the '90s, The Wackness.

She and her sister are also hard at work on their two clothing lines, the higher end The Row and the more contemporary Elizabeth & James (the latter named after their other two siblings), and they are launching both shoe and men's collections later this year. The two even teamed up to publish a book of interviews last fall called Influence (Razorbill), in which they interviewed other artists and designers who have inspired them.