Alyson Michalka[1] (/miːˈʃɑːkə/ mee-SHAH-kə;[2] born March 25, 1989[3]) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka rose to prominence with her starring role as Keely Teslow in the Disney Channel sitcom Phil of the Future (2004–2006). She went on to appear in various films, such as Bandslam (2009), Easy A (2010), The Roommate (2011), Grown Ups 2 (2013), Sequoia (2014), Weepah Way for Now (2015), and The Lears (2017). She had starring roles in The CW comedy drama series Hellcats (2010–2011) and the CW crime drama series iZombie (2015–2019), along with the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, Sand Dollar Cove (2021).
Aly Michalka | |
|---|---|
 Michalka in 2017 | |
| Born | Alyson Michalka March 25, 1989 Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Works | |
| Spouse |
Stephen Ringer (m. 2015) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | AJ Michalka (sister) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels |
|
| Member of | Aly & AJ |
Michalka is half of the musical duo Aly & AJ (briefly 78violet) alongside her sister, AJ.
Early life
editMichalka was born in Torrance, California, USA. She grew up in Seattle, Washington, and Southern California with her younger sister, Amanda Joy "AJ", who is also an actress and musician. Her father, Mark, owns a contracting company, and her mother, Carrie, is a musician who performed with the Christian rock band "JC Band".[4][5] Her parents are divorced.[6]
Michalka has played the piano since she was five and started playing the guitar at the age of 13. She started acting when she was five years old in church play productions her family attended outside Seattle, Washington and Thousand Oaks, California. She was raised as a Christian.[7][8][9][10][11]
Career
editActing
editIn 2004, Michalka was cast in the role of Keely Teslow on the Disney Channel's Phil of the Future. The series premiered on June 18, 2004. In August 2006, Disney Channel ended the series after two seasons. She has also starred in the Disney Channel original movie Now You See It..., and appeared in the TV movie Cow Belles opposite her sister. Michalka and her sister starred in several projects produced by the Disney Channel and MTV. In 2007, they appeared in the MTV film Super Sweet 16: The Movie based on the MTV series My Super Sweet 16. In August 2009, she co-starred in the Walden Media film Bandslam.[12] In April 2010, The CW announced Michalka was cast in the main role of Marti Perkins on the cheerleading drama series Hellcats. Despite a successful premiere, ratings dropped, and in May 2011, The CW announced the show was not renewed for a second season.[13] In 2011, Michalka made a guest appearance on CSI: NY.[14] In 2010 and 2011 respectively, Michalka had major supporting roles in films Easy A and The Roommate. In 2013, Michalka appeared in the independent drama film, Crazy Kind of Love, alongside Eva Longoria, Virginia Madsen and Amanda Crew.
In 2013, Michalka participated in a multi-episode role on the sitcom Two and a Half Men. In July 2014, she and her sister filmed the independent drama Weepah Way for Now in Laurel Canyon, California; Michalka also participated in the casting process and production for the film. The movie was written and directed by her husband, Stephen Ringer, and premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 16, 2015.[15] Michalka had a recurring role on the CW series iZombie[16][17] for the first and second season, and became a regular cast member for season three.[18] On April 19, 2016, she was announced as a cast member for the comedy film The Lears, an adaptation based on the Shakespearean play King Lear.[19]
Music
editMichalka and her sister AJ formed the musical duo Aly & AJ in 2004. They released their first album, Into the Rush, on August 16, 2005. In September 2006, they released a holiday album, Acoustic Hearts of Winter, featuring cover songs and two original songs. In July 2007, their third album, Insomniatic, was released, featuring the Billboard top 20 hit single, "Potential Breakup Song". The duo changed their name to 78violet and were set to release a fourth album in early 2010,[20] but the project never materialized following their departure from Hollywood Records. Several years later, in the summer of 2013, they returned with new music, releasing their first single, "Hothouse", on July 8, 2013.[21] In December 2015, they confirmed that they had returned to their original name, "Aly & AJ".[22] In April 2016, they confirmed plans to release new music for an upcoming studio album.[23] On June 2, 2017, they announced a new single, titled "Take Me".[24][25] It served as the lead single from their EP, planned to be released on July 14, 2017.[25] On May 7, 2021, they released A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun.
Personal life
editIn 2012, Michalka began dating independent film producer Stephen Ringer, whom she met on the set of Sequoia. The couple became engaged in Big Sur, California, in July 2014. They married in Portofino, Italy, on June 6, 2015.[26] Michalka gave birth to their son on April 21, 2024.[27]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Bandslam | Charlotte Barnes | |
| 2010 | Easy A | Rhiannon Abernathy | |
| 2011 | The Roommate | Tracy Long | |
| 2013 | Crazy Kind of Love | Janine Bosh | [28] |
| Grown Ups 2 | Bikini Girl Savannah | ||
| 2014 | Sequoia | Reilly MacGrady | [29][30] |
| 2015 | Weepah Way for Now | Elle | Also co-producer, production designer and costume designer |
| 2017 | The Lears | Regan Lear | |
| 2021 | Sand Dollar Cove | Elli | |
| TBA | Killing Winston Jones | Cookie Jones |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2006 | Phil of the Future | Keely Teslow | Main role; 43 episodes |
| 2005 | Now You See It... | Allyson Miller | Television film |
| 2006 | Cow Belles | Taylor Callum | |
| Haversham Hall | Hope Mason | Unaired television pilot | |
| 2007 | Punk'd | Herself | Episode dated May 29, 2007 |
| Super Sweet 16: The Movie | Taylor Tiara | Television film | |
| Aly & AJ: Sister Act | Herself | Television special | |
| 2010–2011 | Hellcats | Marti Perkins | Lead role; 22 episodes |
| 2011 | CSI: NY | Miranda Beck | Episode: "Keep It Real" |
| 2012 | Breaking In | Heather Young | Episode: "Heathers" |
| 2013–2014 | Two and a Half Men | Brooke | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2014 | Anger Management | Lauren | Episode: "Charlie and Sean's Twisted Sister" |
| 2015 | Chevy | Molly | Unsold television pilot[31][32] |
| 2015–2019 | iZombie | Peyton Charles | Main role; 56 episodes |
| 2016 | Cupcake Wars Celebrity | Herself / Contestant | Episode: "Cupcakes in Space" |
| Motive | Chloe Wilson | Episode: "In Plain Sight" | |
| 2017, 2021 | MacGyver | Frankie | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Episode: "Hell's Riders" |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Episode: "Aly & AJ vs. Adrienne Houghton" | ||
| 2022 | The Good Doctor | Lexi Dunn | Episode: "Yippee Ki-Yay"[33] |
Web
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2019 | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | Amy | Main role; 14 episodes |
Discography
edit| Year | Track | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Amphetamine" | Bandslam |
| "I Want You to Want Me" | ||
| "Someone to Fall Back On" | ||
| 2010 | "Brand New Day" | Hellcats (Music from the Television Series) |
| "Belong Here" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress | Phil of the Future | Nominated | |
| 2006 | American Music Awards | Contemporary Inspirational Artists of the Year | Into the Rush | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Female Scene Stealer | Easy A & The Roommate | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Napa Film Festival | Special Jury Award: Acting in a Lounge Feature Film | Weepah Way for Now | Won |
References
edit- ^ Grossberg, Josh (June 27, 2008). "Alleged Aly & AJ Stalker Arraigned". Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Semigran, Aly (August 14, 2009). "Aly Michalka, actor and musician". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "Famous birthdays for March 25: Big Sean, Sarah Jessica Parker". United Press International. March 25, 2021. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ Axson, Scooby (July 7, 2006). "Article: Pop sisters: Better known for their acting, Aly and AJ leap onto music... | AccessMyLibrary – Promoting library advocacy". AccessMyLibrary. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
- ^ "Tweenage Riot". Blender Magazine. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ "Aly Michalka". frankbefrank.com. September 1, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ "78 Violet, 11/05 – Interviews – Christian Music Today". Christianitytoday.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
- ^ "Tweenage Riot Article on Blender". Blender.com. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
- ^ Grounded in Faith – Today's Christian Archived June 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Aly & AJ, 11/05 – Interviews – Christian Music Today". Christianitytoday.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
- ^ "Grounded in Faith – Today's Christian". Archived from the original on February 17, 2007.
- ^ Aly & AJ Writing New Songs, Plot Films. Billboard. January 10, 2008.
- ^ Stanhope, Kate (May 17, 2011). "The CW Renews One Tree Hill and Nikita, Cancels Hellcats". TV Guide. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (July 28, 2011). "'Hellcats' star to appear on 'CSI: NY'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "Los Angeles Film Festival Unveils Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. May 5, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 8, 2014). "The CW New Series For Fall 2014 – 'The Flash' and 'iZombie'". TVLine. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (January 11, 2015). "iZombie Premiering March 17th; Supernatural Moving Back to Wednesdays". IGN. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (May 23, 2016). "'iZombie' promotes Aly Michalka to series regular". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ "Bruce Dern, Anthony Michael Hall to Star in 'King Lear' Adaptation (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- ^ "New Album Delayed?" Archived July 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Aly & AJ Reaction. November 9, 2008.
- ^ "Aly and AJ Return As 78Violet, Announce 'Hothouse' Single". Billboard. June 8, 2013.
- ^ "Aly & AJ Are Back! (Goodbye, 78violet)". Idolator. December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ^ Michalka, Aly [@alyandaj] (April 5, 2016). "P.S. We'll be writing and recording this upcoming record with Mike Elizondo and Ryan Spraker" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Michalka, Aly [@alyandaj] (June 4, 2017). "Aly&AJ Take Me" (Tweet). Retrieved June 5, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Norwin, Alyssa (June 2, 2017). "Aly & AJ Just Released A New Song & Everyone's Freaking Out — Listen To 'Take Me'". Hollywood Life. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^ Harrison, Lily (June 8, 2015). "Aly Michalka Is Married!". E! Online. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ Irvin, Jack (June 10, 2024). "Aly Michalka Welcomes First Baby, a Boy, with Husband Stephen Ringer: 'Everything We Could Imagine' (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (August 26, 2011). "Thesps sign up for 'Long Time Gone'". Variety. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "Aly Michalka Stars In Sequoia Movie". Disneydreaming.com. November 14, 2012. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ^ "Aly Michalka Shares A Photo From The Set Of Sequoia". Disneydreaming.com. November 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016.
- ^ Hibberd, James; Abrams, Natalie (May 8, 2015). "ABC rejects Chevy Chase Vacation reunion sitcom". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "Development Update: Friday, May 8 – Odds & Ends". The Futon Critic. May 8, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ Schwartz, Ryan (February 22, 2022). "Good Doctor Casts Aly and AJ michalka as Fractured Sister Act - First Look". TVLine. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
External links
edit- Aly Michalka at IMDb