# Aly Michalka

Alyson Michalka (/miːˈʃɑːkə/ mee-SHAH-kə; born March 25, 1989) 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).
Michalka is half of the musical duo Aly & AJ (briefly 78violet) alongside her sister, AJ.

## Early life

Michalka 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". Her parents are divorced.
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.

## Career
### Acting

In 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. 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. In 2011, Michalka made a guest appearance on CSI: NY. 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. Michalka had a recurring role on the CW series iZombie for the first and second season, and became a regular cast member for season three. 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.

### Music

Michalka 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, 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. In December 2015, they confirmed that they had returned to their original name, "Aly & AJ". In April 2016, they confirmed plans to release new music for an upcoming studio album. On June 2, 2017, they announced a new single, titled "Take Me". It served as the lead single from their EP, planned to be released on July 14, 2017. 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

In 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. Michalka gave birth to their son on April 21, 2024.

## Filmography
### Film

| 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 | |
| 2013 | Grown Ups 2 | Bikini Girl Savannah | |
| 2014 | Sequoia | Reilly MacGrady | |
| 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

| 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 | Television film |
| 2006 | Haversham Hall | Hope Mason | Unaired television pilot |
| 2007 | Punk'd | Herself | Episode dated May 29, 2007 |
| 2007 | Super Sweet 16: The Movie | Taylor Tiara | Television film |
| 2007 | 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 |
| 2015–2019 | iZombie | Peyton Charles | Main role; 56 episodes |
| 2016 | Cupcake Wars Celebrity | Herself / Contestant | Episode: "Cupcakes in Space" |
| 2016 | Motive | Chloe Wilson | Episode: "In Plain Sight" |
| 2017, 2021 | MacGyver | Frankie | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Episode: "Hell's Riders" |
| 2018 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Episode: "Aly & AJ vs. Adrienne Houghton" |
| 2022 | The Good Doctor | Lexi Dunn | Episode: "Yippee Ki-Yay" |

### Web

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017–2019 | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | Amy | Main role; 14 episodes |

## Discography

Soundtrack appearances :
| Year | Track | Album |
| 2009 | "Amphetamine" | Bandslam |
| 2009 | "I Want You to Want Me" | Bandslam |
| 2009 | "Someone to Fall Back On" | Bandslam |
| 2010 | "Brand New Day" | Hellcats (Music from the Television Series) |
| 2010 | "Belong Here" | Hellcats (Music from the Television Series) |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 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 |