Born: March 25, 1989 (age 26), Torrance, California, United States
Height: 1.73 m
Siblings: AJ Michalka
Music group: 78violet (2002 – 2009)
Parents: Mark Michalka, Carrie Michalka
BIOGRAPHY
Phil of the Future
Background:
First gaining attention as Keely Teslow, the best friend and girlfriend of Ricky Ullman's Phil, on the Disney Channel's original series “Phil of the Future” (2004-2006), Alyson Michalka later found new recognition as a singer when she launched a music album titled “In The Rush” (2005), alongside her sister Amanda Joy "AJ" Michalka.
As “Aly & AJ,” the two sisters subsequently released their follow-up albums, "Acoustic Hearts of Winter" (2006) and "Insomniatic" (2007), the latter of which spawned the chart-topping song "Potential Break-Up Song."
“We don't ever want to preach or shove anything down people's throats, but AJ and I want our music to be inspiring.” Alyson Michalka
Alyson also continued her acting career and starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Now You See It..." (2005). With her sister Amanda, she starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Cow Belles" (2006) and in the movie version of the MTV reality series “Super Sweet 16” (2007).
“People can get lost in a crowd. AJ and I are all about being no one but ourselves. You only have one life to live, so take advantage of it. Don't waste it by trying to be too perfect. We just want to remind people because they sometimes forget. Kids don't want to hear this stuff from their parents, but they'll accept it from someone they consider a contemporary.” Alyson Michalka
Aly
Childhood and Family:
On March 25, 1989, Alyson Renae Michalka (last name pronounced “Mish-AL-ka”) was born in Torrance, California, to parents Mark Michalka and Carrie Begley (was a cheerleader for the NFL's Oakland Raiders). Her younger sister, Amanda Joy Michalka, who was born on April 10, 1991, is also an actress and singer. They wrote and recorded their first album titled "Into the Rush" for Hollywood/Universal Records as “Aly & AJ,” which was released in early 2005.
Of German descendant Alyson, nicknamed "Aly," is home-schooled. Her favorite foods are sushi, tacos, candy (especially Ring Pops and Pop Rocks) and pasta. She likes to watch the movies “Willow” (1988), “Uptown Girls” (2003), “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) and “The School of Rock” (2003).
“I'm actually all finished with school. AJ and I have tutors on the road with us. We've been home schooled for quite some time and love the one-on-one with a teacher. It's interesting to see how we can study and maintain friendships, but somehow it all works out for us.” Alyson Michalka
In her free time, Alyson enjoys dancing, art, horseback riding, reading and hanging out with her two pet dogs, Saint and Bandit. She also enjoys drawing and her artistic talent was recognized by Hallmark Cards. At age 10, she won a contest for a Christmas card in 1999.
Alyson is also interested in fashion and sewing and wants to design clothing. She currently lives with her parents and sister in Los Angeles.
“Our parents keep us in line and down-to-earth. We have our own convictions and morals, which AJ and I are very committed to. There's no reason to stray from those beliefs. We get our strength from having each other to lean on.” Alyson Michalka
Cow Belles
Career:
At the age 5, Alyson Michalka was seen in stage productions in churches her family attended outside Seattle, Washington, and in Thousand Oaks California. As a young girl, she was featured in several musicals, including "Jailhouse Rock" and "A Time to Remember." She began playing the piano at age six and began studying acting at age eleven while working as a professional print model. At age thirteen, she began playing the guitar.
At age 13, Alyson, who had been auditioning for roles since the age of 11, was cast as Keely Teslow, the best friend and girlfriend of Ricky Ullman's Phil, on the Disney Channel's original series “Phil of the Future.” Her performance received a nomination at the Young Artist Awards for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actress.
About her character in “Phil of the Future,” Alyson described, “Keely has such a love for life. She's such a nice person and she loves people. She loves helping Phil with all of his problems and she's always had his back whenever he needs her. She's a very fun person and she's the best friend that you could ever wish for. I do share a lot of characteristics with her. She doesn't really worry about life and neither do I. She just kind of lets things happen. Her fashion sense is similar to mine, but I don't wear quite as bright colors like she does.”
During her “Phil of the Future” stint, Alyson, alongside her sister Amanda, was featured on two albums released by Disney in February 2005 and June 2005 respectively titled “Disneymania, Vol. 3” and “Disney Girlz Rock.” She also recorded the track "Do You Believe in Magic" for the Disney Channel Original Movie “Now You See It...”
Alyson and her sister Amanda also performed the song "Walking On Sunshine" for Walt Disney Pictures' 2005 film "Herbie Fully Loaded," starring Lindsay Lohan, and the song "No One" for the 2005 Disney live action film "Ice Princess," which was directed by Tim Fywell and stars Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall and Hayden Panettiere.
After signing a recording deal with Hollywood Records, Alyson and her sister Amanda, as “Aly & AJ,” made a pop-rock album together titled “Into the Rush,” which was released on August 16, 2005 (a deluxe edition was released on August 8, 2006). In order to promote the album's release, Alyson and Amanda made a movie, “Aly & AJ in Concert,” in which 16-year-old Alyson made her directorial debut. Featuring 14 tracks including the singles "Rush", "No One", "On the Ride", "Do You Believe in Magic" and "Walking on Sunshine," the album "Into the Rush" was eventually certified Platinum for sales of 1 million copies.
“AJ and I want to be a voice and accountable for the message in our music, what we're supporting and writing about. We stand for what we say. We won't back down from that. We're always gong to write from a genuine place in our hearts. If you don't do that, you can get lost.” Alyson Michalka
In 2006, Alyson co-starred with her sister Amanda in Disney Channel's failed comedy series "Haversham Hall" and "Cow Belles" (2006), in which the two real-life siblings played two spoiled rotten sisters. On living in Toronto while filming “Cow Belles,” Alyson recalled, “We visited all the cool, funky restaurants. We went to Little Italy, Little India. We went to Niagara Falls, even though I know that's not in Toronto.”
Meanwhile, Alyson also made guest appearances in such shows as ABC's weekday morning news show "Good Morning America," NBC’s reality television series "America's Got Talent," the syndicated television talk show "The Megan Mullally Show," and the reality television program "MTV Cribs."
On September 26, 2006, Aly & AJ released a Christmas album titled "Acoustic Hearts of Winter." The first single from the album was "Greatest Time Of Year" and it was used as a promotion for the 2006 film starring Tim Allen and Martin Short, "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.”
"Insomniatic" is Aly & AJ's third studio album. It was released on July 10, 2007, in the United States and will be released in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2007, with new cover art. However, the album was leaked onto the Internet just days before its release. All 12 songs on the standard edition of the album were posted on MTV.com's “The Leak” section on July 3, 2007.
"Insomniatic" has become Aly & AJ's highest debut to date. To promote their album, Aly & AJ sang an edit of the album's lead single, "Potential Breakup Song," on “Live with Regis & Kelly” on July 4, 2007, and gave a short interview on CBS’ morning news talk show "The Early Show" on July 9, 2007. They also took viewers backstage at one of their concert stops on MTV's "Total Request Live" on August 1, 2007, as well as did a short interview on ABC's “The View.”
Meanwhile, the song "Potential Breakup Song" and "Like Whoa" from the album "Insomniatic" are also featured in the movie version of the MTV reality series, “Super Sweet 16,” which stars Alyson and her sister Amanda. The DVD of the movie was released on the same day that Aly & AJ's album "Insomniatic" was released.
“We all have a special talent and passion. We just need the support of parents and friends to help us find it. And if you have a dream, always go for it and trust yourself.” Alyson Michalka
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