AJ–J14 Interview.

AJ Michalka has been in the spotlight since she was eleven years old, but her newest role in Secretariat might be her most exciting one yet! J-14 chatted with the star about her new movie, her experience with the Chenery family (who the movie is based on), and her big sis Aly!

J-14: Could you tell us a little about Secretariat?
AJ Michalka: I think for me the story is so incredible. This is a racehorse that came in as an underdog and became one of the greatest athletes of our time. From 1969 to 1973, was a time where the Chenery family was struggling a little bit. Kenny was off taking care of the horse and getting him ready for racing and it really tested their strength as a family. They ended up getting through it, and they had an incredible racehorse to just be honored by. It was an incredible racing story and the horse ended up winning the Triple Crown in record time in 1973 and he is still considered one of the greatest racing horses of all time. It’s really neat, but the cool thing about it is that the movie is not just about the racing horse but the family behind it and the connection and relationship the family has with each other, which is really beautiful. It is also a beautiful family movie not just a racing story.

J-14: What is your character like?
AJ: I love my character. I play the second oldest daughter of the Chenery family. Kate is really fun she has a really great relationship with her mom and they’re very much alike. When I got to know the real Kate and Penny, I saw how much alike they were and it reminded me of my mom and I. They’re both really strong women who have been through a lot together. Kate is just a free-spirited woman and when she was younger she was the same away. She kind of just goes for the gold, whatever she is passionate about she goes for, and that is how I am in real life.

J-14: How are you like your character in real life?
AJ: I am like her in the sense that, no necessarily the hippy stuff she went through later in life, but definitely the side where she is very outgoing, fierce, free-spirited, vivacious and really just passionate about what she loves. That’s me, I look at something and I’m a go-getter. If there is something I’m into I’m in 200% and that’s like Kate.

J-14: What was it like meeting the real life family behind the story?
AJ: It was amazing. I was able to sit down and watch old racing footage with the Chenery family and talk to Kate about what she was like when she was younger and I would take notes. I mean it’s really cool, not everyone can say they can meet the person they are going to portray in a film. The studying we did, me and Diane {Lane} and a few other people, was pretty cool because that’s not necessary normal in this business.

J-14: You and your sister Aly used to do a lot together and now you’re moving apart. Is that a conscious decision or is it just part of growing up and spreading your wings?
AJ: We always knew that theatrically we would do most of it separately. We are open to doing films together in the future if we’re really passionate about doing it as a team. Music is something that has always been both of us as one. We both write together and perform together. That has always been something that we consciously knew. We knew that we wanted to be a band and do music together but when it comes to acting, it was just kind of natural to separate a little bit. Aly booked a show (Hellcats) and off she went to Canada. I am so happy for her, the show is doing really well and it’s amazing. I’m really proud of her with Easy A out and The Roommate coming out. We have just been able to really work on our skills, not just together, but separately which I think is really important. As sisters it’s greats to do a lot together, but you also want to have the freedom and ability to know that you can function the same way alone as you can together. We’re still super close and we see each other as much as we can even though Aly lives in Canada now part-time. The music is not going away, it is just set-aside right now with so much acting going on. Our fans are being so patient, but we just need to make the right record and tour that record because that’s what we were born to do. We love it, but we’re just focused on the acting.

Credit:J14

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‘Belong Here’–Hellcats Theme Song Clip.

Aly& AJ’s FIRST OFFICIAL song as 78violet. Thoughts?

Thanks to@78violetST

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AJ @ ELLE and Express“25 At 25″Event

AJ looked gorgeous at this event yesterday. I found some lovely pics with her and Ryan Blair too.

Link:-October 7th: ELLE and Express“25 At 25″ Event{+31}

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AJ–Radio Disney&Teen Vogue Videos.

Thanks to78violetSource

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Twitpic Update.

Link:-Other>Twitpics{+4}

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AJ talks Anti-Gay Bullying

AJ appears around 1:20

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The Prisoner’s Song Stills

I found stills from the episode The Prisoner’s Song which weren’t released prior to the episode being aired. Hopefully we can get HQ versions without the CW tag soon.

Link:-Episode Stills>105: The Prisoner’s Song{+5}

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Aly&AJ Interview on Intuition

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ET Online Interview

AlyandAJ Michalkamake beautiful music as78violet, and the singing-acting duo may be the busiest sisters in the biz.

The musical siblings are multiple threats as singer-songwriters, actors and even video game accessory designers (with a signature line of guitar controllers for Wii, Guitar Hero and Rock Band), not to mention’s Aly’s illustrations in their four-book seriesAly& AJ’s Rock‘n Roll Mysteries. In addition to working on a new album as 78violet, AJ is currently starring on the big screen in‘Secretariat’ and will next have a role inJ.J. Abrams‘ upcoming movie‘Super 8.’ Aly can be seen on the big screen in‘Easy A’ oppositeEmma Stoneand on TV in The CW cheerleader series“Hellcats” oppositeAshley Tisdale.

“It takes a certain amount of focus and fearlessness to be involved in that sport,” says Aly. Although she no formal training as a cheerleader, their mom was a cheerleader for the Rams and Raiders and UCLA,“so I definitely have some legit blood in me.”

The two appear to get along famously and insist that there’s no sibling rivalry between them:“We go out for the same parts every once in awhile, and that we kind of laugh about because we’re completely different people,” says Aly.“Even if {one of us did land it}, I think we would be super supportive of each other, because if I want anybody else to book a role that’s not me, I want it to be AJ.”

Aly and AJ (21 and 19 years old respectively) are moving on from their previous personas as“Aly& AJ,” having already become platinum-selling artists with two hit albums and back-to-back sold-out tours in 2006 and 2007. They were nominated for an American Music Award, and their“Potential Breakup Song” has been RIAA certified with sales of more than a million downloads. So why the change?

“We’re women now and we’re growing up,” says AJ.“It was time for a change.”

“Our sound is changing, and the changes that are happening are natural and it’s been a slow progression,” says Aly, who explains the origins of their new band name:“Purple and violet have been a huge part of out lives— it’s a really powerful color. 78 stands for platinum in the periodic table of elements. The definition of platinum means that no substance can corrode it, and I was like,‘Dude, that’s our relationship. We cannot be corroded. Our relationship as sisters is unstoppable.”

Source:ET

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The Match Game Preview

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Venice Magazine Outtakes

Aly looks gorgeous in these outtakes from Venice outtakes!

Link:-Photoshoot 63 (Patrick Fraser for Venice){+5}

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The story behind“It’s Who You Are”

She has a successful career as an actress, musician, and songwriter, is the Youth Ambassador for Return to Freedom, a non-profit wild-horse sanctuary and sings the end-credit song ofSecretariatIts Who You Are. Previously, she was a co-chair of the AmberWatch Foundation, an organization that promotes child safety and awareness. This article belowdescribes the production of the song.

Secretariatdirector Randall Wallace called on Nick Glennie-Smith to create the score for Secretariat. But for the end-credit song, Wallace called on his own songwriting experience to craft Its Who You Are. I began working on the song as part of my own private journey to see the heart of the story, says Wallace, who pursued a career in the music industry before switching his focus to film.

In a film thats about the greatest racehorse of all time and the journey he sparked, Its Who You Are was written, says Wallace, to address the question: what is the heart of victory? But the director didnt know whod actually singSecretariats end-credit song until cast members read through a scene in which Pennys daughter Kate, portrayed by AJ Michalka, is in a musical pageant that her mother is sadly unable to attend. During the pageant, says Wallace, Kate sings Silent Night, and at the read-through AJ sang it full voice. Wallace was impressed; he later asked Michalka to sing the song. They recorded the demo at Dockside Studios in Maurice, LA.

We had a blast recording It’s Who You Are says Michalka. Musically there is such an amazing vibe in Louisiana, so to lay down a version of the song at a beautiful studio overlooking a river is something I’ll never forget. Randall got out his guitar, I got on the piano and we shared a kum-ba-yah moment.

Secretariatopens on10 December 2010 in theaters in the UK.

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Bandslam DVD offers!

Amazon and HMV are having DVD offers, including the Aly Michalka-featuring filmBandslamamong them! In the film,Charlotte (Michalka) and Will (Burton) develop an unlikely bond through their shared love of music, leading up to them forming a rock group and perform in a battle of the bands competition called“Bandslam.”

Order the DVD in the USthrough Amazon for $10.49$19.99(48% off)or UKvia HMV for4.4917.99(75% off)!!

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Both AJ&Aly in the box office!

Box-Office Wrap-Up: Oct. 15 Oct. 17, 2010

4 (3).Secretariat
Disney’s Secretariat (featuring AJ) opened at #3 last week, grossing $18 million. Dropping with only a 25% drop, grossing $9.5 million this weekend is a bit of a disappointment to Disney, expecting the film to perform much better.

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9 (8).Easy A
The Emma Stone (features Aly as Rhiannon) film opened at #2 with a weekend of $17,7 million 5 weeks ago. Slowly dropping its way to #9, the film sums up to a total gross of $52 million.

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Both films are in theaters now!Easy Aopens 22 October 2010 in the UK.

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Hellcats 1.06 Screencaps and download

Enjoy the screencaps and upload of Hellcats episode 6! I am sorry for the delay! I was wondering what your thoughts are about the episode being up for download. Do you use the download link? Do you watch the episode online or you don’t use the link at all? Please let me know. I want to know your thoughts!

Links:
-Hellcats S01E06 Download
-View Online
- Gallery>106: Ragged Old Flag

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Hellcats Stills and Preview–Fun

Link: -Episode Stills>107: The Match Game

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Aly&AJ at RED premiere video

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Aly and Craig in Vancouver

I just found pictures of Aly with her hellcats co star Craig Anderson on set. Enjoy!

Link: -Making the Series– Behind the Scenes>October 12, 2010{+8}

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Aly Michalka’s all about the art

With her Hellcats premiere on The CW and Easy A set for a wide theatrical release, Aly Michalka is a burning hot property right now. She definitely knows it, yet she is impressively cool about all of it. Just a nice, refreshingly articulate, stunningly beautiful, California girl, radiating with a humble self-assuredness (a by-product of her loving family support system), and a confidence earned from a considerable collection of outstanding show business achievements. There are no big ego issues. No bitchy attitude problems. No diva behavior. No carousing at clubs or cavorting on red carpets. Aly Michalka would rather focus on her art.

When did you know that you wanted to make a living as a performer?I had been acting in plays when I was very young and also doing a lot of role-playing stuff with my sister just for fun. When I was about nine years old, I got the idea that I wanted to do all this on a big level. Be in movies. Play concerts. When you are nine, youre not old enough to take any of the realities into consideration, to think that maybe you cant or wont be able to do something. So you just think big and go for something big! {laughs}

As you got older and saw more of the realities involved, what made you want to stick it out and endure the rigors of show business?As I got older, I just became more passionate about the art. Writing songs. Performing. Doing good quality work as an actor. Im not interested in artistic pursuits for money or fame or accolades. I just want to make art that will hopefully make people feel inspired.

Did you follow the somewhat standard strategy of doing modeling and commercial work before getting your big break on The Disney Channel series?I did do some modeling for a while, but I actually never booked a commercial. I didnt get my SAG card until I booked my first TV show, which was Phil of the Future. That show, and the level of responsibility one has to carry when doing a television series, really helped me grow both as an actor and a person. It helped me gain a lot of confidence.

As you and your sister AJ got a little older, you changed the name of your band from Aly& AJ to 78violet. And themusic changed a little, too. Describe the sound of 78violet.Well, though the melodies are pop melodies, the songs are very heavily influenced by rock and definitely have a rock sound, not just a pop sound. And, yes, our music has changed a bit over the years as weve gotten a little older and started to have more freedom and more to say. My sister and I are both singer-songwriters. We do not want to be pop stars.

Who are your musical influences?A lot of classic rock. The Police, Heart, The Beach Boys, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin. I also love Radiohead, and U2 is one of my favorite bands.

You two have worked with some real heavy hitters in the music industry: Nancy Wilson from Heart, Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, and super producer and session player Mike Elizondo. What is your affiliation with them?Weve done a lot of songwriting with Nancy Wilson and we are definitely going to have some of those collaborations on our next album. As for Rivers Cuomo, we are just great fans of his and we called him up and asked him if hed like to write with us. He was very apprehensive at first, because he had kind of given up on the idea of writing with other people. But after we worked together, he thanked us because he said the experience opened him up to writing with other people and collaborating creatively with other artists again. The idea of artists inspiring each other to do good work is really important to me. Its what its all about.

What is the difference between music and acting for you in terms of artistic satisfaction?With music, everything is more personal because you are in the creative process of songwriting essentially by yourself. You get to feel a personal satisfaction from having created everything. With acting, its much more of a collaborative effort with many other people a director, a whole cast and crew. So when you see the finished product, you are looking at your own work, but it is your work through the vision of many other people. I love both music and film. They both keep me very balanced. Doing music alone would make me crazy. And, if all I did was act, I think I would get bored between projects, when I wasnt working. With music, between the writing, recording, and the touring, you are always working! I definitely need them both.

What would you do if you couldnt have them as a career anymore? If the work dried up and the phone stopped ringing?Id still make music. Id sell it out of my car. If I had to pick something outside the entertainment business, I think Id be an interior designer. There would still be creativity involved.

InEasy A, which revolves around humorous high school drama, you play the part of Rhiannon, a girl who turns on her best friend. How would you describe Rhiannon, and who did you draw from to play her?Rhiannon is abrasive, blunt, and fun. Yes, she does turn on her friend, but she does it because she is hurt and needs to lash out. I think everyone goes through these kinds of things in relationships with friends at some point. I know I have. Rhiannon is a crazier, louder version of who I am. Her openness and frailness are things that I drew from myself and the way that I behave. Im just not as rash as she is. Her rashness is something I had to pull from some other people that I know. {laughs}

You worked with such a great cast inEasy A. Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow. What was the best part of that experience?Watching all of the improvisation, especiallyby Lisa Kudrow! And getting to watchgreat actors like Stanley Tucci playing theseweird, quirky roles. Such a switch from the other roles weve seen them play. It wasjust fun watching them all bring somethingnew and fresh to the set!

Your circle of friends includes Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Zac Efron, and Dan Byrd. Young Hollywood has a reputation for getting into trouble with substance abuse and the law, and they tend to blame the pressures of show business and falling prey to the temptations of Hollywood, yet you and your friends manage to be in the same environment and avoid all of the pitfalls. What keeps you guys out of courtrooms and jail cells?Well, I cant really judge anything that Lindsay or any of those girls do because I really dont know anything about their situations. Ive been fortunate enough to be blessed with a great family life and I do think that, in general, the choices you make do have something to do with the way you were raised and the friends that you have around you. We all surround ourselves with good friends that we really trust and we all have a focus that we dont lose sight of. Personally, I really dont like the club scene. All the loud noise and people yelling. Id rather be in a more intimate setting, in my pajamas having a nice dinner.

As an intelligent go-getter from the wrong side of the tracks, Marti, your character on Hellcats, has a lot of drama going on in her life. What got you interested in the role?Her fearlessness, her passion, her love for life. All of that really resonated with me. Also, her relationships. Shes really great with her friends, but involved in such a toxic relationship with her mom. I just found her to be an interesting and layered character. Constantly changing and growing.

Marti did not have any direct cheerleading experience before she tried out for the Hellcats squad. Did you have any cheerleading experience before you got cast as Marti?No, but I do have a dance background. Hip Hop. Freestyling. Competitive dancing when I was a teenager. I definitely took all of that background with me, but I didnt learn any actual cheerleading moves until the first few weeks on the set.

Did you know Ashley Tisdale before Hellcats?Yes. Weve known each other for years. We were in the same acting class together when I was eleven years old.

Do you find that having that level of familiarity with Ashley helps add to the believability of the work you do together? Does it help make it easier to do scenes with her?Yes. There is a level of comfort that we share with each other that definitely helps. And, coming from similar backgrounds in the industry, we both have the same work ethic and approach the work in the same way. I love that we have a friendship on the set and off. Its nice to work with people you still want to hang out with after we wrap.

Marti has different relationships with different characters on the show, so you are certainly playing a lot of different notes as an actor. Which of Martis relationships provide the most enjoyment for you?My favorite scenes are my scenes with Gail OGrady, who plays my mom. The heart-to-hearts that Marti has with her, where there is a role reversal and Marti is the one taking care of her mom instead of its being the other way around. You just feel so sorry for both of them. Those are my favorite scenes.

In an industry where a lot of very talented actors and musicians cant get any work, your career continues to flourish and expand. Whats the best part of all of it? What do you enjoy the most?The end result of a project is my favorite part. Seeing a finished product on the screen or an album produced or the audience reaction to a live concert. And, if I can inspire people with my work, thats always something that makes me very happy.

Whats the downside?Not being able to spend as much time with my family as Id like. Thats the biggest sacrifice. Theres also a lack of privacy issue and, with the long hours, things can get a bit lonely at times. I realized recently that I never have a chance to have a proper dinner anymore. Things get so busy that I find myself only having something like a bowl of chicken soup for dinner. I miss having normal dinners.

Youve been very successful at getting work. What advice would you give to an actor going out for a part? Any audition techniques you want to share?Well, the usual thingsmake sure to memorize your lines and create a backstory for your character. Directors really like when you come in prepared like that. Do not get competitive with other actors. Remember that you are your own competition. And dont worry about any of it! If you dont get a job, dont obsess over it and over why you didnt get it. Sometimes they pick or dont pick someone based on the color of their eyes or how tall they are or other things you have no way of knowing or controlling. Just trust that everything really does happen for a reason. At the end of the day, we as humans should really be worried about much bigger things. {laughs}

Source:Venice

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Red LA Premiere

Aly and AJ attended the Red Premiere and looked stunning. Nice to see them together again!

Link:-October 11th: LA‘Red’ Premiere{+51}

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AJ attends Education’s 15th Benefit Concert

AJ looked lovely in her black dress last night. She attended the event with Ryan Blair. More pictures to come!

Link:-October 9th: Andre Agassi Foundation for Education’s 15th Benefit Concert

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Hellcats 1.05 Screencaps and download

Enjoy the screencaps and upload of Hellcats episode 5!

Links:
-Hellcats S01E04 Download
-View Online
- Gallery>105: The Prisoners Song

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