The epitome of Young Hollywood, AJ (Amanda) Michalka is undeniably talented in both music and acting. Arriving to her photo shoot to the Kaplan’s personal house in Westlake, CA, Michalka was filled with genuine excitement after admiring the clothing rack that was rested out for her to take a look. Her older sister Aly, who graced the February/March 2011 issue of Zooey, also stopped by to rave over how striking AJ looked by the poolside. In nothing but color and patterns, AJ was everything pleasant, splendor, and more.
While Aly has been filming in Vancouver for her CW television series Hellcats, AJ has been pursuing a movie career. AJ, who has already been in the spotlight since her elementary years, can be seen in the upcoming J.J Abrams’ and Steven Spielberg’s movie Super 8.
“[Director] JJ Abrams is such an incredible visionary,” says AJ, “People are going to be blown away.” The movie, which premiered on June 10th, stars young talents Elle Fanning, Ryan Lee, and Gabriel Basso whom all portray a group of friends in the summer of 1979. The three middle school children begin noticing supernatural excitement in their small town and seek to discover what it all is.
AJ stars as the older sister of one of the lead boys in Super 8. “The chemistry on screen was great between us! Our characters have a lot sibling rivalry going on for sure.” She was also able to flaunt her sexuality in the movie with actor David Gallagher (7th Heaven). “I have a great scene with David Gallagher where my character definitely uses her sexuality as a ploy. Something I would not recommend in real life but it was very fun to play.”
Produced by acclaimed director and producer Spielberg, AJ was thrilled to have met him. “He could not be more down to earth and kind,” she describes. “The combination of he and JJ is brilliant. The vibe on set was very easy going. JJ uses a lot of the same crew on all of his projects so there are no attitudes involved. It is all about the work.”
Photographed by: Amanda Elkins Styled by: Kristna Van Dyk Makeup by: Kristina Goldberg Hair by: Robert Ramos