Who is AJ Michalka?
Amanda Joy ‘AJ’ Michalka was born in Torrance, California USA, on 10 April 1991 – her zodiac sign is Aries, and she holds American nationality. She’s an actress, film script writer, producer, and a singer, who has appeared in more than 50 movies and TV series, while she’s probably still known best for her portrayal of the main character Jen Kaznyk, in the 2011 mystery science fiction action movie “Super 8”. Written and directed by J. J. Abrams, it also starred Elle Fanning and Kyle Chandler, and follows a group of friends who have witnessed a train crash, which seems to be the cause of strange events that are happening in their small city; the movie won 11 of the 81 awards for which it was nominated.
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Early life, family and education
AJ was raised in Torrance alongside her older sister Alyson Renae ‘Aly’ Michalka, by their mother Carrie who’s a musician and a former member of the Christian band JC Band, and their father Mark who’s the owner of a contracting company; Carrie and Mark are now divorced. AJ’s sister Alyson is an actress, model and singer, and both girls are devout Christians.
AJ became interested in both music and acting while attending Mack Elementary, and was six when she started playing the piano and the guitar. She began appearing in school and church plays around the same time, and was 11 years old when she made her debut TV series appearance, in a 2002 episode of the drama “Passions”.
She was then homeschooled, so that she could focus on her career, and AJ took (and passed) her GED tests in 2009.
Roles in TV series
In 2002, AJ was cast to play the supporting character Shannon Gressler in the popular crime drama “The Guardian”, created by David Hollander, and which starred Simon Baker, Alan Rosenberg and Raphael Sbarge. It follows the lawyer Nick Fallin who’s working in his father’s law company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the series aired from 2001 to 2004, and won six of the 17 awards for which it was nominated.
The year 2004 saw AJ appear in three series: the romantic crime drama “General Hospital”, the comedy drama “Six Feet Under”, and the adventure comedy “Oliver Beene” – she had no other TV series roles in that decade.
In 2011, she portrayed Deirdre Perkins in the comedy drama “Hellcats”, created by Kevin Murphy, and which starred her sister Aly, Ashley Tisdale and Robbie Jones. It follows the life of a competitive college cheerleader, and the series was nominated for two awards. In 2014, AJ appeared in the episode “Dead End” of the mystery crime drama “Motive”, as well as in the episode “Proof of Concept” of the comedy “Silicon Valley”.
Since 2014, AJ has been starring as Lainey Lewis in the critically acclaimed comedy “The Goldbergs”. It was created by Adam F. Goldberg, also stars Wendi McLendon-Covey and Sean Giambrone, and follows the Goldberg family who are living in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania in the ‘80s; the series has won four of the 18 awards for which it has been nominated.
Concurrently, between 2015 and 2019, she voiced Stevonnie in the animated action adventure “Steven Universe”,
Roles in movies
AJ made her debut film appearance in the 2006 romantic family comedy “Cow Belles”, directed by Francine McDougall, and in which she starred alongside her sister. The movie follows two wealthy siblings who have been forced to work in their father’s company, and who are now determined to find out who has stolen some of their father’s money.
A couple of AJ’s following roles were in the 2006 family drama “Haversham Hall”, the 2007 comedy “Super Sweet 16: The Movie”, and the 2009 fantasy thriller drama “The Lovely Bones”.
Also in 2009, she portrayed Kate Tweedy in the biographical family drama “Secretariat”, directed by Randall Wallace, and which starred John Malkovich, Diane Lane and Margo Martindale. It follows Penny Chenery Tweedy and her stallion Secretariat, as they’re trying to win the Triple Crown; the movie won three of the nine awards for which it was nominated.
AJ starred in the popular 2013 musical drama “Grace Unplugged”, as well as in the 2016 comedy drama “Angels in Stardust”.
Most recently, in 2022, she played Young Abby in the drama “Ray Donovan: The Movie”, which received mostly positive reviews.
Other credits
AJ wrote and produced the 2005 musical “Aly & AJ in Concert”, while she also produced the 2015 movie “Weepah Way for Now”, and the 2016 film “Angels in Stardust”.
She received special thanks for the 2016 movie “The Goldbergs: An ‘80s Rewind”.
AJ has been featured in a couple of short documentary movies, including the 2012 “Behind the Scenes of Gotten”, and in 2017 “Aly & AJ: Behind the Scenes in Joshua Tree” and “Aly & AJ in the Studio”.
She’s made a guest appearance in many talk-shows, most recently in “Entertainment Tonight”, “Celebrity Page”, and “Humpday with Hampshire”.
Awards and nominations
AJ has won three of the five awards for which she has been nominated: she and James Denton won a 2014 Movie Guide Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance in Movies, for “Grace Unplugged”; a 2017 Behind the Voice Actors People’s Choice Voice Acting Award for Best Female Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Guest Role, for “Steven Universe”; and a 2020 CinEuphoria Merit – Honorary Award, for her and her colleagues’ performance in “The Goldbergs”.
Love life and relationships
AJ’s quite open when it comes to talking about her love life, and there are eight men whom she has dated whom the public knows about.
In 2005 and 2006, she was in a relationship with Joe Jonas, a popular American singer-songwriter, then in 2008, AJ dated both the American skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, and the non-celebrity American boy Bennet Heimple.
In 2009 and 2010, AJ was in a relationship with Hunter Parrish, a popular American actor and singer, and in 2011, she dated Ryan Blair, an American author and entrepreneur. AJ then spent a year with Harrison Mead, a not-so-popular American musician, and in 2014 and 2015, she was in a relationship with Keenan Tracey, an American actor.
Since 2017, she has been in a relationship with Josh Pence, an American actor, film writer and producer, who has appeared in close to 50 movies and TV series, and is probably still known best for his portrayal of Tyler Winklevoss, in the 2010 biographical movie “The Social Network”.
As of January 2022, AJ’s in a long-term relationship with Josh Pence, hasn’t married and doesn’t have children.
Hobbies and other interests
AJ is highly active on Instagram, and apparently enjoys the attention which she’s receiving from her close to 500,000 followers; she’s uploaded over 600 pictures onto the network, most of which feature her spending time with her sister, friends and boyfriend.
She’s a huge dog-lover, and has three pet dogs: Willow, Roadie and Bandit; AJ’s fourth dog Saint died in 2007 after having battled brain tumor.
AJ is physically highly active, and enjoys going mountain biking, horseback riding and dancing.
She likes to cook and read in her spare time.
AJ has her own favorite actors and actresses, some of whom are Eddie Redmayne, Keanu Reeves and Emma Watson, while a couple of her favorite movies include “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, the trilogy “The Matrix” and the franchise “Harry Potter”.
Age, height and net worth
AJ’s age is 30. She has long blonde hair and green eyes, her height is 5ft 6ins (1.7m) and she weighs around 130lbs (60kgs).
As of January 2022, her net worth has been estimated at more than $700,000.
