Aly Michalka, who recently appeared in “Easy A” opposite Emma Stone and stars in the hit TV series “Hellcats,” now plays Tracy, the high-energy party girl in Columbia Pictures’ new suspense thriller “The Roommate.”
A finely tuned tale of madness and role reversal, “The Roommate” is packed with ingenious twists and heart-stopping surprises as Sara (Minka Kelly), a naïve college freshman begins to suspect that her roommate, Rebecca (Leighton Meester) is not what she appears to be.
Dorm mate to both Sara and Rebecca, Tracy is the first obstacle for Rebecca in her friendship with Sara. “Tracy is a wild girl,” says Michalka. “She has a great personality, and likes to drink and meet guys. She makes it her job to ensure Sara has a social life. Rebecca does what she has to in order to put the kibosh on the friendship, because it gets in her way.”
Michalka was attracted to the script’s edgy, dark look at campus life. “It’s a creepy story, without crossing over into the horror genre,” she says. “It’s still in the realm of reality, but it takes you into this world that is uneasy and unsettling from the very start. As Rebecca, Leighton definitely has a crazed look in her eyes. From what I’ve seen, she definitely scares me.”
The actress, who has not attended college, says that working on the movie was an education in itself. “It was a very chill set,” shares Michalka. “I was excited to be able to be part of a young and up-and-coming cast. Doing this film made it seem like I was going to college—minus the whole creepy roommate thing.”
Also a musician and songwriter, Aly Michalka is a star on the rise with several exciting projects on the horizon. She currently stars in the lead role of the new CW drama series “Hellcats” opposite Ashley Tisdale. She plays Marti, a college student that is forced to join the competitive Hellcats cheerleading squad in order to save her scholarship and stay in school. She also recently starred in the Screen Gems comedy feature “Easy A” opposite of Emma Stone. In addition to her many film roles, she is also working on another album with her sister AJ Michalka. The duo is now known as “78violet.”
Michalka began her acting career with a starring role on The Disney Channel’s “Phil of the Future” about a family from the future trying to live in the modern world. She next starred in two Disney Channel films, “Now You See It” and “Cow Belles,” as well as the Disney pilot “Haversham Hall.” She also starred in the MTV original movie “Super Sweet Sixteen: The Movie.”
Most recently Michalka was seen starring in Summit Entertainment’s “Bandslam” opposite Vanessa Hudgens and Gaelen Connell.
