Question: Competitive cheer is not just a bunch of pom-pom waving, it’s a combination of intricate dance moves, tumbling back flips, and high flying aerials. What did you do to train for HELLCATS? Were you an athlete before?

Aly Michalka: I definitely had a big dance background, hip-hop and free styling. That’s mainly where I come from, but the cheerleading was completely new to me. That was basically taught to me over a span of two weeks. For all the tumbling I have an amazing stunt double who does anything with back flips and dangerous stunts because that should really be left to people who have done it for years and years and are professional. But for all the dancing, that’s just me 100% doing that stuff. I feel really good about it. It’s been cool being able to commit myself to the show and the character and the fact that it was going to be very physical and intense.

Question: You and your co-star Ashley Tisdale are both former Disney Channel series teen stars. Did that shared experience help you bond with her?

Aly Michalka: Oh yeah, we definitely have some stories. That’s probably the best way to put it!  We have a great time together. She’s a really great girl and we’ve really been able to bond on this show. I think coming from that world gives you this sense of professionalism that some actors aren’t able to get just because they got into it later in life or they weren’t working on a series at a young age. You know, I was 13 when I started on PHIL OF THE FUTURE; so I learned a lot about set etiquette, showing up on time, knowing your lines and being able to promote a show, so it was definitely a great thing for me.

Question: Do you see any of your old castmates from PHIL OF THE FUTURE?

Aly Michalka: I see Raviv (Ricky Ullman) a little bit. We all keep in contact, but Raviv is the only one I see on a monthly basis. No, we are not dating. Me and Raviv never dated, which is really funny. When we were on the show, it was a big age gap difference – I was 13 and he was 16, which when you're that young, it’s huge. Now, we’re much closer in age in our twenties.

Question: Veteran actress Gail O’Grady plays your mother Wanda on this series. How has it been working with her?

Aly Michalka: She’s my favorite person to work with on camera just because she has so much knowledge and experience. I’m able to learn from her in such a personal way. She’s such a mentor. We got such a great connection. It’s funny, 'cause she looks so much like my mom, it like freaks us out. They cast us so perfect together, it’s pretty cool. I think Gail is going to get a lot of recognition for this role because it’s quirky, wacky, loveable and there is a kind of a toxic relationship between Marti and Wanda.

Question: There have been comments from the press that HELLCATS is the CW’s answer to GLEE… kind of a knock-off – cheerleading instead of singing. What do you think of the comparison? Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery?

Aly Michalka: A GLEE knock off? Maybe if we were doing a show about glee clubs, but our show is not based on GLEE. If you’re doing a show about any sport or competition there are going to be similarities in that. We definitely have a lot of music based performances so I can see the comparison. And we have high energy and are charismatic as GLEE is, but when it come to the world that we are set in, it is very different. We are based in college and GLEE is high school -- this opens up more mature storylines, which will appeal to a wider demographic.

Question: You and your sister AJ have a band, 78violet. Any chance you’ll both be singing on the show?

Aly Michalka: Yes, it’s a possibility, but I can’t tell you what episode. You’ll just have to watch and see ;)