Alyson Stoner is all grown up, but she is still an incredible talent. Her fans remember her for her work in Disney hits such as The Suite Life of Zach and Cody and Mike’s Super Short Show. She went on to show off her dance skills in Step Up and just grew up before our eyes. 

Now she is starring in Expecting Amish, a new Lifetime movie that premieres this weekend. To celebrate her new role, we have a special exclusive interview with Alyson. Below are some of the highlights from our chat.

THE BEGINNING: Alyson, who is originally from Ohio, started out as a dancer. She attended a convention at the tender age of seven, which led to her heading to LA for a nine month trial period to try acting. She ended up showing potential, so she and her family relocated there permanently.

She went on to work on several products for The Disney Channel, while still dancing. She worked with several artists, such and Missy Elliott, Ludacris and Eminem during this time, and eventually pursued  a singing career. 

EXPECTING AMISH: In her new movie Expecting Amish, Alyson plays Mary, who is a friend of Hannah. She describes her character as having a blurred line between ally and villain because although she wants to support her friend in her new journey, she has her own insecurities and jealousies. 

To prepare for the role, she read several books and watched documentaries about the Amish culture in order to get a better understanding of the culture’s customs. Her goal was to show what was going on while still hiding the fact that she had a deceitful side to her. This kind of role was a new challenge for her, but one she happily accepted. 

WHAT’S NEXT: Now that Expecting Amish is about to premiere, Alyson has been hard at work with several other projects. She as several new movies coming out, such as A-List and Step Up, as well as two new animated shows for Disney and Nickelodeon. 

In addition, she is going to be in New York for a concert series she is working on August 8th and 9th.

ADVICE TO FANS:  Alyson has been a star for most of her life and has also been a very positive role model for her fans. When asked about what advice she would give them, she had a very interesting answer: build self awareness and emotional intelligence so we can relate to the environment and people according to the past. Be in tuned to your own mind and spirit in order to become a responsible, scholarly, respectful citizen for society. 

PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: Although she is a staple on television and film, Alyson is actually ‘painfully normal’ and an 'extreme introvert.’ She is social because of her job, but would prefer to be home alone with a good book or spending time outside. 

She is also in school studying neuroscience. She is still taking the gen-ed classes, but is loving every moment of being a college student. She says it is a good way to keep her grounded so she isn’t entirely busy with work.