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Ava Michelle From 'Tall Girl' Is A Quadruple Threat...I Feel Lazy

by Esme Mazzeo
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Netflix's new romantic comedy, Tall Girl, is about a teenager trying to find the confidence to stand out when all she actually wants to do is blend in. But the young woman who plays the lead character of Jodi in the film already has to possess the confidence that her character is trying to find. So, who plays Jodi on Tall Girl? I already know she has a confidence I admire. But I wanted to know the journey she walked before she found her way to a lead role in a Netflix movie.

"It was essential for us to find an actor to portray our lead who can speak to the challenges and lessons that Jodi experiences from a very personal place of authenticity," Broadway World reported the director of Tall Girl, Nzingha Stewart, saying. "Ava's ability to beautifully and uniquely showcase those attributes stood out to us in a way that we believe audiences will connect with. Tall Girl showcases that embracing the very qualities that make you different is what allows you to overcome anything."

Ava Michelle, (who also goes by Ava Cota) is actually 6"1 and she's more than just a triple threat. She is an actor, dancer, singer and a model, but she can't even vote yet. Also, you may have seen her on a few very popular dance shows.

She Got Her Start On 'Dance Moms'

If you are a fan of dance competition shows, you've probably seen Ava's face before. She starred on Dance Moms from 2014-2017. She's moved on from the show, perhaps in part because of the hurtful words former dance coach Abby Lee Miller has said to her about her size.

In the clip above, Ava explains and performs a solo called "Hurtful Words" about things Miller has said about her size. "Your kid's arms are horrendous. They're like gargantuan. She looks like a flying mantis," Miller says in a flashback in the video.

Ava turned the hurt into art. She also appeared on a So You Think You Can Dance show when she was 13.

She Has Her Own Clothing Line

Ava teamed up with clothing designer Jonathan Marc Stein to release a clothing line called AVA X JMS that combines fitness and fashion. "I call it sporty/chic!! I wanted it to be something that you could wear just a normal day and then dress it up by just adding one thing. But my biggest requirement was that everything had to be super comfy, while being something very unique," she told Celeb Mix of the line in 2018.

I'm not sure of its current status because I couldn't find an official website for the line. But Ava modeled it on her Instagram account in 2018.

She's A Musician

Ava Michelle can sing, too. She uses YouTube to promote her music. It's mostly covers. But she has an original single called "ILY".

She Promotes Self-Love

Ava uses her Instagram account to promote self-love, because she knows how important it is in today's social media culture. "I love spreading the message of self-love because it is exactly what helped me get through some really hard times in my life." she told Celeb Mix.

Her message about self-love might have been what got her the role of Jodi, because Tall Girl is all about finding the confidence to stand out, proud, and tall.

Tall Girl is now streaming on Netflix.

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