Aviva Chiara Mongillo (born February 6, 1998), also known as Carys, is a Canadian pop singer and actress. She is best known for her roles as Alya Kendrick in the Family Channel drama series Backstage and Juniper in the CBC sitcom Workin' Moms. After the online success of "Princesses Don't Cry", she released the EP To Anyone Like Me on October 2, 2020, through Warner Music Canada.
Aviva Mongillo | |
|---|---|
 Mongillo in 2019 | |
| Born | Aviva Chiara Mongillo February 6, 1998 Markham, Ontario, Canada |
| Education | Unionville High School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Television | Backstage Workin' Moms |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Musical career | |
| Also known as | Carys |
| Genres | Pop |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | Warner Music Canada |
Early life
editAviva Chiara Mongillo[1] was born on February 6, 1998, in Markham, Canada.[2] She was born into an Italian family, who she stated "always supported" her dreams.[3] At the age of seven, she was enrolled in acting classes, followed by vocal lessons and guitar classes. She attended Unionville High School, and continued her education while appearing on Backstage.[2] Mongillo has suffered from anxiety from a young age.[3]
Career
editWhile attending Unionville High School, Mongillo posted a number of original songs to SoundCloud. They caught the attention of a music producer in Toronto, who invited her to a recording studio there. She worked with the songwriters, and a month into her time there, they informed her that the music was being made for Backstage. They told her that she should audition for a role on the series, and she was cast as Alya Kendrick.[3][4] She portrayed the role for sixty episodes.[5] In June 2016, Mongillo released her debut single, "Hype". The single was accompanied by a music video. On September 15, 2017, her debut EP, Songs About Boys, was released.[6][7] The EP received promotion from Family Channel, Backstage's network.[3] In 2017, she appeared in Don't Talk to Irene, a Canadian comedy film.[8]
In 2018, Mongillo began portraying the recurring role of Juniper in the CBC sitcom Workin' Moms.[9][10][11] In 2019, she appeared in the film Long Shot, playing a teenage version of Charlize Theron's character,[12] as well as making an appearance in the slasher film Random Acts of Violence.[13] Later in 2019, she began performing under the stage name Carys, with the single "Bad Boy" released on July 26, 2019. In August 2019, "Princesses Don't Cry", a song from the Songs About Boys EP, became a sleeper hit after going viral on social networking app TikTok.[14] Over 850,000 videos were made using the song, which was later rereleased as a single under her stage name.[14] She stated that when the song began to gain traction, she was perplexed since she wanted Carys to be a character that she could feel "removed from", and did not want to be seen as vulnerable. She then became grateful for the opportunity to become vulnerable with her music.[3] The music video for "Princesses Don't Cry" was released on November 12, 2019.[15] In June 2020, "No More" was released as her next single, accompanied by a music video.[16] On August 28, 2020, she released the single "Crush", and announced that her debut EP as Carys, To Anyone Like Me, would be released on October 2, 2020.[17][18] Upon the release of To Anyone Like Me, the song "When a Girl" was released as a single, with an accompanying music video.[19]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2017 | Backstage | Alya Kendrick | Main role |
| 2017 | Don't Talk to Irene | Sarah | Film |
| 2018–2023 | Workin' Moms | Juniper | Recurring role |
| 2019 | Long Shot | Young Charlotte | Film |
| 2019 | Random Acts of Violence | Hannah | Film |
| 2020 | Glass Houses | Carrie Dawson | Television film |
| 2020 | Retrograde | Emma | Short film |
| 2021 | Rising | Herself | |
| 2022 | 1Up | Indigo | |
| TBA | BET | TBA | [20] |
Discography
editExtended plays
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Songs About Boys |
|
| To Anyone Like Me |
|
| Waves |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Hype" | 2016 | Songs About Boys |
| "Bad Boy" | 2019 | Non-album singles |
| "Some of You" | ||
| "Princesses Don't Cry" | To Anyone Like Me | |
| "No More" | 2020 | |
| "Crush" | ||
| "When a Girl" | ||
| "Psychic" | 2022 | Non-album singles |
| "Recovering People Pleaser" | 2023 | |
| "Aquarius" | ||
| "The End" | Waves | |
| "Heaven" | ||
| "Ikyabwai" | 2024 | |
| "Language" | ||
| "Ring Pop" (with Featurette) |
Non-album single |
References
edit- ^ Mongillo, Aviva. "Aviva Mongillo". IMDb. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Persico, Amanda (March 17, 2016). "Markham young actors go Backstage in new Family Channel TV show". YorkRegion. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "rising | @CARYS | Presented By TD". YouTube. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ Malone, Michael (February 20, 2018). "Season Two of 'Backstage' Starts on Family Channel March 12". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Cummins, Julianna. "Family Channel goes Backstage". Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Songs About Boys - Aviva | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "AVIVA MONGILLO on Instagram: "SONGS ABOUT BOYS / OFFICIAL TRACKLIST AND RELEASE DATE✨"". Instagram. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Walsh, Katie. "Spirited Canadian comedy 'Don't Talk to Irene' tempers its sugar with just enough sour". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Interview with Backstage stars Aviva Mongillo and Josh Bogert". Tribute. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Workin' Moms' Juno Rinaldi on Frankie's Quest for a Real Connection". The TV Junkies. March 6, 2018. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "The Music of "Narls In Charge" (Episode 3x06) - Blog - Workin' Moms". CBC. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Geisinger, Gabriella (March 15, 2019). "Long Shot release date, cast, plot, and more - All you need to know plus NEW trailer". Daily Express. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "Random Acts of Violence Blu-ray". Blu Ray. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Mahjouri, Shakiel (November 13, 2019). "CARYS Drops Music Video For Viral Song 'Princesses Don't Cry'". ET Canada. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Tan, Emily. "CARYS Wants Everyone to Let It All Out With 'Princesses Don't Cry': Watch". PopCrush. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "CARYS Gets 'Beautifully Nostalgic' In Her Childhood Home In Her Haunting Video For 'No More'". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ "CARYS Announces EP, Releases New Track 'Crush'". Broadway World. August 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ Jacklyn (August 28, 2020). "CARYS Announces Anyone Like Me EP and Releases 'Crush' Single". Stage Right Secrets. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- ^ "NEW MUSIC WE LOVE: CARYS' "When A Girl"". Albumisn. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (May 30, 2024). "Netflix Sets Cast for 'BET' Adaptation of Japanese Manga 'Kakegurui' Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.