Megan Park (born July 24, 1986) is a Canadian actress, director, writer, and producer. Beginning her career as a performer, she gained prominence as a regular castmember of the ABC Family television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–2013). After shifting her focus to work behind the camera, Park wrote and directed the feature films The Fallout (2021) and My Old Ass (2024), and created the television series Sterling Point (2026–present).
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Early life
Born in Lindsay, Ontario, Park began her acting career with small parts starting at age 6. She attended Oakridge Secondary School, in London, Ontario. She was also a part of the Original Kids Theatre program. Based on her origins in a small town in Canada and lack of entertainment industry connections, she originally did not think that writing and directing was an option.
Career
Acting
Park's first major roles came with a guest spot on the Lifetime series Angela's Eyes and a minor role in the indie movie Charlie Bartlett. Park completed a guest starring role on the Disney Channel show Life with Derek as Amy, a love interest of Derek and head cheerleader ex-girlfriend to Max. In the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, she played one of the main characters, Grace Bowman, a conservative Christian teen and cheerleader who, along with her boyfriend, struggle with her purity vow until marriage.
In 2013, Park lost the role of Nicki in the sitcom Undateable to Briga Heelan. Heelan had originally been cast in the role but was believed to be unable to continue when her sitcom Ground Floor was renewed for a second season. The part was recast with Park, however when Heelan's schedule was adjusted to allow her to appear on both shows, Heelan took back the role.
In 2014, Park portrayed Jules in the horror-thriller film Demonic, directed by Will Canon. In 2015, Park portrayed Lindsay in the Hallmark Channel movie A Wish Come True, directed by Mark Rosman.
Music
In 2009, Park, Codi Caraco and Brandi Cyrus formed the band Frank + Derol, in which she sang and played bass guitar. In 2010, Park left the band to focus on her acting career.
Directing
While still acting, Park wrote a television pilot about a girl trapped inside a TV show, which was bought by a major studio but never produced. This experience helped her realize her passion for writing and directing. Her first short film, Lucy in My Eyes, screened at the 2017 Austin Film Festival. She co-wrote and co-directed the web series "We're Adults Now" with Canadian writer Katie Boland. She also directed several music videos, some of which garnered significant attention, including videos for artists Billie Eilish, Gucci Mane, Mike Posner, Alina Baraz, and Blackbear.
Park's first feature film as writer-director, The Fallout, premiered at the South by Southwest festival on March 17, 2021, where it won three awards, including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. The film was released on HBO Max on January 27, 2022. Starring Jenna Ortega, it explored the psychological aftermath of a school shooting. Park described the development of the story as resulting from her experience as a Canadian living and working in the United States and observing the prevalence of gun violence, remarking: "I just couldn't stop thinking about how if I was a teenager right now, I would straight up be too scared to go to school every day. I could not do it in America."
For My Old Ass, her second feature film as writer-director, Park described herself as seeking a thematic and tonal contrast with The Fallout, wanting to "put something out into the world that was joyful, therapeutic, and left people feeling healed but in a different way." Set in the director's home region of Muskoka, the film starred Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza, and grew out of a feeling of nostalgia for her teenage years and the notion of being able to speak to her younger self. My Old Ass premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024, was given a limited theatrical release in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on September 13, 2024. The film was critically acclaimed, earning Park nominations for the DGA Award for First-Time Theatrical Feature Film and the WGA Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Following the success of My Old Ass, Park pitched a television series also based in the Muskoka cottage country setting, which would also examine teenage coming of age and class themes. Co-run with The O.C. and Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Sterling Point debuted in August of 2026 on Amazon Prime Video. She cited a desire to accurately capture the experiences of the series' Generation Z protagonists, believing that The Secret Life of the American Teenager had not reflected her own teenage experience as a Millenial.
Personal life
In 2006, Park started dating American actor and singer Tyler Hilton after meeting him on the set of Charlie Bartlett. They became engaged in December 2013 and married on October 10, 2015. On December 20, 2019, they welcomed a daughter. Their second child, a son, was born in 2024. Park and Hilton ended their marriage in 2026.
