Cody Martin Linley is best known for his roles in the 2006 film Hoot and his recurring role as Jake Ryan in the television series Hannah Montana. and most recently on Dancing with the Stars!

Linley made his acting debut in the 1998 made-for-television film Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack. Subsequently, he had supporting roles in four films released in 2000: My Dog Skip, Where the Heart Is, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Miss Congeniality. In 2003, Linley had a major role in the independent film When Zachary Beaver Came to Town and appeared in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen.

He appeared in the children's film Hoot, which opened on May 5, 2006, portraying Mullet Fingers and co-starring with Logan Lerman and Brie Larson as three youngsters who try to save a local colony of Burrowing owls. The movie is an adaptation of the children's book by Carl Hiaasen.
In 2007 he had a lead role in the movie The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It along with Emily Osment. He has also appeared in the movie Where the Heart Is alongside Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd where he plays Ashley Judd's oldest son Brownie Coop.

Linley was one of the hosts for the 2008 Disney Channel Games alongside Brian Stepanek from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Meaghan Jette Martin from the Disney Channel movie Camp Rock. As of June 2008, he is filming "Forget Me Not", a thriller movie, where he plays Eli Channing and stars with HM co-star Brie Gabrielle and Disney alum, Carly Schroeder (Melina from Lizzie McGuire).

Cody's diversity is shown, not only in his choice of films, but in his range of characters. In his role in "Hoot", he plays Mullet Fingers, a wild-natured boy who is a 'rebel with a cause' creating havoc when people try to hurt the owls in his home in the woods. He causes trouble for the company who is trying to build a pancake house on the lot where the owls live and the policeman (Luke Wilson is assigned the job to find out who the culprit is. He is a hero who cares stands up for justice in this one.

He played basketball rival for the nerds in the feature "Rebound" playing "Larry Burgess JR" as well as a Beverly Hills bully as Quinn in Cheaper by the Dozen intimidating Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt's kids. In the independent feature, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, Cody shows himself to be an innocent, young boy from Texas, who leads a small town life, until he meets and befriends Zachary Beaver a boy dubbed "The Fattest Boy in the World," and learns about true friendship, loss and acceptance. In Echoes of Innocence, Cody plays a kind, generous and caring prince-in-hiding who begins a romance with his soul-mate, a girl of twelve that lasts a lifetime.

Cody shot his first feature film as "Spit" in "My Dog Skip" at eight years old as following up with Miss Congeniality and Where the Heart Is. He has worked with an impressive group of world-class actors, including Luke Wilson (both in Hoot and My Dog Skip), Steve Martin and Hillary Duff (Cheaper by the Dozen), Kevin Bacon and Frankie Muniz (My Dog Skip), Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman (Where the Heart Is), Sandra Bullock and Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality) and Jonathan Lipnicki and Eric Stoltz (When Zachary Beaver Came to Town).

He won the Young Artist Award for “Best Ensemble in a Feature Film” in 2001 for his performance in the movie “My Dog Skip.” In 2008, he was nominated for “Best Performance in a TV movie, miniseries, or special- leading young actor.”