JULIANNE HOUGH
Date of Birth: July 18, 1988
Not content to conquer the world of dance and music, professional ballroom dancer and country musician Julianne Hough has now two-stepped her way into the world of cinema, with her big-screen debut in the Christian Aguilera musical, Burlesque. All in all, a pretty unusual career for a Utah-born Mormon.
Growing up the youngest of five (three sisters, one brother) in Salt Lake City, Utah, Hough got an early taste for showbiz when she left home at age 10 to begin performance training in London. Returning stateside for high school, Hough soon graduated and packed her bags for Hollywood, where she snagged gigs as dancer on a variety of shows, including Show Me the Money, and soon as a company dancer on Dancing With the Stars.
Sure enough, Hough's exceptional talent quickly landed her a spot as lead dancer on Dancing With the Stars, leading to fan-favourite dance partnerships with ex-New Kids On The Block singer Joey MacIntyre, and Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno among others.
In addition to shining as an Emmy-nominated dancer on Dancing With the Stars, Hough caught the world's attention as a country musician, starting with the single, Will You Dance With Me, which she used to raise money for the American Red Cross. Quickly snatched up by Universal Music, Hough's popular self-titled debut album led to future collaborations with Reba McIntyre, Willie Nelson and the dogfather himself, Snoop Dogg.
Recently, Hough has jumped from stage to screen with her debut cinematic performance in the saucy musical Burlesque. Sharing the celluloid with pop musician Christina Aguilera, Burlesque's rags-to-riches tale of a small town girl's desire to take center stage isn't that far off Hough's own life, and no doubt caters to her most renowned talents, namely singing and dancing. With her next big appearance, 2011's re-make of Footloose, likely to rekindle that 80's dance flavour, one wonders if there is anything Hough can't do.
Never one to shy away from romance, Hough has been linked to a number of high-profile relationships, including rumors she dated Dancing With the Stars co-star Apolo Anton Ohno, and Entourage's Kevin Connolly. Grabbing the biggest headlines however was Hough's romance with TV personality Ryan Seacrest, with the two seen vacationing in Portofino, Italy in 2009.