About
A true triple-threat, Julianne Hough is known to audiences around the world for her success in the worlds of film, television and music.
She became a household name virtually overnight as a two-time professional champion on ABC’s top-rated “Dancing With the Stars,” before making a seamless transition to recording artist and, now, making her mark on the world of motion pictures. She was cast in the star-studded ensemble of Screen Gems’ dramatic musical “Burlesque,” working alongside an all-star cast, including Cher, Christina Aguilera, Stanley Tucci, Eric Dane, Kristen Bell and Cam Gigandet. “Burlesque” opened at the end of 2010 and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. Julianne made headlines by winning the female lead role in Paramount’s forthcoming remake of the classic movie musical, “Footloose,” opening October 14, 2011. Next up, she stars opposite Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Mary J. Blige in Adam Shankman’s highly-anticipated film adaptation of the international musical sensation, “Rock of Ages,” out in Summer 2012.
A born entertainer, Julianne Hough (pronounced “Huff”) always loved singing, dancing and acting. At age 10, she was presented with an opportunity to study performing arts in London, which established her fierce independence and was the beginning of a period of intense training and education. She returned to Utah at age 15 and, after graduating high school, moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of a career in entertainment.
Quickly earning a solid reputation for her talent, discipline and professionalism, it took less than a month for Julianne to land a job as a dancer on the ABC game show, “Show Me The Money,” and shortly thereafter joined the “Dancing With the Stars” tour as a company dancer before joining the cast of the hit series in the show’s fourth season, where she was paired with two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Apolo Anton Ohno. She toured with the troupe again, before returning to the hit show for seasons five through eight, pairing with Indy race champion Helio Castroneves, comedian Adam Carolla, actor Cody Linley and country singer Chuck Wicks. Hough remains the youngest dancer to have won the coveted “Dancing with the Stars” competition twice, with partners Ohno and Castroneves, and she earned an Emmy nomination in 2008 for Best Choreography for her work on the show. Her skills as a choreographer also led to a collaboration with Gwen Stefani on the singer’s “Wind It Up” video.
Julianne’s self-titled debut album, released by Universal Music Group Nashville in 2008, hit the Billboard Country charts at #1 and entered the Billboard 200 at #3, marking the highest debut for a country artist since 2006. Her first two singles from the album, “That Song in My Head” and “My Hallelujah Song,” soared up the country charts and she earned her first two 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards for Top New Female Vocalist and Top New Artist.
Hitting the road for the first time as a recording artist, Julianne opened for superstar Brad Paisley and later toured with George Strait, playing over 100 shows in 2009. Her second album, The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, became an instant holiday classic for her legions of fans, distributed exclusively at Target and a new album is in the works.
In 2009, Julianne starred in her first fitness DVD, “Cardio Ballroom,” the first in a series designed to motivate exercise novices and enthusiasts alike on the dance floor. The second, “Just Dance!,” was released in November, 2010, also topping sales charts for months.
She is highly sought-after in the world of commercials and endorsements, as an international spokesperson for Proactiv Solution and as the official spokesperson for Venus Embrace, co-authoring their “Goddess Guide to Getting Closer” for the company’s 2009 marketing campaign. She sang an updated version of the Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum theme, “The Taste is Gonna Move Ya” and has numerous other campaigns in the works.
She sang in We Are The World 25 For Haiti, the all-star update to the iconic 1985 philanthropic anthem to benefit the Haitian earthquake relief efforts and the rebuilding of Haiti. Produced once again by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie and recorded in the same studio as the original 25 years earlier, the new video (directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis, which debuted during the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics and featured such music legends as Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Celine Dion and Gladys Knight and contemporary superstars including Will.I.Am, Jennifer Hudson, Pink, Fergie and Kanye West, amongst countless other artists from virtually every musical genre.
In addition to her performing career, Julianne is also active in a range of philanthropic endeavors, charities and humanitarian efforts including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Clothes Off Our Back, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and serves on the American Red Cross Cabinet.