It's been more than a decade since Nikki Blonsky rose to fame, with her having continued to act in the years since her debut whilst having also pursued other opportunities.
The actor, 34, rose to prominence through her portrayal of Tracy Turnblad in the musical film Hairspray (2007), with her having played the lead role in the acclaimed project.
She starred alongside the likes of John Travolta, Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah, and Nikki once described working on the film as a "magical experience".
The role led to Nikki winning two Critics' Choice Awards and she was nominated for several other awards, like the cast being collectively up for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Nikki has continued to work in the industry since making her debut in the film, including having appeared in films like The English Teacher (2012) and The Last Movie Star (2017).
Her career has also included roles in high-profile shows like Ugly Betty and Smash. Nikki also led the cast of the ABC Family series Huge, which ran for one season back in 2010.
Alongside pursuing acting roles following her debut, Nikki's seemingly had other opportunities, with it once reported that she was working as a makeup artist at a salon in 2011.
She seemingly confirmed the temporary job on social media at the time, tweeting that she was "working and helping pay bills" but assuring she'd "never lose sight of [her] dreams".
However, she later told Entertainment Tonight in 2013: "I never worked in a salon. That was a story that was out and it wasn't true." Nikki said she once put some makeup on a pal who was heading to a wedding, whilst visiting a salon herself.
More recently, she's said to have launched a jewellery line. She once said it was for the Home Shopping Network and she was selling pieces at Rupaul's DragCon in 2019.
Nikki spoke about having faced difficulty getting high-profile roles in an interview with Out magazine in 2017, telling the outlet that she didn't decide to step out of the spotlight.
She said: "I did not take a conscious step out of Hollywood and so long as I'm alive, I never will. Singing and acting has been my dream since I was three. It kind of feels like the industry left me."
The actor suggested she'd continue to perform but had learned to deal with rejection. She said: "I love this business, but I've learned that if I don't get a role or a part, I'm going to survive."
Nikki, who was living on her native Long Island at the time, told Famadillo in 2020 that she'd found a "good balance between getting recognised and going under the radar".
She revealed last year that she was living in Los Angeles and she's continued to act in recent years, including appearing in several projects that have been released this year.
Nikki's more recent credits include the audio series A Voice In Violet earlier this year, as well as having roles in the films Oblivious (2023) and Every Breath She Takes (2023).
And she announced last year that she will provide the voice for the title character in the upcoming animated series The Adventures of Farful, which she said is "beautifully written".
She may also be preparing for a wedding, because Nikki announced in September last year that she'd got engaged to her partner Hailey Jo Jenson in a post on Instagram.
She wrote: "I have the honour, privilege and greatest joy of calling [them] my fiancé. I am so incredibly in love with you and my love for you is endless. You mean everything to me."
Nikki said it had been a "blessing" to have played characters who were in love during her career, though said that the "greatest blessing" had been finding love in her own life.
She wrote in her post on the platform: "The greatest blessing in life is real love, true love and I am honoured to finally feel unconditional love, and a love that is pure".
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