Julianne Hough

Julianne Alexandra Hough (born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress and television personality.

Hough made her acting debut in the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but played her first major role in the 2010 film Burlesque, which was followed with leading roles as Ariel in Footloose (2011), Sherrie in Rock of Ages (2012), and Katie in Safe Haven (2013).

Hough was one of the Million Dollar Dancers in the 2006 ABC game show called Show Me the Money.

She won season four of the U.S. edition of Dancing with the Stars with her partner, Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Apolo Ohno, making Hough the youngest professional dancer to win on the program.

In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners.

On November 27, 2007, Hough and her partner, three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves, became the winners of season five.

Hough returned for season six with radio host/comedian Adam Carolla, but they were eliminated in week four.

In July 2008, Hough was nominated at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards in the category of "Outstanding Choreography" for her mambo "Para Los Rumberos" (performed with partner Hélio Castroneves) on Dancing with the Stars.

On August 25, 2008, the cast of season seven was announced, and Hough was partnered with Hannah Montana actor Cody Linley.

She felt abdominal pains during their jitterbug performance on October 21, 2008, and she was immediately rushed to a hospital 40 minutes after the encore performance.

She subsequently had surgery to have her appendix removed after being diagnosed with endometriosis, causing her to miss several performances, Edyta Śliwińska stood in for her.

Hough returned to the show, although the pair was ultimately eliminated in the semi-finals.

She appeared on the November 12 results show dancing the jive to "Great Balls of Fire" with her brother for the "Design-A-Dance" contest.

On November 20, 2008, Hough was on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest.

She announced that, in order to further her music career, she would not be returning to Dancing with the Stars for the foreseeable future.

However, she did return for one final time in season eight, partnering with country singer Chuck Wicks.

They were voted off in week eight of the competition and came in sixth place.

They then began dating after the season was over.

After leaving the show in 2009, she returned in 2014 to serve as a permanent judge on Dancing with the Stars, a position she held until 2017.

She also served as a judge on America's Got Talent for its 14th season.

In 2022, she made her Broadway theater debut in the political farce POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.

That same year, she hosted The Tony Awards: Act One alongside Darren Criss.

In 2023, Hough returned to Dancing with the Stars as co-host, alongside main host Alfonso Ribeiro.

Hough was born in Orem, Utah, the youngest of five children in a Mormon family.

Her parents are Bruce and Marianne Hough; her father was twice chairman of the Utah Republican Party and ran for Utah's 2nd congressional district in 2023.

Her brother, Derek Hough, is also a professional dancer.

She has three older sisters.

All four of Hough's grandparents were dancers.

She is also a second cousin of musicians Riker, Rydel, Rocky and Ross Lynch from R5, their maternal grandmothers being sisters.

Hough's formal training began at the Center Stage Performing Arts Studio in Orem where she danced with Josh Murillo, among others, in Latin Ballroom.

She began dancing competitively at nine.

When she was 10, Julianne's parents, who were divorcing, sent Julianne and her brother Derek to London to live and study with their coaches, Corky and Shirley Ballas.

The Ballases tutored the Houghs alongside their own son, Mark.

At the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Hough and her brother received training in song, theatre, gymnastics and many forms of dance, including jazz, ballet, and tap.

When Hough was 12, the three children formed their own pop music trio 2B1G ("2 Boys, 1 Girl").

They performed at dance competitions in the UK and the U.S., and showcased in a UK television show.

At 15, Hough became the youngest dancer, and the only American, to win both Junior World Latin Champion and International Latin Youth Champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival.

After returning to the U.S., she attended the Las Vegas Academy and Alta High School.

For her work on the series, she has received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography, winning once in 2015 with her brother Derek Hough.

Hough portrayed Sandy in the 2016 live Fox television production of Grease.