full size Julianne Hough
Credit: Photo Courtesy of ABC

Imagine Dancing With the Stars without the Houghs. A little less blond, a lot less talented. And it almost happened, ‘cause Julianne Hough really just wanted to act.

Julianne and brother Derek Hough were the “Blonde Osmonds” growing up in Utah. Back in 2001, Julianne played a Gryffindor student in the first Harry Potter movie, which also featured Derek and their childhood friend Mark Ballas.

Julianne made her debut on DWTS Season 4 at age 18. She won. Derek and Mark followed her onto the dance floor the next season, but ‘lil sis won Season 5 as well. Julianne danced with country singer boyfriend Chuck Wicks on Season 8, then launched her own singing career.

She started flirting with Ryan Seacrest — whose show American Idol shoots in the studio next door to DWTS — and then they started dating. Julianne started making more movies and now has a thriving film career. And it almost never happened. At least, not like that.

Interview Magazine talked to Julianne about her initial trepidation about signing on as a DWTS pro. “A lot of people don't know this, but when Dancing with the Stars first asked me to be on the show, I said no, because I wanted to act and to be taken seriously,” Julianne said. “And I thought that being on a reality show would hurt my credibility.”

She continued, “But what I've come to realize is that being on that show completely launched my career and gave me a family and a built-in audience. My biggest fear is that people think, Oh, just because she was on Dancing with the Stars, she thinks she can act now. But I've been acting my whole life, which people don't realize. I just haven't had the opportunities that I've had with my dancing.”

Yeah, it’s been a long, strange trip to this point, but considering Julianne is only 23, she could consider herself a graduate of Dancing With the Stars University with a master’s in Perseverance.

Source: Interview

Gina Carbone is a contributing writer at Wetpaint Entertainment. Follow her on Twitter @ginacarbone.

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