Nikki Blonsky

NIKKI BLONSKY

Date of Birth: November 9, 1988

Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Nikki Blonski studied drama and musical theater in high school, playing roles in school productions such as Sweeney Todd, Kiss Me, Kate, Les Miserables and Carmen.

At 16, she auditioned for the Broadway production of Hairpsray and was told she was too young. After turning 17, she checked the website to see when they would next be holding auditions and saw instead an audition notice for the movie.

Blonsky made a videotape of herself singing songs from the Broadway show and sent it to New Line, who forwarded it to the casting directors. They invited her to come to the open audition in New York, and she did. For five months she kept going to callbacks until finally, she was asked to fly to Los Angeles to do a screen test. Blonsky was told she would hear back within two weeks. Four weeks later she received a call from the producers saying they wanted to film behind-the-scenes bits with the four final girls in the running for the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, for the DVD. They showed up at her work at the Cold Stone Creamery, an ice cream shop in Great Neck, Long Island, and opened a laptop.

On it was a video of Adam Shankman, the director, telling her she had the part and to make herself a big ice cream cone. The cameras were actually from Entertainment Tonight and the clip was shown on television.

Her role in Hairspray (2007), opposite major stars such as John Travolta, Christopher Walken and Michelle Pfeiffer, is her professional acting/singing debut.

In her spare time, the diminutive Blonsky (4'10") volunteers for the Special Olympics and writes poetry.

Filmography:

Hairspray (2007)