Nikki Blonsky, sassy sugar dumplin of pure cheerfulness and star of Adam Shankman’s unwatchable* hit film Hairspray, went on to guest roles on various shows, eventually toplining an ultimately-failed weight-loss camp comedy for ABC Family, Huge. But now she has a new gig: selling shoes.
Here’s the story, from a Perez Hilton post where literally every sentence that’s not a direct quote ends in an exclamation point. Seriously. Every. Single. Sentence. So much energy, that guy! He must be a delight, and not at all punchable.
Apparently, the actress has taken a hiatus from the entertainment business…to work behind the register at a high-end shoe boutique in Great Neck, NY called Steven Dann!
According to sources:
“Steven says she’s one of the best employees he’s ever had! Nikki had known Steven for a long time. When she started her career she got shoes, bags and accessories from the store for red carpets but recently approached him about working at the store. So it was done. Customers come in and see her and ask, ‘Oh my God! What are you doing here? Are you shopping?’, and she laughs and says, ‘No, I’m working!’ It’s a little uncomfortable for [Nikki] obviously, but the customer will ask her to sign her autograph on the receipt and she does. She’s really sweet to the little kids that come in the store. She even sings and dances for the customers, busting out the tunes from Hairspray! She’s supposedly working on a project that will catapult her career, something bigger than Hairspray.” [PerezHilton]
Now I know, “selling shoes in Great Neck, New York” sounds like one of the stories Verbal Kint would’ve told in Usual Suspects, but let’s not start writing sad articles about how cruel Hollywood can be just yet. Lots of us would kill for a cushy, decent-paying gig like selling high-end shoes. Don’t act like it’s some huge decline. Besides, Al Bundy once scored four touchdowns in a single game, you know.
*I can barely stand to look at the stills, I can only imagine what the full movie is like.