Derek Hough may be best known for his jaw-dropping dance moves on Dancing with the Stars and World of Dance but, once upon a time, he and his sister, Julianne Hough, were part of one of the biggest movie franchises in history: Harry Potter. While their on-screen roles were brief, they’re part of a fun piece of Potter history. Now, years later, Derek has given us another magical moment by sharing a fun throwback clip from their time on set, and what he reveals he snagged from the set has me absolutely obsessed.

The Harry Potter movies have retroactively become holiday classics, and Derek Hough’s recent post showed that revisiting the films is the perfect way to celebrate the season. Years ago, the DWTS alum shared that he and his sister were extras in the first Potter movie and can easily be spotted in the background of a few of the scenes. He took to Instagram to reflect on the wonderful experience he had in his youth, but it's the mementos he "accidentally" took that'll really make you jealous:

While fans can buy their own robes and gear from various places, very few of us can actually say we snagged authentic costumes from the set of one of the Wizarding World movies. It's beyond cool that the DWTS alum manage to grab those items. I'm nerding out just thinking about the notion of having such items in my possession.

The Hough siblings have reflected on the experience in the past, and they've been spotted by fans throughout the years. Previously, Derek said the experience was super cool and that walking around the set alone was almost as magical as the movie itself. Julianne also discussed her big-screen Potter moment for the film’s 25th anniversary, jokingly saying that her character liked flirting with the Weasley twins. Clearly, this is something the siblings are proud of, and it’s a cool easter egg for DWTS fans out there. Check out Derek's clip:

For this duo, Harry Potter was just the beginning of their acting careers. Derek Hough had a recurring role on the show Nashville, and notably played Corny Collins in the live broadcast of Hairspray. Julianne starred in the book-to-screen adaptation of Safe Haven and nabbed film roles in the likes of Rock of Ages, Burlesque and Footloose. However, it was always their dancing talents that made the sibling duo shine, and they found much success on Dancing with the Stars. They were both pros for years, and it was a lot of fun watching Derek judge this season while Julianne acted as a co-host alongside Alfonso Ribeiro.

While the siblings have had success after their days as Harry Potter background actors, it’s still so much fun whenever they reminisce. Derek’s throwback clip is a delightful reminder of how the magic of Harry Potter continues to bring joy to fans, whether it’s through rediscovering familiar faces in the background, or learning about the little mementos they managed to take home. Derek didn't say if he still has those keepsakes but, as a fan, I really hope he does!

You can see Derek and Julianne Hough’s brief cameos in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which is now streamable with a Max subscription, along with the other films in the franchise. Fans can also revisit their exciting season as members of the Dancing with the Stars family by checking out the most recent season now with a Hulu subscription.

The 2025 TV schedule will undoubtedly feature some noteworthy events, but it may be a while before we see something as out-there as Anna Delvey's short run on Dancing With The Stars. After being cleared by ICE to participate, her short run was made iconic by her dismissive parting phrase that left host Julianne Hough stammering. Many fans have wondered where things stood between the two afterward, and Delvey's photo spread from the Season 33 finale seems to give an answer.

From Carrie Anna Inaba's blunt thoughts on Delvey's elimination reaction to Hough referencing the moment weeks later, it would be easy to think many at Dancing With The Stars were miffed with Anna Delvey. With that being said, the convicted felon's Instagram post shows a lot of smiles shared with the cast of the dancing competition when she made her grand return for the final ep, and Hough's own smile is included. Take a look:

I don't think Julianne Hough would be posing and making silly faces next to Anna Delvey if she was still activing mad about the "nothing" comment from weeks ago. Honestly, I'm glad that seems to be the case, because I still don't think there was anything wrong with the scammer being honest in the moment. With all the public scrutiny she faced from The View and others leading up to her almost immediate elimination, I can see why she wasn't exactly grateful for the experience.

I also think a fiercely competitive season quickly washed away whatever controversial opinions Delvey stirred up with her response. Dancing With The Stars made the bold decision to advance all of its contestants in the penultimate, and it resulted in a finale in which it felt like anyone could win. I won't lie, I'm still a little bummed by Joey Graziadei's victory, and I think my theory about what kept others from the Mirrorball still holds up. But still a great season.

All of that said, I think it might get old if Anna Delvey makes a habit of appearing on reality television only to continue to be ungrateful every time she's given a chance to be in the spotlight. Delvey told Newsweek that she has no plans for a follow-up reality TV appearance, and would rather take part in a documentary to reclaim the narrative of her story.

People are always free to change their minds, however, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see Anna Delvey back on reality television eventually. Both Dwight Howard and Danny Amendola came to Dancing With The Stars after competing on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. I'm unsure how Delvey would do on a show like that, but I'd love to see it. I actually think she would be a great surprise guest on The Masked Singer, though I wish Nick Cannon luck if he wants to ask her about that experience when she gets unmasked onstage!

Dancing With The Stars Season 33 is over, but anyone who wants to watch it can do so on Disney+. It may be Anna Delvey's final appearance on reality television, so at least check out the first episode!

Warning! The following contains spoilers from Dancing With The Stars' Season 33 episode "Hair Metal Night." Stream the episode with a Disney+ subscription and read at your own risk!

Dancing With The Stars had much ground to cover on "Hair Metal Night" and two pairs to send home to get back on schedule for Season 33. While the eliminations weren't a surprise for me, I was slightly taken aback by a comment made by co-host Julianne Hough. I couldn't help but feel a little shocked when she called out a contestant for channeling Anna Delvey with their response, and I think it was unfair to say.

This was a more chaotic night than most, and Kiss musician Gene Simmons wasn't helping by losing his paddles to rate scores. As such, the night felt rushed, so I hardly processed the fact that Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Roberts were sent home. Only one of the two may have felt slightly offended at the night's end, however, thanks to something that happened at the end of a dance.

Julianne Hough Alleged Eric Roberts Was Creating Another 'Nothing' Moment Like Anna Delvey

While Reginald VelJohnson has had Die Hard and other references to help float by in these past few weeks, it feels like Eric Roberts has floundered with far less support from the audience. Roberts finished his dance and went on to the interview portion, knowing he was already on the bubble to go home. This all lead up to Julianne Hough approaching for her post-dance interview and the most bizarre exchange of the night taking place.

Hough started things out by asking Roberts how he felt, to which he responded, "Petrified." With nothing else to say, Hough then asked about how he was feeling knowing tonight was a double-elimination, to which he said, "Not secure." It was at that point a semi-frustrated Hough said to the audience the following:

The crowd and Julianne Hough laughed through it. Eric Roberts tried to cut in and explain himself, but the microphone was cut off, and his scores were read. The comment felt a little mean to me because we know from how fans and even judge Carrie Anne Inaba reacted to Anna Delvey's exit on Dancing With The Stars that many felt she was ungrateful and dismissive of the experience. She might have been, but that wasn't the case for Roberts, who has tried to appear on this show for years. I don't think he was at fault for the interview going poorly, and there's another factor to blame.

I Think Julianne Hough's Interview Questions Don't Give Competitors A Ton To Say

Julianne Hough's return to Dancing With The Stars has gone well and brought a healthy dose of nostalgia to the series, but there are flaws to her interview tactics. Her questions can sometimes paint people into a corner where they can only give short and honest responses, like what happened on "Hair Metal Night." Roberts knew he had laid an egg on the dance floor and was likely being eliminated, so how else would we expect him to feel?

The same was true with Anna Delvey, who faced harsh criticism from Dancing With The Stars fans and the co-hosts of The View from the time she was cast until she was eliminated. What exactly was she supposed to take away from an experience like that? There wasn't a ton of positivity to glean from the experience, and I found it odd Julianne Hough would even ask that question given all the drama.

To be clear, this is not me trying to rally anyone against Julianne Hough, but I do think there's something to be said about the questions the Dancing With The Stars team is giving her to ask each episode. Perhaps there must be some questions about prepping for the dance routine, what they loved most about it, or other things unrelated to their general mood. Otherwise, getting miffed at brief responses in which the contestant shares their genuine feelings on the show seems silly. There has to be some way to prevent this from continuing to happen.

We'll see if more contestants have similar issues as Dancing With The Stars continues on ABC on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Fortunately, we're back to one episode a week on the schedule, which is great because I want this season to last as long as possible!

Julianne Hough is hard at work currently co-hosting Dancing with the Stars, and between episodes that are airing on the 2024 TV schedule, she’s been posting about her “Sunday Spa Day” and wellness routine on social media. However, her latest bikini post about how she spent her weekend was met with a lot of criticism, and now, she’s responded to it.

As I mentioned, the dancer took to Instagram to post this cute “Sunday Spa Day” video that featured her in a sauna, bouncing on a trampoline and doing a cold plunge while wearing a swimsuit, check it out:

After that post went up, many commented on Hough’s looks, with some claiming that she’s too thin. For example, @staceyml23 commented that she should “eat some milkshakes and cheeseburgers.” Following all these, the Dancing with the Stars co-host broke down basically everything featured in her video through a seven-point IG story (via People). She started by saying:

Toward the bottom of her post, she addressed the comments about her body specifically. She explained:

Continuing on, Hough wrote that her “playful side” is the “most authentic version” of herself and that her showing it reflects how safe she feels. She addressed those who were made uncomfortable by her post and her attitude in it by writing:

The dancer explained the health benefits of each part of the video too. She noted that her black bucket hat was a “protective cap” called a “banya hat” that makes it so the heat does not burn her hair. The “red light therapy” shown was explained as a way to “kill two birds with one stone” while she was in the sauna.

She explained that the trampoline she was bouncing on was a friend’s, and that it’s part of a wellness routine – which also includes the sauna and a cold plunge – that “promotes lymphatic drainage which helps protect the body from disease and infection.”

Overall, Hough’s explanation dived deep into the health benefits of everything she was doing in the post, and she addressed the criticism by saying that she’s “never been healthier.”

Julianne Hough has always been open about her health and wellness, and this explanation provided a lot of context about why she does what she does to take care of her body.

Now, we can see her continue to be her happy and healthy self as she continues to co-host Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars. While we’re only two weeks in, there are already frontrunners emerging, and we can’t wait to see them and Hough back in the ballroom next week.

To see Hough and all the competitors having a ball in the ballroom, you can catch DWTS on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Along with that, make sure to stay tuned to CinemaBelnd where we’ll keep you updated on the show and Julianne Hough.

I’ve generally known there are so many moving pieces to making sure a live TV production goes off without a hitch. There are BTS people making sure there’s space for commercial breaks, that the show doesn’t run over time, that seats are filled in the crowd and that the crowd is fully prepped and warmed up before the show officially hits the 2024 TV schedule. Even with this understanding though, I didn’t realize how much additional work the judges are putting into shows like Dancing With The Stars – at least not until Derek Hough showed us this week.

I already knew newcomer DWTS judge Derek Hough would be chock full of opinions on the reality competition series. But taking to Instagram on commercial breaks, he gave us some really cool looks at what goes on during the filming of the live ABC series. During one commercial break, he goofed off with fellow judge Bruno Tonioli. During a second in-between filming moment, he solved a Rubik's cube! Take a look.

(I know it looks impressive, but since there’s no video I regret to inform you that Hough is actually terrible at the solve and had a second Rubik's cube he busted out to pretend to have been competent. Sorry to spill your secret, dude.)

Despite there already being some frontrunners in Season 33, my favorite moment might just be when, during one break from the live ABC series, he, Alfonso Ribeiro and his fellow returnee sister Julianne Hough led the studio audience in a rousing sing-along of “Sweet Caroline.”

Unfortunately, he did not share the “Sweet Caroline” moment outside of his Stories (which have disappeared at the time of this writing), but you can see more of him getting ready and prepped for his first night in a brand new role on the long-running competition with this TikTok, below.

It’s nice to see Mr. Hough embracing this next step in his career. He, like his famous sister, was one of the more popular pros during his own run on Dancing With The Stars. He left the series in 2016 to pursue other opportunities and has worked with viral ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White, appeared on the hit series Nashville and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, toured myriad times on the road with new dance programs and more.

Joining as a judge in Season 33 feels like a natural progression to all of this, and I hope it becomes a good gig for years to come. So far, I’m absolutely loving the energy of the social content.

Over the past couple of years, a fun lil trend we’ve seen pop up is fashion photos in or around bathtubs. One time, JLo posted a stunning selfie from the tub on her honeymoon, and last spring, Karen Gillan hopped in the bathtub ahead of the Guardians of the Galaxy premiere for a fun photoshoot in a black minidress and sparkly black boots. However, it seems like we’re moving the trend from the bathroom to the sauna if Brie Larson and Julianne Hough have anything to say about it. 

I have to say, Brie Larson always has the best summer posts. Last year, The Marvels star rocked a fancy AF dress at a fancy Disney hotel, and she also became summer goals when she wore a Barbiecore dress while soaking in the sun before her last Marvel movie came out. Now, the actress is getting some rest and relaxation in the sauna as she posted this lovely “self-care” set of images:

The three images show Larson in a sweet orange bikini as she sits inside the sauna. Her expressions show that she’s having a great time relaxing in the heat, and as the caption notes, she’s getting in some nice self-care. 

Julianne Hough was on a similar wave-length because a day after Larson’s post, the Dancing with the Stars co-host uploaded this video:

Like the Fast X actress, the dancer is wearing an Earth-toned bikini, and she was spending some good time in the sauna. Unlike Larson, Hough posted a video instead of photos, showing off her stretching routine. Considering she’s a dancer, I’m not shocked that she’s taking time to stretch and exercise in the sauna, and I bet it’s helping her start to get ready for Dancing with the Stars’ return on the 2024 TV schedule. 

Speaking of Dancing with the Stars, you’ll be able to watch it again with a Disney+ subscription or on ABC later this fall, and Hough will be back leading the show with Alfonso Ribeiro. So, I’m happy the co-host is getting some good self-care in right now, so she’ll be ready to rock when the dance competition returns!

The same can be said for Brie Larson, however, it’s in the opposite direction, because she’s recouping after a very busy 2023. While she doesn’t have anything on the 2024 movie schedule, the Oscar winner did star in the mini-series Lessons in Chemistry (which you can stream with an Apple TV+ subscription) at the end of the year, and before that, she starred in two big blockbusters – Fast X and The Marvels. So, I’d say her sauna sessions are well-deserved, and they’ll hopefully help her prepare for her next big role.

I for one think I need to take some notes from Larson and Hough and hop on this sauna trend this summer. And while I do that, we here at CinemaBlend will keep you posted on what these two ladies are up to professionally as well as any fashion and fitness developments in their personal lives. 

Nina Dobrev was unfortunately involved in a fairly serious situation just recently. It was revealed this week that the actress was involved in an apparent motorbike accident, after which she sustained injuries and was hospitalized. Boyfriend Shaun White shared a photo of her after the situation happened, which showed Dobrev resting alongside her and White’s dog. The star herself has now shared her own update on social media, and it’s been met with a multitude of loving reactions from fellow stars. Among them are other members of The Vampire Diaries cast and crew, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sophia Bush. 

The 35-year-old Bulgaria-born star took to Instagram to share an update with her social media followers in the aftermath of her accident. Her post included two photos – one that showed her on the bike before the unfortunate mishap occurred and another of her in a hospital bed sometime later. Seemingly being cheeky, the Degrassi: The Next Generation alum included the caption, “how it started vs how it’s going.” Check out her post down below:

Shaun White’s post showed Nina Dobrev on a plane, wearing a knee brace with that particular leg elevated. She was also without the neck brace that she wore while in the hospital. The actress also shared another selfie from her hospital stint on her Instagram story. Not only that, but she also shared a message, saying, “I'm ok but it's going to be a long road of recovery ahead.” 

It’s unfortunate that the 35-year-old actress has to go through this but, at the very least, she seems to be attempting to remain upbeat amid the circumstance. What’s also lovely is the sheer amount of love and support she has received from other notable names in Hollywood. Check out some of the lovely messages that have been sent her way:

• Oh dear - Julie Plec
• [Nina] making the hospital gown the new spring trend ❤️❤️ love you! Handling it like a champ! - Kayla Ewell
• Noooo so sorry! Feel better ❤️❤️❤️ - Claire Holt
• That’s my girl! 🫠 Obviously, wouldn’t make jokes if you were not ok… - Julianne Hough
• Still managing to look gorge in a hospital bed - Sarah Michelle Gellar
• Nooooo! You poor babe. - Sophia Bush
• Noooo. Hope you have a speedy recovery! - Zooey Deschanel

As so many of us have seen or heard about in the past, actors, producers, directors and more can forge tight bonds with one another. With so many connections, there can come a point where a star finds themself with a village of people ready to be in their corner. Based on the comments under the Love Hard star’s post, I’d say that there are plenty of people who care for her, and you love to see it.

On top of that, kudos to Shaun White for apparently sticking by his lady throughout her bike ordeal. The 37-year-old former Olympic snowboarder began dating Nina Dobrev in 2020, and the two have since been somewhat open about their romance. Funny enough, the athlete recalled the relationship starting off with a bit of ego bruising and, since then, the two have jokingly poked fun at each other. Dobrev even playfully trolled her man with a playful social media post involving their dog. As for whether Dobrev and White will get engaged, the latter said in 2023 that the two of them are just enjoying their time together at this stage.

More immediately though, what’s incredibly important is that Nina Dobrev gets some downtime and is able to recuperate as needed. One would think that she’ll continue to feel the love from her boyfriend, fellow celebrities and fans as she does so.

As Universal’s Dark Universe monsters remain in limbo, and as Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein moves forward with Jacob Elordi, another film about the classic horror monstrosity is coming together with actress and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal. She’s set to direct The Bride! For Warner Bros., with her Dark Knight co-star Christian Bale as one of the leads. The already stacked cast just gained a new face, though it’s one that’ll be very familiar to fans of Dancing with the Stars and Disney-tethered TV specials: the Emmy-winning entertainer Julianne Hough.

News of this latest casting for The Bride! comes from Deadline, though the details are locked up pretty tight beyond that. For now, no further info is known about who (or what) Hough will be playing. But we might as well make some assumptions while we’re here, with one specific hope related to Mel Brooks’ classic 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein.

Given how entrenched Julianne Hough is within the world of dancing and highly choreographed performances — she currently co-hosts ABC’s Dancing with the Stars alongside Alfonso Ribeiro — on top of being an accomplished singer, I have high hopes for the Footloose remake star bringing those talents The Bride! in one way or another. And while it technically wouldn’t make any sense from a plot, tone or time-setting perspective, it would be amazing if Hough could deliver a nod to Young Frankenstein’s iconic “Puttin’ on the Ritz” sequence, with its brilliant portrayals from Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle.

Not that the musical connections stop there. Mel Brooks helped turn Young Frankenstein into a Broadway (and then touring) musical in 2007. (And ABC had a live TV musical in the works before COVID hit.) So even if The Bride! didn’t go with the most obvious tune for easter egg purposes, plenty of other references exist that could be added without drawing too much attention to the anachronism.

Do I think Maggie Gyllenhaal will actually go forth with such an idea? Not in the slightest, but I do genuinely think Julianne Hough’s dancing and/or singing will be put to use. The story takes place in 1930s Chicago, which allows for a ton of musical styles and nightclub themes to be utilized. Whoever she plays, I bet the costume will be a banger.

Now check out the full cast for The Bride!, which is one of many upcoming horror movies that genre fans should keep in mind:

• Christian Bale
• Jessie Buckley
• Peter Sarsgard
• Annette Bening
• Penelope Cruz
• Julianne Hough

According to the synopsis for the film, which Maggie Gyllenhaal also scripted, the Frankenstein character travels to Chicago to meet up with Dr. Euphronius for the purposes of creating a female romantic companion. Their actions not only create new life, but also incite “radical social change” while drawing the attention of local authorities. By all means, I could be totally wrong, and Julianne Hough might be playing one of the Chicago cops who go chasing after the resurrected couple. But I bet the character’s nickname would be “Great Dancer Cop.”

The Bride! doesn’t have a release date locked down just yet, with a general 2025 window, but head to our 2024 movie schedule to see what else is coming in the following months.

Quite a few romances have gotten their start on Dancing with the Stars, and now one Season 31 pairing is ready to make it official, as CODA star Daniel Durant proposed to dancer Britt Stewart almost a year after going public as a couple. Their friends and former co-stars were over the moon at the news, with DWTS co-host Julianne Hough and Season 32 winner Xochitl Gomez among the many people to reach out to congratulate the happy couple.

Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant announced that their partnership on Dancing with the Stars had become romantic in February 2023, a few months after they competed on Season 31. They decided to make it a forever thing on Christmas Day, with People reporting that Durant got down on one knee at the top of a mountain while on a hike with their parents. Stewart announced the big news on Instagram, posting: 

These sweet photos were cause for more than a little celebration for Britt Stewart’s Dancing with the Stars family, eliciting an excited response from Julianne Hough, who wrote in the comments: 

Britt Stewart, who was partnered with NFL running back Adrian Peterson for DWTS’ most recent season, also received kind words from the Season 32 champion, actress Xochitl Gomez, who wrote: 

The well-wishes continued from several more Season 32 professionals and their celebrity partners, who shared much love for the couple in the comments: 

• YAYYYYYY - congratulations you two!!!! 😍❤️❤️❤️ – Charity Lawson
• congratulations!!!! 😍😍😍😍 – Ariana Madix
• STOP ITTTTT😍😍😍 so happy for you guys!!!!! – Rylee Arnold
• Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️ – Harry Jowsey
• CRYINGGGGG CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FIANCÉS!!!! – Jenna Johnson
• Absolutely the BEST NEWS ON THE PLANET!!!! Crying, so happy for you both!!! You guys are getting married!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭 – Emma Slater
• OMGGG FIESTA!!!!! so beautiful! Happy for you both!! Couple Goals❤️🔥🙌🙏🏼 – Lele Pons
• Omggggggggggggg BRITTTT Yes yes yes!!! Congratulations!!! ❤️❤️❤️ – Peta Murgatroyd
• Yay!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ – Alyson Hannigan
• Brittttt!!!!!!!!! Yessss congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Alan Bersten

It wasn’t just the dance community who was overjoyed with news of Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant’s engagement, either. A few members of the cast of the 2022 Oscars Best Picture winner CODA also showed their support, writing: 

• WOOT!!!!!!!! – Marlee Martin
• OH MY GOSH THATS MY BROTHER!!!! – Emilia Jones
• You guys!!!!!!!!!! – Amy Forsyth

Britt Stewart joined Dancing with the Stars in Season 23 as a member of the troupe, before becoming the first Black woman to be paired with a celebrity partner in Season 29. She and Johnny Weir danced to sixth place in that season, and Stewart finished in last place the following season with The Karate Kid actor Martin Kove. In Season 31, the dancer and Daniel Durant made it to the semifinals together, finishing in fifth place. In the most recent season, she and Adrian Peterson were eliminated in Week 4.

If you want to watch how Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant’s relationship developed, Season 31 of DWTS is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. Also be sure to keep an eye on the 2024 TV schedule to see when the competition will return for Season 33, as well as all of the other premieres coming in the new year. 

During this week’s episode of Dancing With The Stars, How I Met Your Mother’s Alyson Hannigan and her dance partner Sasha Farber nabbed themselves a place in the show’s finale after jiving to “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins. But, in a funny exchange with Season 32’s new host, Julianne Hough, the sitcom actress got super confused about how the 35-year-old could have been in one of the best movies of the ‘80s.    

And, hey she’s right. Hough was a toddler when 1984’s Footloose came out. What Hannigan must have been confused about during the hilarious moment was the fact that the DWTS host was in the 2011 remake. Check out how the interaction went as the co-host stood with the actress and her partner awaiting their scores for the jive: 

Sasha Farber: “Weren’t you in the movie Footloose?”
Julianne Hough: “Indeed, I was.”
Alyson Hannigan: “Were you a baby?”
Julianne Hough: “I was a baby.” 

Alyson Hannigan looked rather surprised when her dance partner pointed out that their host had been part of Footloose during the “Semi-Finals” episode. The actress must not know there was a remake as she hilariously asked Hough if she was “a baby” in the movie. But in true professional fashion, the co-host brushed off the comment, admitting she “was a baby,” likely referring to the fact that she was just 23 when the film came out. 

Now in Hannigan’s defense, the 2011 remake of Footloose flew under the radar when it came out. When it arrived in theaters, its box office was overshadowed by Shawn Levy’s Real Steel, which won the weekend instead and barely cracked the top 100 highest-grossing movies worldwide of that year, in 98th place (per Box Office Mojo). The original Footloose on the other hand was the seventh highest-grossing movie of 1984. While the original Footloose starring Kevin Bacon is more popular, the remake actually has its big fans.

Even so, after Alyson Hannigan and Sasha Farber spent the week practicing the jive for “Footloose,” one would have thought that Julianne Hough’s remake might have come up somewhere given her legacy with Dancing With The Stars. Oh well. If anything, the moment was an instance of humbleness for Hough, who won two seasons of DWTS before being a judge for the show and replacing Tyra Banks this season following her exit after three seasons as host.

This Tuesday, December 5, Alyson Hannigan and Sasha Farber will compete for the title of Dancing With The Stars champions against reality star Ariana Madix and Pasha Pashkov, The Bachelor’s Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev, Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach and Marvel star Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy, the latter of which had a perfect score in the Nov. 29 episode. You can catch up with DWTS now either with a Disney+ subscription or Hulu subscription. 

While the competitors of Dancing with the Stars paid homage to Taylor Swift by dancing to her music, the show’s co-host Julianne Hough honored the pop star through fashion, and it was iconic. Using Swift’s legendary look from the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards as inspiration, the pro-turned-host rocked a “Bejeweled” look to help emcee the evening, and fans were loving it. 

As you can see in the photo below, Julianne Hough rocked a bedazzled navy blue jumpsuit with a hood. It was giving Midnights; it was giving Reputation; it was giving Taylor Swift. The ensemble was pretty incredible, and you can see it for yourself here:

This outfit is almost an exact replica of the shining shimmering jumpsuit Taylor Swift wore to the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards in March. Swift's ensemble was designed by Alexandre Vauthier Couture, per Teen Vogue. It had a plunging neckline, a hood, and built-in matching heels. To compliment the look, the “Lavender Haze” singer had a smokey eye and a neutral lip, rather than her typical red, and she straightened her hair. You can see the stunning fit below: 

Comparing the two, you can see that Hough recreated the outfit almost exactly, with the only real difference being that her hair was slicked back rather than left down. 

Obviously, fans picked up on Hough’s Swift-inspired look, and they had to share their enthusiasm for it. For example, Caitlin Rose posted side-by-side images of the two women on X, with the caption:

Hannah agreed with their post, using another side-by-side of images like the two pictured above. With enthusiasm, they wrote:

TheFairestFangirl was so excited about the moment, they posted a photo of Hough on their TV, writing:

Another Swiftie, Tess NOLA N3, had to point out that Hough’s outfit felt a little Reputation-coded. With the re-release of Reputation (Taylor’s Version) at the top of many fans’ minds, it’s hard not to connect the look back to Swift’s sixth album. 

While this outfit was worn during the Midnights era, it’s hard not to see a hint of Reputation in it. It really does have that energy. 

To wrap up this round-up, we’ll end with Frank Costa’s entertaining tweet. There’s no question that Julianne Hough and Taylor Swift have similar energy, and they both have blonde hair and an impeccable sense of style. Therefore, this post makes perfect sense:

Overall, the Taylor Swift episode of Dancing with the Stars honored the musician in such a lovely way, and that, of course, included Julianne Hough’s outfit choice. If you want to go back and see the co-host and all the contestants in action and paying homage to the “Cruel Summer” singer, you can stream last night’s episode with a Hulu subscription or Disney+ plan. 

Then, when you are done with that, make sure to stay up to date on the 2023 TV schedule and Taylor Swift’s upcoming events, so you don’t miss anything when it comes to Dancing with the Stars and the singer they just paid tribute to.  

Dancing With the Stars is in full swing for its 32nd season, and I'm so glad it's back on ABC. The long-running series instituted some big changes for this season, and that included bringing in Julianne Hough as co-host to replace Tyra Banks, who exited after Season 31. Alfonso Ribeiro is once again co-hosting, and he and Hough seem very happy to be co-hosting together. That was evident in a BTS post Hough shared, which was fun, but what really has me in my feels is Ribeiro's personal life post.

Julianne Hough was eager to return to the ballroom, as the show is closely intertwined with her career. The dancer and actress joined DWTS in 2007 and won two seasons before leaving in 2009. She returned as a judge in 2014 and left in 2017. Now, six years later, she's back as a co-host, and it almost feels like she never left. She decided to give fans an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes of the show by sharing a video to TikTok. Needless to say, it looks like she and the team have a blast:

It's one thing to hear that a lot of work that goes into making Dancing With the Stars work each week, but it's something else entirely to see it. Everyone seemed to be putting in maximum effort, and that included the two co-hosts. Some may forget that they themselves also get in on the dance numbers here and there. Their respective skills are surely why producers were so eager to tap them for the gigs. The duo has garnered praise from fans and love from replace Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, and it's great to see that they've more than stepped up to the plate for their jobs. 

As Julianne Hough gushed about her time working on DWTS Season 32, Alfonso Ribeiro -- who won the competition during Season 19 -- got reflective about married life. The former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast member took to Instagram to share a very heartfelt and lengthy message about his wife, Angela, on their wedding anniversary. Ribeiro's sentiments are lovely enough, but he also dropped two sweet photos, including one from their big day, that are sure to warm your heart, too:

The couple -- who share three children -- married in 2012 and, from the looks of the post, their love is still strong. As you can see above, the AFHV host praised his wife for doing “whatever it takes to make our entire family as healthy as possible while creating the most happy space.” His words are sure to resonate with those who've felt such love for a spouse. The Ribeiros are truly relationship goals and, after 11 years of marriage, let's hope they still have plenty to go.

Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro surely dazzle fans on the small screen, but you have to appreciate how they can give a person all feels through their social media posts. Chances are that's not the last time either will share anything that's fun or sentimental, and I'm looking forward to whatever tidbits they share next. 

Fans will have to make sure to tune in on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC to see them thrive even more on Dancing With the Stars, which airs as part of the 2023 TV schedule.

It’s almost time to return to the ballroom for Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars. The long-running competition series will look a little different in the upcoming season, however. For starters, the program is moving back to ABC following an exclusive stint on Disney+. Julianne Hough is also replacing Tyra Banks as co-host, and some DWTS veterans are leaving the fold. This season will also happen without longtime judge Len Goodman, who passed away in April. Now, yet another change is happening, and it may take fans some time to get used to it.

ABC has finally announced a premiere date for the new season of DWTS. Season 32 will premiere on Tuesday, September 26, per TVLine, and it marks a switch from its normal Monday night slot. It’s a notable change from the network's original fall schedule, which released not long after the WGA writers’ strike began. At that time,  revealed a schedule that featured mostly unscripted offerings -- except for some reruns of Abbott Elementary. 

The show’s switch on ABC's fall schedule is surprising, but there's a bigger piece of information to make note of here. DWTS has been a Monday night staple on the network since it landed their in 2007 amid Season 4. That's a long time for a show to hold onto a time slot, and the reasoning behind the shift is unclear. At the same time, it should also be noted that The Golden Bachelor also switched nights. 

The upcoming season will also have an extended premiere and will then be followed by a special DWTS-themed Celebrity Family Feud. While it will be a little weird to watch Dancing With the Stars on a new night, I'm sure fans will get adjusted to the change in time. It should also be mentioned that while the show is back on network TV, anyone with a Disney+ subscription will also be able to watch Season 32 live on the platform as well.

Although a full cast for the upcoming season has yet to be revealed, there have been some announcements on that front. Vanderpump Rules’ Ariana Madix and The Bachelorette’s Charity Lawson were the first two celebrities announced. Ahead of the full reveal tomorrow, September 13, Jamie Lynn Spears has also been confirmed to be joining the cast, according to Entertainment Weekly. The news comes after Spears’ very public exchanges with big sister Britney and the Zoey 101 sequel movie, Zoey 102, which drew responses from fans.

Even though Dancing With the Stars will look different this season, I'm just glad it's still part of the 2023 TV schedule. Hopefully, the new episodes succeed in delivering the fun, competitive spirit that the show has come to exude. And don't forget to mark you calendar for its new day, of course. Don’t miss the Season 32 premiere of DWTS on its new night, Tuesday, September 26 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Dancing with the Stars Season 32 is facing some big changes, most notably when it comes to the hosts. After Tyra Banks announced she was stepping down as co-host of the dancing series after just three seasons, we found out Julianne Hough would be taking her place. Now that Hough will be joining Alfonso Ribeiro as the co-host of the dance competition, the two are opening up about how they feel working together on the upcoming season of the Disney+ series.

Julianne Hough’s long history with Dancing with the Stars was the perfect reason to bring her in to host with Alfonso Ribeiro, and it seems like she agrees. The two spoke to ET about their exciting new journey together, and Hough called it a full circle moment. She’s also clearly ready to get back to the ballroom, whether she’s dancing or hosting, saying:

Hough joined DWTS back in 2007 as a pro dancer and left only two years later. She returned as a judge in 2014 and sat on the panel until 2017. Considering her history, becoming a host feels like a natural step, and pro dancer Gleb Savchenko even expressed his excitement to work with her. While it will take some time to get used to seeing someone new in the hosting gig, it’s going to be great having Hough back in the ballroom. It'll also be so fun to see her back on screen with her brother Derek Hough, who is serving as a judge. 

Meanwhile, Alfonso Ribeiro, who joined the show last year, will no longer be the newbie host. Aside from that, though, the Fresh Prince alum is looking forward to working with Hough and making DWTS a family once again:

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are definitely a match made in heaven, and it’s going to be exciting to see the energy they bring to the ballroom. While a premiere date for Season 32 has yet to be announced, it sounds like the two are already talking about the upcoming season, likely getting acquainted with each other to bring the best they can to Dancing with the Stars.

The hosting changes on Dancing with the Stars marks the latest shifts for the reality show. Longtime judge Len Goodman retired after Season 31, while pro dancer Cheryl Burke announced her departure as well. This also comes after the show’s first season on Disney+, a major move for DWTS after being on ABC. It should be interesting to see how Season 32 goes now that the series is starting to find its footing on streaming.

Seeing how Ribeiro and Hough do as co-hosts will definitely be something to look forward to when Dancing with the Stars finally premieres as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Just make sure to sign up for a Disney+ subscription to watch Dancing with the Stars Season 32!

Season 32 of Dancing With the Stars is seeing quite a lot of changes already. Even before Season 31 ended, it was announced that the series would be losing a few pro dancers and even some notable judges. Then, it was announced that Tyra Banks was stepping down as co-host, with DWTS vet Julianne Hough set to take the reigns. Now, pro dancer Gleb Savchenko is opening up about the hosting changes.

While at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards, longtime DWTS pro Gleb Savchenko talked to E! News about Julianne Hough coming on board as a co-host. It’s no secret that Hough has a dancing background, one that also includes Dancing With the Stars as both a pro dancer and judge. So, because of this Savchenko said that he is as excited as ever to have her back, and he is even hoping to dance alongside her in the upcoming season:

Savchenko’s sentiments about Hough echo what Derek Hough said about his sister, pointing out that she is perfect for the job. Not only does she have a background in dance, she's also being familiar with Dancing With the Stars, and she has had many other hosting gigs in the past. Overall, it's going to be exciting to see how she does in a different position alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, who will no longer be the newbie host. Speaking of Ribeiro, Savchenko noted that Hough is in great company with him, saying: 

As for Tyra Banks, it sounds like despite some controversial moments during her time on DWTS, Gleb Savchenko is sad to see her leave. However, he knows she'll succeed in whatever she does next, saying:

Tyra Banks is quite the businesswoman, and she’s kept busy amid Dancing With the Stars, so it’s not surprising that she ultimately decided to leave and focus on her other companies. Luckily she weighed in on Julianne Hough replacing her, and had nothing but nice things to say, especially considering that the Hough siblings will be on the series together again. It’s always possible that Banks could drop by the studio every now and then, but as of now, she’s putting DWTS in her rearview mirror.

Julianne Hough is in good hands on Dancing With the Stars, and having the history she does with the show, plus a sibling working there will likely make the transition smooth. However, that doesn’t make it any less scary. Since a premiere date for Season 32 has yet to be announced, Hough has some time to prepare, get the nerves out, and maybe get advice from former and fan-favorite hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews.

Just a reminder that Dancing With the Stars is now a streaming series, so be sure you’re signed up for a Disney+ subscription so you’re able to watch Season 32 to see Julianne Hough definitely kill it as a co-host alongside Alfonso Ribeiro!

Ahead of Dancing With The Stars Season 32 coming to those with Disney+ subscriptions later this year, it was announced that Tyra Banks is stepping down from being the show’s host after three seasons. DWTS alum Julianne Hough is taking her spot, and Banks has commented on the show’s latest move. 

While the famed model is looking forward to focusing on entrepreneurship in place of DWTS, former dance pro and judge Julianne Hough is set to take over the mantle. Here’s how Tyra Banks weighed in on the decision to Us Weekly: 

Tyra Banks sounded super hyped that Julianne Hough will be her successor as co-host with Alfonso Ribeiro, who was added last season to make the DWTS hosting gig a double act once again. Banks called the decision “perfect,” especially considering Hough has been so involved in the series over the years as is. 

Hough’s brother Derek Hough was also a pro dancer on DWTS before he returned as a judge from Season 29, a role he continues to hold. He shared last week that he thought the decision “makes sense” given his sister’s role in the series over the years. Julianne Hough also commented that the series has a “special place” in her heart and has been her “family" for the past 17 years. It seems to be a really natural decision for the show as it heads into its 32nd season this year. 

Along with Alfonso Ribeiro co-hosting with her and Derek Hough being among the judges, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba are also set to return as judges in the upcoming season. Len Goodman, who had been a judge on the series since the beginning, announced he was stepping down from the show in November to “spend more time” with his family back in Britain. 

The decision from Goodman and Banks to exit comes a year after the show became the first live series to move to Disney+. The previous season aired its Season 31 finale in November with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio winning the competition alongside pro dancer Mark Ballas. 

We imagine the next season will commence in mid-September as usual, but we’ll keep you updated here on CinemaBlend leading up to Dancing With The Stars Season 32. For some viewing options in the meantime, be sure to check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.

Dancing with the Stars continues to undergo big changes, after switching from network TV to streaming for Season 31 and then losing host Tyra Banks. Those changes, however, will include the return of one very familiar face, as Julianne Hough has announced she’s coming “back to the ballroom.” This time around, however, she won’t be one of the pros leading a celebrity through different styles of dance or giving critiques from behind the judges’ table; Hough will replace Banks as a co-host, when the competition returns for Season 32.

Julianne Hough returns to Dancing with the Stars after appearing as a dancer on Seasons 4-8 and then judging for several more seasons later in the show’s run on ABC. Variety broke the news, and Hough told the trade she’s excited to rejoin her dance family: 

The addition of Julianne Hough as co-host is one of several changes for the dance competition. Season 32 will be the second time viewers will need a Disney+ subscription to watch all the action go down, and this time around, the cast will be without pro Cheryl Burke, who announced that she was leaving DWTS after 26 seasons. The show will also be without Len Goodman, who’s been a Dancing with the Stars judge since the beginning, as he announced his own retirement last season.

There will still be several familiar faces, though, as Alfonso Ribeiro is returning as a co-host, and Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough are set as judges. Julianne Hough said she looks forward to seeing them all again upon her return. Her statement continued:

She also shared the good news on social media, placing a huge Mirrorball over a photo of her face on her Instagram Stories: 

Julianne Hough won a couple of those trophies in her day, taking the Mirrorball in Season 4 with Apolo Anton Ohno and Season 5 with Hélio Castroneves. It will be exciting to see her in a new role with the show she has so much history with. Dancing with the Stars Season 32 is set to premiere this fall, but no date has been set. Keep an eye on our 2023 TV schedule for that, as well as all the premieres that are coming to TV and streaming soon. 

CBS is the home of some of the biggest reality shows in television history with Big Brother, Survivor, and The Amazing Race, but the most recent reality series that the network announced started causing controversy right away. Called The Activist, it was designed as a competition series that would feature activists representing various worthy causes facing off to try and win the top prize. The uproar resulted in co-host and Dancing with the Stars alum Julianne Hough announcing her departure, and not too long after she released her statement, CBS has scrapped the plans for the series.

CBS decided to cancel the plans for a five-episode competition series based on activists representing different causes, and Variety reports that the network will instead produce a one-off documentary. The documentary would consist of entirely new footage despite the fact that some footage had already been filmed when The Activist was in the works as a competition series. The project is evidently going to start over from the beginning, so it's possible that the documentary's similarities to the original plan may be few and far between. CBS was joined by production partners Global Citizen and Live Nation in revealing the reasoning for the change:

Julianne Hough was one of three celebrity hosts announced for The Activist as a competition series, joined by Usher and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. At the time of writing, none of the three have publicly commented on the news that the show has been scrapped and the premise retooled into a documentary, and it's not clear whether or not they will be part of the documentary in light of the reports that the footage that had already been filmed won't be used. Prior to the news about The Activist, Hough was the only one of the hosts to address the controversy surrounding the use of social media metrics and input from celebrity judges for very serious issues.

In a lengthy statement that she posted to Instagram, Julianne Hough shared that after hearing what the critics online had to say, she "wholeheartedly" agreed with them that "the judging aspect of the show missed the mark" and she's "not qualified to act as a judge." She also apologized for her past use of blackface that has come to light since news broke about her co-hosting The Activist, and acknowledged that "this is a conversation" that needs to happen. Interestingly, she revealed that she shared the concerns of critics with "the powers that be" and expressed confidence that they would do the right thing with the project moving forward "for the greater good." Hough has supported good causes in the past.

There's no saying how much Julianne Hough's concerns and decision to depart did or didn't affect the decision to retool The Activist competition series into a one-off documentary, but the latter happened just a day after the former. Interestingly, this isn't the first time that Hough unintentionally ended up involved in a controversial TV decision. The Activist was originally scheduled to premiere on October 22. Since the project is starting over with an entirely different format, it's likely that the documentary won't release on that date, but only time will tell. The fall TV schedule is packed with other projects, however, none of which generated the unique kind of controversy that The Activist did before the changes were announced.

CBS started generating buzz almost immediately for its upcoming competition series The Activist, although not for the same positive reasons as NCIS: Hawai'i or CSI: Vegas. The premise of the show centers on activists from around the world competing for the top opportunity to secure funding and increase awareness for their cause, with Dancing with the Stars and America's Got Talent veteran Julianne Hough on board as one of the hosts. Now, just days after The Activist was announced, Hough has stepped down amidst backlash.

Julianne Hough was originally announced as co-hosting The Activist along with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Usher. At the time of writing, neither of the other two hosts has stepped down from the show, but Hough posted a lengthy statement on social media that revealed her experience of the backlash, explained her reasons for leaving, and established the original reason for which she signed on as a celebrity host. On Instagram, Hough started out by thanking fans for their feedback, and saying:

The concept of a TV show pitting activists against each other in a competition to win awareness for their cause did indeed result in plenty of people hitting social media to make comparisons between it and dystopian realities that are (supposed to be, anyway) fictional, like Black Mirror and The Hunger Games. The press release did describe it as an "unprecedented series," which may be the only thing about it that detractors and supporters alike can agree on!

The original announcement for the show revealed that it would feature six activists from around the world working for meaningful change in one of three causes: health, education, and environment. Over five weeks, the reality series would put the contestants in missions, media stunts, community events, and digital campaigns to try and gain online awareness, with success measured via online engagement, social metrics, and input from the the hosts, then comprised of Julianne Hough, Usher, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

And honestly, when looking at it from a certain point of view, I'd say that The Activist does feel kind of dystopian. The goal of the activists in the show is meant to be to advance to the G20 summit in Italy to pursue the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet with world leaders for awareness and potentially securing funding, with a finale that would feature a musical performance. Julianne Hough continued in her post to explain why she signed on in the first place:

Julianne Hough went on to admit that she understands that no answer she gave could make everybody happy, but she's still listening and "this is a conversation." In the same post, she also addressed the blackface controversy that has arisen regarding an occasion in 2013, referring to it as a "poor choice" based on her "own white privilege and white body bias." Check out the full post for yourself:

Julianne Hough isn't the only celebrity whose past use of blackface resurfaced in recent years, nor is she the first to make an apology. Hopefully the controversy means that Hough will alter her actions moving forward at be more aware of what they mean for the larger world and people in it. At this point, all signs point toward The Activist moving forward, although it should be interesting to see if Hough's conversations with "the powers that be" result in any changes to the original plans for the series.

For now, The Activist is scheduled to premiere on Friday, October 22 on CBS. How the show does or does not proceed following Julianne Hough's departure and public comments remains to be seen, but the fall TV lineup is packed with options on CBS and the other networks no matter what.

After just one season, Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union were ousted from America’s Got Talent, which preceded reports alleging a toxic workplace environment. Union recently met with NBC following her controversial departure from the show, and now the former Dancing with the Stars pro Hough is finally speaking out about her colleague’s firing from America’s Got Talent.

While promoting her upcoming NBC special co-hosted by brother Derek Hough, appropriately titled Holidays with the Houghs, Julianne Hough was asked about the ongoing controversy behind the scenes of America’s Got Talent, and she immediately backed Gabrielle Union's comments about her NBC meeting, and applauded her efforts for change. Here’s what Hough said:

The specific comment Julianne Hough is referring to is Gabrielle Union's tweet about her "productive" meeting with NBC. Although Hough’s response was to the point, she avoided directly responding to questions regarding her own experience on the competition show. Though her own ousting was controversial, recent reports have been much more centered on Union's alleged problems with show creator Simon Cowell and others.

Speaking with the hosts of The Today Show, Julianne Hough did confirm that she’s reached out to Gabrielle Union for some one-on-one time. However, they have not had a conversation just yet, and Hough cited their busy schedules as the reason.

The former judge later reiterated her praise for Gabrielle Union, and NBC, for willing to have an actual discussion about the alleged incidents and subsequent firing from America’s Got Talent. Julianne Hough isn’t the only one backing Union, either. The women of Hollywood quickly came to her defense after reading about the allegedly problematic work environment.

In the initial report, sources claimed that both Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union were heavily criticized for their physical appearance, with Union’s hairstyles being targeted for being “too black” for America’s Got Talent audiences. Additionally, several sources alleged that Gabrielle Union filed complaints with NBC producers that were disregarded, including one about a racially charged incident involving a white contestant darkening his hands to emulate Beyonce, and Jay Leno’s inappropriate comments.

Former America’s Got Talent judge Howard Stern blamed judge and co-creator Simon Cowell for Gabrielle Union’s firing, claiming that the environment was the “ultimate example of a boys club,” and other former co-judge Sharon Osbourne backed up those comments. However, this marks the first time that Hough has openly discussed the controversy since the news of her and Union’s firing.

NBC has vowed to “hear more about” Gabrielle Union’s concerns and the SAG-AFTRA labor union is also launching an investigation into the allegations. However, it remains unclear whether Julianne Hough will further discuss the controversy in the near future.

America’s Got Talent is currently in its off-season, but Season 2 of America’s Got Talent: The Champions is all set to premiere January 6, 2020 on NBC. In the meantime, be sure to check out our complete guide to the TV shows premiering in the winter and spring of 2020.

Fans of NBC's America's Got Talent were quite shocked last week when it was announced that new judges Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough would not be returning to the show next season. Typically, judges stick around on the show for several seasons, but Union and Hough would be one-and-done on AGT, with only Season 14 under their collective talent competition judging belt. There was no word then on what led to the departures, but we're starting to get some idea of what might have happened, and it's not good.

It all starts back in April, when Jay Leno made an appearance on the show as guest judge. During his appearance, he taped one of the segments we see during shows where the judges and / or host are behind the scenes and just chatting with each other. During taping, where Leno was joined by judges Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough, he made a joke about a painting in a hallway that showed Simon Cowell surrounded by his dogs.

According to what four people present at this taping told Variety, Jay Leno said that the dogs in the painting were like something you'd see "on the menu at a Korean restaurant," referencing the stereotype of Asians eating dogs. Oh, boy. As you might imagine, several people at the taping found Leno's joke to be inappropriate and offensive, and Gabrielle Union reportedly asked producers to report what Leno said to NBC's human resources department.

Union's position was that the production needed to be made aware of why Jay Leno's quip might be seen as offensive to both those on staff at America's Got Talent and the show's audience if the segment aired. But, according to insiders who said that an NBC executive on set was spoken to about taking the issue to HR, Union's complaint never went that far. At least those behind the show seemed to think it over, because the segment never aired.

Unfortunately, according to those who know of the situation behind the scenes at America's Got Talent, that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough dealt with while working on the show. Variety's sources are saying that AGT has a toxic culture, and that both new hosts got "excessive" notes on their physical appearances while on the series.

Two insiders claimed that Hough received consistent criticism about her hair, makeup and wardrobe choices, which effected her morale and led to tensions between herself and the production. Union, for her part, was said to have been criticized specifically for changing her hair too much, with the specific note saying that her styles were "too black" for those that watch America's Got Talent. Four sources said she got that particular note over six times, while a separate source said she didn't get the note that much, and that both Union and Hough were asked to make sure there was hair continuity in their appearances.

As if that weren't enough, an incident at another audition taping was relayed, where a white contestant, who was doing rapid costume changes to portray different celebrities, changed into Beyonce, but with his hands darkened to show that he was supposed to be black. Gabrielle Union asked that the contestant be removed from the lineup, but was told by producers, "We’ll take it out later."

After Union was said to have responded by telling them that the live audience shouldn't have to watch a racially insensitive performance, the contestant was still sent to the stage, but his performance was taken out later.

NBC, show producer Freemantle, Jay Leno, representatives for Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and Gabrielle Union were all asked to comment on the specific incidents mentioned, but all either declined to comment or simply didn't return requests for comments at all. Julianne Hough, for her part denied that her morale was impacted while judging on AGT and said she "loved working with" everyone involved with the show.

Of course, you might remember that former host Nick Cannon quit the show after he made a joke in his comedy special at NBC's expense. The joke, where he said NBC was making him "lose his black card" as the host of AGT by trying to control his personality, is said to have led to those at the network considering firing him. He was offended that they were offended, and decided to leave the show behind on his own. Model Tyra Banks took over hosting duties, spending two seasons at AGT, with Terry Crews carrying the host torch now.

Well, as mentioned earlier, if these reports are true, none of this looks good for the way things are done at America's Got Talent. Right now, we don't know who will replace Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough as judges, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest!

It's one-and-done for America's Got Talent 2019 judges Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union. They judged alongside Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel in AGT Season 14, but they are not going to return for Season 15 in 2020.

That's the scoop from Variety, which added Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel are expected to return as judges, and Terry Crews is expected back in 2020 to host.

So who will replace Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union? We don't know yet. Maybe the America's Got Talent: The Champions judges, we'll have to see. It's an abrupt change, though, considering most past judges have had at least a couple of seasons to get used to the gig.

America's Got Talent Season 1 had Regis Philbin as host with Piers Morgan, David Hasselhoff, and Brandy Norwood as judges. Regis and Brandy did not return for Season 2, but Piers and Hasselhoff did, and they were joined by fellow judge Sharon Osbourne, with Jerry Springer stepping in as host. Nick Cannon joined AGT as host in Season 4. Howie Mandel joined AGT as a judge in Season 5 and he's been here ever since. When Piers Morgan left AGT, Howard Stern arrived as a judge in AGT Season 7. The next season, Sharon Osbourne left as judge and both Mel B and Heidi Klum arrived to judge AGT Season 8.

Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel judged together up until last year, when Gabrielle and Julianne Hough were brought in. The only other change was bringing in American Idol's occasionally lovable Grinch Simon Cowell, who replaced Howard Stern in America's Got Talent Season 11. Tyra Banks replaced Nick Cannon as host in AGT Season 12 and Season 13, until Terry Crews arrived this past summer in AGT Season 14.

Phew! Lots of changes. America's Got Talent does sometimes have guest judges as well, including several in Season 14. So fans should probably expect the same in Season 15. Not that NBC has officially renewed AGT for Season 15, but it's still an extremely popular and well-watched show, so it's pretty much a given.

America's Got Talent: The Champions premiered as a spinoff last January and it will return with Season 2 this January 6, 2020. Terry Crews also hosts that show. The judges of Season 2 include Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon.

It's possible America's Got Talent: The Champions judges will go straight to America's Got Talent Season 15 this summer. We'll have to see.

Meanwhile, Gabrille Union is busy with a lead role on L.A.'s Finest, a Bad Boys film offshoot that premiered on Spectrum and will be airing Season 2 in 2020. Julianne Hough can be seen in the Netflix series Heartstrings based on Dolly Parton's songs. She's still best known to many fans as a pro dancer on Dancing With the Stars. Her fellow DWTS alum brother Derek Hough still judges NBC's World of Dance.

America's Got Talent tends to air in the summer, premiering in May or June, so we should expect that to continue with AGT Season 15 in 2020. America's Got Talent: The Champions premieres January 6, 2020 on NBC.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for America's Got Talent. Read at your own risk!

America's Got Talent can be sweet, heart-warming, silly, and occasionally sassy. One thing this NBC competition typically isn't is "sexy," but man, the Messoudi Brothers have changed that in Season 14. The all-male acrobat team was back at it again with their pecs poppin', their stunts on point, and even a part for one of the show's judges to play in their latest act.

The boys called on Julianne Hough to join them on stage, and together, they all got a bit freaky bending every which way. Don't worry, it was still safe for young eyes, but what came after may have had some avert their gaze out of fear that the Messoudi brothers may be short by a member or two in the future with one mistake. Seriously, things looked pretty dangerous in this one once Hough was off the stage.

It's almost depressing to see how much core strength the Messoudi Brothers have and just know that I'll never be on that level. That doesn't make it any less impressive of course, as these guys really pushed things to the limit in what was an absolute justification for advancement into the finals, in my book. It's especially remarkable that they were able to incorporate Jullianne Hough and turn her into a meaningful part of the act!

Although there's certainly something there for the Messoudi Brothers to have a meaningful career following America's Got Talent, do they have enough to win the competition? Admittedly, it's hard to justify giving these glamorous guys a spot over heartwarming singers like Kodi Lee, or even the comedic impressions of Greg Morton. Online viewers have equated the act to a real-life version of Magic Mike, which is quite the compliment but isn't quite the family friendly type of winner AGT has been known for.

With that said, it doesn't seem like the Messoudi Brothers need a win on America's Got Talent to gain a fanbase once their run is complete. These guys can do NBA halftime shows, a Vegas act, Cirque du Soleil, or maybe even Chippendales and thrive provided they're allowed to balance on each other shirtless. That's a gift not many people in life were blessed with, so hopefully these guys find whatever niche allows for peak success following their time on AGT.

Watch America's Got Talent's Howie Mandel Beg Twitter Not To Be So Mean To Him

America's Got Talent Season 14 is still rolling strong on NBC Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Fall television isn't all that far off, and CinemaBlend is the place to be for any and everyone looking to stay up to date on what's happening on television in the meantime.

Julianne Hough made a name for herself on Dancing with the Stars, first as a dancer and then later as a judge. She moved on from Dancing with the Stars to become a judge in a new era of America's Got Talent, which saw the introduction of two new judges and a new host. Now, Hough is creating all kinds of buzz for posing nude for the cover of Women's Health magazine.

The cover was tastefully shot, with angles used to cover up anything too risqué while making it clear that she bravely bared all, and her husband had thoughts. But first, take a look at the photo!

Kudos to Julianne Hough and the photographer for managing to snap a great pic that shows plenty of skin for the Naked Strength cover while still concealing everything that can't be shown on the front of a magazine. A nude action shot was a bold move from Hough, whose stints in the limelight have mostly taken place on broadcast network TV, and therefore involved no nudity.

Julianne Hough revealed that her decision to pose nude for Women's Health was supported by her husband, Canadian hockey player Brooks Laich. The pair married back in 2017 and went on a gorgeous honeymoon, and her comments about him indicate that their marriage is going strong. In the same issue that saw Hough baring it all, she revealed in a profile that she's "not straight."

Here's how Brooks Laich feels about the monumental magazine cover, according to Julianne Hough:

Julianne Hough apparently got nothing but support from her husband regarding her decision to bare it all for Women's Health, and she sounds like she has no regrets. Good for them that their marriage is still going strong! Not all relationships involving celebrities are able to last, and I don't just mean situations like the woman who made headlines for marrying a pirate ghost (and then divorcing him).

Of course, if Julianne Hough wasn't already garnering public attention for joining America's Got Talent, then this cover and the reveal about her sexuality meant that people would be even more interested in her story. That likely means people taking as close a look as possible at her relationship with her husband. Is she at all concerned?

The AGT judge went on in her chat with ET to explain why she's feeling good about everything, saying this:

As a cover model and profile subject for Women's Health, I'd say that Julianne Hough has a very healthy attitude about her relationship! Hopefully she sees positive reactions from the masses as well as from her husband. Whether or not you read Women's Health, you have to admit that it's an impressive and athletic photo!

You can catch Julianne House in action -- although fully clothed -- on new episodes of America's Got Talent. The show finally entered its live shows portion of the season, so you can count on episodes two nights a week. Performances air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, and the results are announced live on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, all on NBC. Kodi Lee already has some lovely ideas about what he wants if he wins the season -- and he's definitely a favorite at this point -- but it's still anybody's game.

For the previous three seasons, America's Got Talent had held strong with its dependable judge's table of Simon Cowell, Howie Mandell, Heidi Klum and Mel B, but that's all changing for Season 14. The latter two celebs stepped down ahead of the upcoming season, with Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough taking their places. Not to mention Brooklyn Nine-Nine beast Terry Crews fully replacing Tyra Banks as the presenter. Now, NBC has revealed a first look at the new America's Got Talent team.

Everybody looks pumped and ready to go as far as I'm concerned. Terry Crews, who already replaced Tyra Banks as host of America's Got Talent: The Champions, is rocking his signature big, beaming grin, and his outstretched arm looks ready to deliver some major congratulatory high-fives to anyone to comes onto the America's Got Talent stage, assuming their hands aren't covered with blood or raw eggs or anything. I kinda wish Crews was my life coach and alarm clock.

While no one else's smiles are quite as beaming as Terry Crews' is, there are definitely some happy vibes wafting off of the new duo of judges. Julianne Hough is no stranger to this kind of gig, having served as a judge on Dancing with the Stars for four seasons (after spending some years on that show as a competitor). That said, she'll be checking out a wholly different set of acts on America's Got Talent, where dancers usually have a few other tricks up their sleeves, or pant legs as it were.

On the flip side, sitting behind the America's Got Talent table will be a relatively new experience for Gabrielle Union, who has spent the majority of her TV career purely showing off her acting talents. This will be her first time judging a primetime reality competition on a broadcast network, and I bet the charisma-oozing star will be a fantastic fit with this team.

Here, the new female judges get together for a solo shot away from Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell.

Taking on this America's Got Talent gig should be a good way for Gabrielle Union to promote her upcoming Spectrum Originals series L.A.'s Finest, which is an offshoot of the Bad Boys films centered on Union's character Syd Barrett. The action drama made headlines for more disturbing reasons recently, as a horrific on-set accident reportedly led to one of the showrunners getting part of a leg amputated. An investigation into the accident is ongoing.

Looping things back around to the two faces in this image who are most familiar to America's Got Talent fans, Howie Mandel looks primed and once again ready to be wowed by magicians, acrobats and more. Meanwhile, Simon Cowell does look more photoshopped than anyone else, but at least he appears pleased enough by it all.

America's Got Talent Season 14 doesn't yet have a debut date locked down, but viewers can probably get ready to see it premiering on NBC at the tail end of the TV midseason, at some point in May.

We've been hearing rumors for a bit now that America's Got Talent was going to be switching things up with its hosts and even some judges for its upcoming Season 14, and now we know that this is, indeed, the case, and who will be taking over. As you may have guessed from the photo that tops this article, Terry Crews, who's been killing it as host of America’s Got Talent: The Champions for several weeks now, will be taking over from Tyra Banks as host of the competition. And, the judges panel will be losing Mel B and Heidi Klum when the show hits the airwaves this summer, with Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough taking over for the exiting duo.

NBC confirmed the news today that Tyra Banks, Mel B and Heidi Klum would all be stepping down from their posts on America's Got Talent and that they'd be replaced by Terry Crews on the host front, and actress Gabrielle Union and dancer Julianne Hough in the judges' seats. If you're worried that your favorite show is changing too much, though, don't worry, because Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel will be returning to judge the hopeful acts as they have for several years now.

Terry Crews is no surprise as new host for the reality competition. As mentioned earlier, he's been hosting America’s Got Talent: The Champions, which brought back 50 of the biggest global acts from past seasons of the franchise, since the inaugural season of this mega-contest began on January 7. And, he's been bringing just as much heart and enthusiasm as he usually does to his many projects. While Crews hosted the sports competition Ultimate Beastmaster for Netflix in 2017, he's more well-known as an actor and product spokesman, but that doesn't mean his many skills aren't well utilized in the hosting role.

If you don't know Terry Crews, you've been missing out. The former professional football player has made great strides in his acting career since he started on the syndicated game show Battle Dome in 1999. Crews has played a wide variety of tough guys, tough but loving fathers, unintentionally funny men and kindhearted muscle men during his time on screen and always made the most of every part he's won. He's most recognizable for his work on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which was picked up for Season 6 by NBC in 2018, but he can also be seen in Everybody Hates Chris, Friday After Next, White Chicks, Idiocracy and The Expendables film franchise.

Actress, author and producer Gabrielle Union might not be a massive household name, but she's been in the game for almost 30 years and certainly knows how to recognize talent when she sees it. Union is probably best known for her breakout role in Bad Boys II with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, but, more recently, she headed up her own drama on BET, Being Mary Jane, which ran from 2013 through 2017 and will wrap up with a finale movie this April.

Union has amassed 80 TV and film credits, and also lent her talents to projects like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sister, Sister, 7th Heaven, 10 Things I Hate About You, Bring It On, Love & Basketball, Ugly Betty, Think Like A Man and Breaking In. She will reprise her Bad Boys role in a series centered on her character in L.A.'s Finest, which will debut later this year. In late 2017, Union published her first book, the memoir We're Going to Need More Wine.

Most of the judges and hosts who've graced America's Got Talent have shown off their skills in a variety of entertainment areas, and Julianne Hough is no different. While many will know her for her time dancing and judging on the hit competition Dancing with the Stars, she began to branch out with her first major film role in Burlesque in 2010. The professional dancer, choreographer and actor is also an accomplished singer who released two solo albums in 2008. Hough has also shown off that talent along with some of her acting work (with her starring roles in Grease Live! and Rock of Ages), and has also appeared in Footloose, Safe Haven, Dirty Grandpa and Speechless.

If you're a long time fan of America's Got Talent, you'll know that the show has gone through a few hosts and several judges since it began in 2006. Hosting a show like this requires someone who can have a gentle touch but still be off-the-cuff funny, display never-ending energy and keep things moving along for the live audience as well as the audience at home. While Nick Cannon, who hosted the series from 2009 through 2016, fulfilled those duties wonderfully (and frequently in fabulously sparkly shoes), he left the post after coming under scrutiny with the network over things he said about NBC in his comedy special Stand Up, Don't Shoot. That brief controversy, and the host switch to Tyra Banks, didn't do anything to dull the appeal of the show, though.

One of the reasons that America's Got Talent has lasted as long as it has, and remained the number one alternative show each summer for 13 seasons, is the breadth of amazing and often wacky talent that is displayed among the competitors, no matter who is hosting or judging. While every season has brought us more traditional acts like singers, musicians, dancers and comedians, we've also been treated to danger acts, acrobats, animal spectaculars, magicians, mentalists, aerial acts and even folks who throw things up for a living or spit into each others mouths for fun. Fans know that you can always count on an episode of America's Got Talent to surprise you, and whether those surprises are good or bad is part of the fun.

America's Got Talent will continue to inspire shock, awe and aspiring performers of all kinds when it returns with new host Terry Crews and new judges Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough (who'll be joining Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell) for Season 14 this summer. Until then, you can check out America's Got Talent: The Champions, Mondays on NBC at 8 p.m. EST.

Julianne Hough is a familiar face to fans of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, and she has contributed to the show as both dancer and judge in years past. Unfortunately for fans who love her brand of contribution to Dancing with the Stars, she will not be back for the next season. She recently revealed why she made the decision not to return to Dancing with the Stars, saying this:

Dancing with the Stars introduced Julianne Hough to audiences way back in Season 4 when she spun onto the scene as a professional dancing partner. She continued to partner with celebrities through Season 8, even claiming the top prize with a partner in two seasons. Years later in Season 19, Hough became a judge through Season 24 aside from Season 22, which she took off as a break. Hough only appeared at the very end of Season 25 and will evidently not appear in Season 26 due to an entirely different project called Blackpool.

Blackpool has actually been in the works as a fictional ballroom dance project since back in early 2013 with both Julianne Hough and her brother Derek Hough, who is also a famed dancer and dance competition judge. In her chat with ET Online, Julianne Hough described the show as a combination of "Black Swan, I, Tonya, and Moulin Rouge." All three of those movies are quite popular in their own right, which could point toward Blackpool appealing to a passionate audience.

When Blackpool was announced back in 2013, it was intended to air on Starz and focus on the prestigious annual ballroom competition that takes place in Blackpool, England. The dancers' obsession with perfection would give a window into a darker side of the glamor that outsiders see of the world of ballroom dance. At the time, the Hough siblings were slated to contribute as executive producers and head choreographers. Few details are available about what has changed for Blackpool over the past five years, but Julianne Hough's comments indicate that progress on the project is ongoing.

In addition to working on Blackpool, Julianne Hough will appear on the upcoming second season of World of Dance. Derek Hough works as a judge on World of Dance and asked her to come on as a mentor for an episode, so Dancing with the Stars fans can find her on NBC later this year, even if only briefly. Julianne Hough apparently also intends to continue to work on her acting and her music, which means that she could be very busy in the coming months.

Dancing with the Stars Season 26 will premiere without Julianne Hough on Monday, April 30 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. For your other viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, take a look at our midseason TV premiere guide and our 2018 Netflix schedule.

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich married last week in a beautiful ceremony, and then they flew to an undisclosed seaside spot for a lavish honeymoon in the sun. While on vacation, the couple managed to capture a bunch of perfect seashore pictures to give their social media fans and followers travel goals with a tinge of jealousy. Have a peek at the best of the photos beginning with this one that Laich, who was relaxing in a hammock, captured of his new wife on a beachy tree swing:

In addition to having skills on the ice, Brooks Laich apparently has a great eye for photography. The 34-year-old Canadian ice hockey player took this next Pinterest-ready photo of Julianne Hough through his golden wedding band. Hough looks happy as a clam as she jumps for joy in front of the ocean. Check it out:

The couple kicked off their vacation picture posts on social media with a cute photo of their hands on top of their passports---one Canadian and one American. This particular photo showed off their beautiful wedding bling. Check out the size of that diamond on the Grease Live! star's hand:

Brooks Laich was not the only one who posted dreamy photos from the romantic escapade to paradise. Julianne Hough also showed off her mastery of social media images when she posted Instagram pictures like this one of Laich looking buff as he walked along the beach in a navy blue trilby Panama hat. Have a look here:

Julianne Hough also posted an adorable series of three pictures of herself with her new hubby in a tiki hut by the beach. The newlyweds appear to be over the moon surrounded by palm trees and warm weather. They smiled from ear to ear in two of the pictures and gave each other a kiss for the camera in the third. You can see part of the series here:

As much fun as the lovebirds had on the beach, nothing compared to the overwhelming joy they felt after saying, "I do." Julianne Hough posted a video of the experience, courtesy of People, and the Dancing with the Stars champion called it the best moment of her life. Watch it here:

What a beautiful way to document the happiest moments of their life thus far. They will treasure these pictures for years to come. Congratulations, Julianne and Brooks!

Harry Potter hit its 20th Anniversary this week, and a lot of people related to the beloved books and film franchise have spoken out to share their love and affection for the various Harry Potter projects they have taken part in. One of those people was none other than Dancing with the Stars judge Julianne Hough, who posted a throwback photo to her time on the set of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Check it out.

Yup, back when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was being filmed for its 2001 release, Julianne Hough got involved with the production as an extra. At the time both Julianne Hough and her brother Derek were child actors, and they were living in England, where the Harry Potter franchise movies were filmed. Both siblings appeared in the film, although while Julianne was front and center in Gryffindor, Derek was relegated to Ravenclaw, and he later stole some of his Ravenclaw gear from the set. As for Hough, she dished to her Instagram followers that she apparently loved flirting with the Weasley twins.

Although Hough wasn't famous at the time she's still pretty recognizable in the image above, compared to some recent shots from Dancing with the Stars.

One of the above shots was from a breakfast scene filmed in the Great Hall, and Julianne Hough has previously spoken out about how she accidentally overate, not realizing that when you are filming food scenes over and over again, you are supposed to just pick at the food in front of you:

Poor gal. Despite making herself sick, her latest post seems to indicate she still has a lot of fond memories from the set of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. She's not the only person who has celebrated the big 20th Anniversary. J.K. Rowling really kicked things off, and even the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child got in on the fun.

Although Harry Potter and his pals Ron and Hermione are not expected to return to the big screen any time soon, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2 is already in the works. You can find out more about the magical upcoming project with our full what we know guide.

Dancing with the Stars had plenty to offer audiences during Season 22, from the fabulous moves of Nyle Dimarco to the not-so-fabulous moves of Geraldo Rivera, but there was one glaring absence. Well, two of them. Siblings Derek and Julianne Hough both opted out of returning to the ABC hit last season for different reasons, but fans can start interpreting their cheer through motion, because both of them will return for Season 23. And it looks like Derek was able to come back due to his upcoming Broadway production getting pushed until later next year. Here's how he optimistically viewed the delay.

That sounds almost exactly like what Derek Hough was saying whenever he decided to opt out of Dancing with the Stars for Season 22. It was back in March when he'd made the decision to step down from the show, and that was soon after he'd been cast for Singin' in the Rain on Broadway. The show was scheduled to kick off near the end of this year or in early January 2017, but news broke some weeks back that the production is being held back until some point deeper into the year, so now the male Hough sibling now has some free time on his hands, and it makes total sense that he'd make his way back to the place he's mostly called home since 2007.

It is still surprising that Derek Hough chose to do it, considering he'll be in rehearsals for NBC's upcoming Hairspray! Live in the middle of the Dancing with the Stars season. And considering how many times he's won, we can't expect him to be out of the running at the mid-point. I guess it helps being one of the most limber people on TV.

News of Derek and Julianne Hough heading back to Dancing with the Stars was reported by E! News, who had also spoken with Hough about his next stage performance. Sister Julianne's reasoning for going back isn't as clear, considering she didn't seem to be suffering away from the show. Since last sitting at the judges' table for Season 21, she played Sandy in Grease: Live, appeared in Dirty Grandpa and ate a meal made from caterpillars and elephant poop on Running Wild with Bear Grylls. Well, I guess I'd go back anywhere other than wherever that meal is served.

The full list of celebs and dancers - which possibly includes infamous swimmer and liar Ryan Lochte - will be revealed on Good Morning America on Tuesday, August 30. Will we hear about any surprise returns or exits in the meantime? Keep an ear to the ground, just not on the dance floor.

With movies like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, French Kiss, and many more, Meg Ryan became America’s sweetheart and the face of the romantic comedy in the 1990s. While she occasionally took a grittier, more serious role, like in Courage Under Fire, she consciously cultivated her public persona — for instance, she reportedly was offended by the offer to play Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs.

While Ryan is still very much working, and still endearing to boot, there hasn’t been an actress in recent years that has really dominated the rom-com genre like she once did. Drew Barrymore came close for a minute. It looked like Renee Zellwegger might step into that role for a bit, and the same for Reese Witherspoon. Katherine Heigl and Kate Hudson gave it a shot, and Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone both seem like they could still make a go of it, if they wanted to. Hollywood has never had a shortage of actresses looking to break into the business, so we’ve put together a list of some young talents with the potential to take over the Queen of Rom-Coms title once held by Meg Ryan.

Britt Robertson

Britt Robertson is already poised to have a big 2015. Not only does she star alongside George Clooney in the fantastic Disney adventure Tomorrowland, this weekend she graces movie screens in the romantic drama The Longest Ride. Based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, it seems likely this will make a ton of money and be derided by critics at the same time. One thing that Sparks adaptations do accomplish, however, is to make its intended audience weepy with a tale of mismatched lovers who come together against the odds. Robertson plays a college student who falls in love with a rodeo cowboy. There is a definite crossover between fans of The Notebook, The Lucky One, and other Sparks fare, and rom-com enthusiasts, so Robertson wanted, she could likely parlay this into any number of similar roles in the future.

Martha MacIsaac

There are pretty much only two real female roles in the high school comedy Superbad, and both are the objects of romantic affection for teen heroes, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill. Of the two, Emma Stone has obviously been the breakout star, but we have high hopes for the other, Martha MacIsaac, who also happens to be one half of one of the most painfully awkward almost-sex-scenes in recent memory in that film. With a few forays into horror, like The Last House on the Left and Dead By Dawn 3D, she’s primarily been a player in comedy properties, romantic and otherwise, like the short lived presidential sitcom 1600 Penn with Josh Gad, Bill Pullman and Jenna Elfman. MacIsaac has a perky, girl-next-door appeal and demeanor that translates well to cute romantic comedies, and if she wanted, she could absolutely kill it in roles like this for years to come.

Mae Whitman

Only in the movies is someone as completely adorable as Mae Whitman considered ugly. Granted, this is the Hollywood version of ugly, where you take off your glasses and unleash your ponytail (maybe swap out your paint-spattered overalls for a prom dress) and you’re instantly transformed. Most of us first encountered Whitman as George Michael Bluth’s bland girlfriend Ann on Arrested Development, but she’s spent the last five years on NBC’s dramatic comedy Parenthood. While that recently came to an end, 2015 already saw her charm the hell out of damn near everybody in the teen rom-com The DUFF. While not exactly breaking any new ground, it’s a solid young adult stab at the genre that showcases a bright future for the actress. She also played the President’s daughter in Independence Day and voices April O’Neil on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, just in case you needed another reason to love her.

Bridgit Mendler

The Disney Channel has already churned out more than its fair share of young star performers over the years, and it looks like Bridgit Mendler is following in the footsteps laid out by the likes of Selena Gomez and the cast of High School Musical. The double threat singer and actress has already appeared on the likes of Wizards of Waverly Place, Lemonade Mouth and Good Luck Charlie, among others, and lately she’s been giving her image something of an adult makeover, appearing on an extended run of NBC’s romantic life sitcom Undateable. Well-known for her humanitarian and philanthropic endeavors, her compassion and charisma shine through and make her an ideal candidate to carry the rom-com banner into cinematic battle.

Imogen Poots

Peter Bogdanovich hadn’t directed a movie in just about a decade, but when he mounted his attempt at a madcap screwball comedy in 2014, he chose Imogen Poots to lead the charge as a hooker-turned-Broadway-actress in the star-filled She’s Funny That Way. She plays a ditzy muse and charms her way through a series of zany misadventures and coincidences that only ever happen in this type of film. It's not the greatest movie, but Poots shows off a vivacious personality and magnetism that’s carried her through crime films (Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth), action flicks (video game adaptation Need For Speed), and more esoteric artistic endeavors (Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups), as well as rom-coms like That Awkward Moment. While that may have been an ill-advised choice, it showcases her considerable onscreen charisma. And then there’s that accent…

Sarah Wright

Sarah Wright may have just signed up to star opposite Tom Cruise in a drama about a real life drug smuggler who became a CIA asset, but her resume is full-to-bursting with comedic roles. She played Rob Lowe’s love interest on Parks and Recreation for a stretch, though, admittedly, wasn’t given much to do aside from look pretty and break his heart. Her ditzy, self-absorbed best friend on the NBC sitcom Marry Me is already a type lifted right out of any number of romantic comedies, as could her turn in the Elizabeth Banks vehicle Walk of Shame. Bubbly and engaging, you could easily see her taking the next step and leading a studio rom-com, or even getting her very own shot at a rom-com style sitcom. Lord knows she’s appeared in enough, having shown up in a random episode of things like How I Met Your Mother, Mixology, and more.

Emma Roberts

Nancy Drew is growing up before our very eyes. Emma Roberts is attempting the delicate transition from child actor to grown up star—though she didn’t start off too innocent, as her first screen role was in Blow. Along the way, she has dabbled in R-rated comedy with We’re the Millers, and taken a major foray into horror with the likes of Scream 4, American Horror Story, and the upcoming Scream Queens. But we’re willing to bet that the former Nickelodeon star could rule the rom-com scene if she put her mind to it. She has an easy, effortless charm that serves her well across a wide array of genres, and looking for more adult roles (and to connect with an older audience), she could easily follow in the footsteps of a famous relative, her aunt Julia Roberts.

Taylor Swift

Everyone loves Taylor Swift. I know grizzled dudes in grindcore bands with long ass beards and hand tattoos who know all the words to "Shake it Off," "22," and "We are Never Ever Getting Back Together." (That’s a hoot at karaoke, by the way.) She only has a handful of acting credits to her name, most notably Valentine's Day and a small role in 2014’s dystopian young adult adaptation of The Giver. But she’s shown that she likes to have fun, and she’s game to try whatever (you’ve probably seen her dancing her ass off in the front row of every awards show ever). She’s personable and charming, and if she ever got in the right mood, she could use her America’s Sweetheart standing to knock out a string of romantic comedies that would break the bank. Somewhere there’s a studio exec praying for that right now.

Julianne Hough

Best known as a dancer and now a judge on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, Julianne Hough only has a few acting credits to her name right now, but she’s on a path that could lead her directly to rom-com stardom if she wants. She’s played to her singing and dancing strengths a few times, with the likes of Burlesque, Footloose, and Rock of Ages—she’s also slated to play Sandy in Grease: Live. With a Nicholas Sparks adaptation, Safe Haven with Josh Duhamel, on her resume, she branched out a bit, and she’s diving into comedy with Dirty Grandpa next year, starring opposite Zac Effron and Robert De Niro. She’s well known and likable enough that she seems poised to convert her reality show status and burgeoning acting career into full on romantic lead, if she so desires.

Brie Larson

Brie Larson is probably best recognized for her dramatic work, and rightfully so. She’s been incredible in recent indie dramas like Short Term 12 and The Spectacular Now, but she’s also no stranger to comedy and has proven herself to be one of the most versatile young actors working right now. From the bittersweet variety, in The United States of Tara, to the likes of Community and 21 Jump Street, she’s already appeared in a few rom-coms, like Don Jon and Judd Apatow’s upcoming Trainwreck. Larson has an undeniable charm and an instant congeniality that serves her well in these roles. You just like her, which is one of the most marketable qualities Meg Ryan brought to her roles in romantic comedy. No matter who she played, no matter the story, you just like her, and that goes a long way to connecting with the audience, and Larson has that, or at least something very similar. 

The era of the live TV musical has apparently dawned. Taking a note from the NBC playbook, Fox has a live musical planned based on the hit musical Grease. This week at the Television Critics Association press tour, the network announced that two leads have finally been signed on to the currently-titled Grease: Live production. Dancing with the Stars former professional dancer and new judge Julianne Hough and High School Musical actress Vanessa Hudgens are both joining the cast of the live musical production.

The blonde Julianne Hough is obviously going to play Sandy—the new girl at Rydell High with a squeaky clean image. That means Hudgens has signed on as brunette Rizzo, a girl with a reputation for tight clothes and smoking—although the latter probably won’t make it onto network television much, as the Constantine crew can attest. Hudgens is an obvious choice for a musical, having acted in numerous movies and released several albums. Anyone who actually caught Rock of Ages probably knows Hough can sing and act, as well as dance. They'll be taking over for Olivia Newton John and Stockard Channing, who played the roles in the original movie.

Beyond the casting news, Coming Soon reports that Grease: Live will not be hitting the schedule in 2015, as previously expected. Instead, the musical production will hit Fox’s schedule on Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 7 p.m. ET. The production is coming from Fox and Paramount Television and Marc Platt will executive produce.

Personally, it feels a little sticky of Fox to throw together a title like Grease: Live. On the one hand, I understand the network needs to throw together a title that makes it clear the production will be a live endeavor. On the other hand, I’m not sure throwing a colon in the title differentiates the project enough from NBC’s Sound of Music Live or Peter Pan Live. That’s probably the point, as it’s a blatant ripoff of a product that has been working for NBC for a couple of years.

I’m certainly not begrudging Fox for wanting to give the successful format a shot. That would be like getting upset because both CBS and ABC have procedurals in their lineup. In fact, I think Fox has totally taken a different angle with Grease: Live. The network has intentionally signed on for a musical that will hit a hipper audience, and is a little more risqué than the family-friendly fare NBC has chosen for its first two live musicals. Grease talks about smoking and sex, and Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough should both be cool enough to pull off the lingo of the time. Now, we just can’t wait to see which other young-ish actor will be stuck with that John Travolta greaser hairstyle. We’ll let you know as soon as Grease: Live signs someone on.

Most big reality competition shows peak in the ratings at some point, leading the program creators to run around like chickens with their heads cut off, figuring out increasingly gimmicky antics to keep people tuning in for their shows. It happened to American Idol. It happened to Survivor, The Amazing Race and Top Chef. As far as gimmicks go, hiring on Julianne Hough to judge on Dancing with the Stars isn’t the worst thing we’ve ever seen.

This week, rumors surfaced that Hough might be returning to the series that made her famous as a judge, rather than as a competitor. On Thursday, ABC finally announced that Hough will definitely be a major part of Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars. She’ll shake up a lineup of judges that have been together from the very beginning by joining Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli on the stage. Since she will be joining the series as a fourth judge, she could also change the scoring margins up considerably. It’s easy to see why ABC would jump at the chance to bring back the pretty, popular, young actress and dancer, but it’s also a sign that Dancing with the Stars is no longer as young as it used to be.

Dancing with the Stars is not a show that is immune to making changes. Over the course of 18 seasons, the reality competition series has changed up its format on several occasions. The biggest example of this is probably the All-Stars format the show concocted for Season 15. However, there have been plenty of other changes, including trying fractional scores, new voting formats, cutting Brooke Burke-Charvet in favor of Erin Andrews and getting rid of the weekly results show in order to save ratings. Some of these changes have worked more favorably than others. Regardless, they all prove the show is willing to make small changes in order to avoid becoming stagnant.

Hough has the skill sets and onscreen presence to make a good judge on Dancing with the Stars, and she even has a little bit of experience in that department, having guest-judged on the show in the past. Even if she does prove to be a good fit for the series, I have trouble seeing her addition making a long-term impact on the ratings. She's no J-Lo, for sure. But I'm also not sure what other ideas ABC could possibly have for Dancing with the Stars at this point, either, so there's certainly no harm in giving her a shot.

The announcement about Hough’s addition to the series for Season 19 comes none too soon. The dancers for Season 19 have already been announced and will be as follows: Mark Ballas, Cheryl Burke, Witney Carson, Artem Chigvintsev, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Allison Holker, Derek Hough, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Emma Slater and Karina Smirnoff. Additionally, ABC is gearing up to announce the contestants for the new season and will be doing so in just a couple of weeks. The announcement will be made on Good Morning America on September 4 at 7 a.m. ET. Dancing with the Stars itself will premiere on September 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

Fans of dancing darling Julianne Hough should be excited about the most recent rumors we've been hearing all morning. Several sites are speculating that the actress might be returning to ABC’s long-running reality competition series, Dancing with the Stars. If the rumors hold true, Hough would not be returning as a professional dancer on the series; instead, she’d take a gig as a judge on the show.

Julianne Hough was once the darling of Dancing with the Stars. She joined the series well before her brother, Derek, ever won a mirrorball trophy and knocked out two season wins in a row, partnering opposite Apollo Anton Ohno and Helio Castroneves. A few short seasons later, Hough left to pursue a showbiz career and did well for a while, putting out some albums and even managing to headline Rock of Ages and Footloose. Unfortunately, neither of those flicks were large box office successes; Rock of Ages was, in fact, a disaster and it seems like Hough is now willing to pursue a judging career on the show that made her famous. While ABC and Hough have not confirmed the gig, it does seems to be a pretty good fit for the dancer-turned-actress. According to TMZ, Hough would only be committed to the show a few hours a week, which would allow her to take acting roles on the side, as well.

The question, then, would be whether or not Hough would be a good fit to judge the show. She popped up as a guest judge last spring, and did a valid job of critiquing the contestants and professional dancers who appeared. More importantly, however, she seemed genuinely excited about returning to the series in a different capacity and was totally comfortable on camera doing something different. Here’s what she had to say about the experience at the time.

In her short guest stint, she did criticize longtime contestant Maksim Chmerkovskiy, which didn’t go over well with everyone on social media. However, it's not a judges job to please but rather to critique, and she did a pretty fine job of it. Hopefully, with a little more practice, she will really settle into the role. First, she needs to be officially committed, and we’ll let you know if and when that does happen.

In the meantime, Dancing with the Stars is expected to return to ABC’s schedule on Monday, September 15 at 8 p.m. ET. You can check out the rest of the fall network schedule, here.

Don’t wear blackface. Ever. Even if you’re the nicest person in the world and have no racial issues whatsoever, it’s just not worth it. History is filled with way too many horror stories of people using makeup and shoe polish to demean and reinforce bullshit stereotypes. So, even if you have great intentions or in this case, want to be part of a coordinated group costume, you’re better off saying no. If not, you will be forced to issue a formal apology almost immediately, as former Dancing With The Stars pro and former Ryan Seacrest girlfriend Julianne Hough discovered this week.

The starlet was attending a costume party alongside a bunch of her friends dressed as the characters from Netflix’s runaway hit Orange Is The New Black. She was selected to go as Crazy Eyes, who is played by black actress Uzo Aduba, and well, it wasn’t the best look on her, as seen in this People photograph. The outrage followed almost immediately, and this afternoon, she took to her trust Twitter account to issue a “my bad”.

You can check out the full text below…

Let me tell you why I think this is a good apology note. It came very very quickly after people got pissed off, and it doesn’t use any “ifs” like, “if you were offended” or “if it hurt people”. Judging by the reaction, it clearly had that effect on some fans; so, better to simply cut the issue off at the pass rather than let it fester at all.

Besides, in her defense, while the costume wasn’t really appropriate, she did go with a large group of people, and it’s very clear she was trying to celebrate how much she loves the program in her own misguided way.

Here’s to hoping this is the last time we hear about this drama drama.

Diablo Cody's directorial debut Paradise popped up on our radar big time last week, and not exactly for the right reasons. The film, still scheduled for a theatrical release in October, will now be premiering on DirecTV… on Thursday. That's a sudden and under-the-radar debut for a film that by all rights should be massively anticipated, directed by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Juno and starring up-and-comer Julianne Hough, Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer, Parks & Recreation's Nick Offerman, Holly friggin' Hunter, and Russell Brand, who continues to get work despite all logic. How can something so promising get caught in such a weird situation?

Sadly, this first trailer may help answer it. The story of a girl raised as an ultra-fundamentalist Christian, now on the Las Vegas strip to find herself, Paradise is being sold based on insights like "The world is not the Las Vegas strip," and punchlines like "In the next election, I may vote Democrat." You get some hints of Cody's trademark snappy dialogue, and I genuinely like the "L.L. Bean tote bag full of cash," but Hough is no Ellen Page, and seems even here to be stumbling a bit over the wiseacre dialogue she's handed. She's the girl most recently famous for starring in the Nicolas Sparks adaptation Safe Haven, and though she gets credit for shaking up her image so early into her career, it seems to be an awkward fit so far.

Bad trailers trip up good movies all the time-- remember how unpromising the bullet train sequence in The Wolverine looked, and how great it was in the The Wolverine?-- and viewers with DirecTV will have a chance to judge Paradise for themselves soon enough, so it's a little silly to toss off judgment based on two and a half minutes of hastily assembled footage. Coming off the acerbic brilliance of Young Adult, Cody seemed as smart and capable of strong storytelling as ever. Paradise may indeed have that… but this trailer does a mighty great job of hiding it.

As someone stuck with awful Time Warner Cable, I won't be able to see Paradise on Thursday. Do you have DirecTV? Come back and let us know how it is.

The directorial debut from Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Juno and creator of The United States of Tara, ought to be a big deal. So why is it going to slink on to your TV screens next Thursday with seemingly no fanfare whatsoever? Cody herself broke the news via Twitter that her film Paradise is making its way to the decidedly small screen much, much sooner than we figured:

The DirecTV won't replace a traditional theatrical release, though, which Cody promises is still on schedule for October:

The movie, which was shot last year, has kept a bizarrely low profile since then, even though it includes among its cast Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Russell Brand and Julianne Hough, who stars as an Evangelical Christian girl who survives a plane crash, denounces God, and travels to Las Vegas to commit all the sins she's avoided all these years. A piece in USA Today a few weeks ago revealed more details about the film, along with some first-look images, including this one which transforms Offerman into… well, you just ought to see it for yourself:

Paradise was looking a little odd and quirky, and despite the plum October 18 release date probably not a mega Oscar contender the way Juno was (and that's OK!) But this early DirecTV drop, especially with so little advance warning, has us concerned. Is the distributor trying to find a way to gauge early buzz from the audience without paying for screenings? Did they sign some kind of crazy rights deal with DirecTV and get stuck with this bizarre release pattern? Is this TV debut a prelude to them giving up on the film entirely? That sure seemed to be what they were doing with the first poster, which popped up online via Film Drunk and is a genuine horror show. Take a look:

Listen, it's no easy thing to win an Oscar for your first screenplay, and then to forge a pretty successful career despite hundreds of people who want to write you off as the hamburger phone girl. Cody's career since Juno has been varied and had its share of misses (sorry, Jennifer's Body), but it's also been careful and true to her own voice. We expected exactly the same from Paradise and we still might get it, no matter what wonky release plan eventually makes that possible. Hopefully this weird DirecTV arrangement is just part of what allowed Cody to make exactly the movie she wanted to make. That's the only bright side I can hunt out of this muddled release strategy. Well, that and the fact that some lucky satellite subscribers get to see the film super early. If you wind up being one of them, come back on August 8 and let us know how the movie is.

Earlier this week, Ryan Seacrest and his girlfriend of two years, Julianne Hough, decided to go their separate ways. Neither of the former lovebirds has spoken publically about what soured the relationship, but both common sense and sources close to the situation are saying the same thing. He worked way too much to be a present boyfriend.

Unfortunately for Seacrest, there are a limited number of hours in every day, and between American Idol, his popular radio show, E! News, the Olympics, producing Keeping Up With The Kardashians and a slew of other projects including becoming his generation’s Dick Clark, almost all of his time was devoted to crushing his career life. Sure, he supposedly visited her a few times on the set of Safe Haven and bought her crazy expensive jewelry (that later got stolen), but in general, he worked a high percentage of his days.

Not surprisingly, blame for the relationship’s failure has mostly come down on Seacrest’s shoulders. He was clearly the one that was far harder to hang out with; so, even if she did the dirty work, the dumping deed almost seems understandable. That being said, it’s hard to fault a really talented and driven guy for turning down lucrative opportunities, especially when there aren’t any children or even a marriage in play. Maybe Hough would have been better off sticking by Ryan for another half decade or so until he started to slow down. In fact, a case could be made that she should have known exactly what she was getting into when she decided to start dating the hardest working man in show business.

What do you think? Who is at fault for this break-up? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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For more questions of the day, head here

Julianne Hough is out $100,000 and some romantic memories thanks to a burglary. The Safe Haven starlet was visiting one of her friends in Hollywood on Friday when she returned to her vehicle and found the door open and the contents rummaged through. Most of the items inside her Mercedes weren’t particularly valuable. Unfortunately, her jewelry was.

According to TMZ, the unidentified thief made off with a $50,000 watch, as well as two other items of jewelry with a combined worth of $50,000. All of the pieces were given to Hough by her longtime boyfriend/ American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

Details like if the theft was caught on any security cameras or whether or not the talented dancer forgot to lock her door are unclear, but regardless of the specifics, Hough no doubt feels violated by what happened. Losing money and expensive jewelry is one thing, but feeling like your personal space was rummaged through by a stranger is a special kind of horrible, whether $10 or $100,000 in merchandise was stolen.

Neither Hough nor Seacrest has commented publically on what happened, but if either feels the need to air their grievances or implore the general public for help in finding the culprit, we will let you know. Until then, take the time to make sure your doors and windows are locked and your jewelry is actually on your body when visiting friends.

It's a good day to be a ballroom dancing fan. Not only did ABC reveal the list of celebrities set to appear on their returning dancing competition series Dancing with the Stars, but Starz has also announced that they're partnering with dancers Julianne and Derek Hough to develop an original series set in the world of international competitive ballroom dancing, titled Blackpool.

Blackpool would be a scripted series, which will focus on the prestigious annual ballroom competition n Blackpool, England. The emphasis on the story will be on the dancers' "obsession with perfection and the darker side of the glamorous world of ballroom dance, which has captured the fascination of audiences around the world." Julianne and Derek Hough will not only executive produce the series, but they'll also serve as head choreographers, bringing their own knowledge and experience as dancers to the project.

Julianne Hough spoke of capturing "the true essence" of the world she and Derek knows:

Meanwhile, Derek looks at it as a fictionalized view of the world he experienced growing up:

As a huge fan of the film Strictly Ballroom, I'm always interested in seeing dramatic, fictionalized takes on the competitive world of ballroom dancing. And while there's at least one scripted dance series airing on TV right now, it should be interesting to see what a premium cable channel does with the concept, assuming this one makes it past the development stage. Hough's made the transition from dancing to acting, with starring roles in the Footloose remake, Rock of Ages and more recently, Safe Haven. Her brother Derek can be found dancing on Dancing with the Stars. In the upcoming season, he'll be partnered with Kellie Pickler.

Dancing with the Stars' Julianne Hough has branched out with her acting and music career in recent years, with roles in Rock of Ages and Footloose among her feature credits. And coming soon, she's starring in the currently untitled Diablo Cody Project, which will mark Cody's directorial debut. It seems Cody has plans for Hough beyond that film, as Hough is now attached to star in Time and a Half, a romantic dramedy written by Cody.

Variety shared the news today that Hough is set to play one of the leads in the Cody-scripted Time and a Half, which is set to be directed by Ol Parker. Hough will play "a recent college grad who takes a temp job at a trophy store where she runs into her sister's high school boyfriend with whom she had a one-night stand."

It sounds like the next challenge to be tackled is finding the woman who will play the part of Hough's sister in the film. They're casting that now, and from what Variety is reporting, they won't move forward on the film until they find "the right actress to compliment Hough."

Previously, Hough's recent film projects have been predominantly music focused, but it seems like she's inching away from that, with these two Cody-written projects (assuming neither of them have music themes we haven't heard about yet) and the upcoming Safe Haven, which is based on a Nicholas Sparks book.

It's also interesting to learn that Hough is moving on to another Cody-written project, as it makes me wonder if Cody had her in mind while she was writing the script for Time and a Half, similarly to how she was inspired to write Young Adult while working on the script for the Sweet Valley High movie. With Cody having the opportunity to direct Hough for her upcoming untitled movie, perhaps she shaped the Time and a Half character to suit the actor. Regardless, it sounds like Hough is a key piece to the project, and as a fan of Cody's writing, I'll be interested to see how she does in both movies.

Tom Cruise is the epitome of a movie star. Ever since he broke onto the scene in the mid-80s with movies like Risky Business, Top Gun and Cocktail he has established himself as an actor who men can cheer for and who women can swoon over. So, naturally it was quite the experience when Julianne Hough was filming Adam Shankman’s Rock of Ages and was introduced to Cruise’s character by having him grab her boob.

With the jukebox musical out in theaters this weekend, I was recently invited to participate in a roundtable interview with both Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, the two stars of the film, to discuss the experience making the movie. Check out the conversation below in which the pair share stories about working with Shankman as a director, the preparation process for their roles, and working with so many talented other artists

Did you two watch the play before you ended up on set?

Julianne Hough: I saw it before and then I saw it after. I was the most annoying person in the theater because my friends that were with me I was like "Oh we changed this part" and "Oh that character isn't even in it." They're like, “Julianne, shut up.” [laughs] So I'm glad I saw it before.

Diego Boneta: I saw it after. Adam [Shankman] did not want me to see it before because there was going to be changes from the movie to the musical and didn't want me to be influenced by them. But the first thing I did when we wrapped was that I flew up to New York and I watched the play. I was very impressed by what they did with adapting the play to the movie because it's not an easy musical to adapt. You have people drinking in the audience and actors breaking the fourth wall. How do you make that fun on screen? And Justin Theroux who wrote this really did an amazing job with it. When I watched it I was laughing the entire time. It's for sure the funniest musical I have ever seen and Adam did an amazing job...

Hough: It's a dude-sical. [laughs]

Can you guys talk about the chemistry with you two working together and making that relationship come together on screen over the transition of the different parts between you guys meeting, to the break-up, to the back together, all of that.

Hough: Yeah, it was really hard working with him. I'm just kidding! [laughs]

Boneta: We're really good actors.

Hough: Nah, he was awesome. We were the kids on set and we were there from the beginning to the very end of the shoot. We got to know each other for six weeks prior because we were doing our little rock college thing where we were doing vocal lessons, dance lessons, recording, guitar lessons for him. We had that bond before we even started shooting but the first week of shooting we had to shoot the Hollywood scene break-up so that was kind of interesting. We hadn't really acted together and we broke up so yeah.

Boneta: I feel like we really bonded even before shooting, like Julianne said, because we were both on the same page. Julianne is an amazing, talented actress and we wanted to bring our A-game to this. We only have Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the movie. So we wanted to really deliver and we were both learning as much as we could, rehearsing, prepping and she became my sister throughout that whole process.

Hough: A sister he makes out with. [laughs]

Boneta: Guys, it's 2012!

Julianne, you mentioned going to rock college during prepping. Did that involve the rest of the cast as well? Did you interact with them there?

Hough: I guess we were in different colleges around the country because yeah, we were all prepping. Guitar lessons for Tom and singing lessons for Tom as well as choreography and dance lessons with Catherine and Russell [Brand] and Alec. We were all prepping beforehand but it was just kind of him and I that were kind of joined at the hip. We even had to do roller blading lessons. Probably for safety but we were laughing the whole time. It was like really, we're having roller blading lessons? [laughs] But yeah, it was fun.

Did you have any kind of pressure working with Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones and all those stars?

Boneta: At first I was nervous, I was a bit intimidated because these guys are the biggest movie stars right now. It's my first movie and I was kind of nervous. But then when we met them, and seeing how passionate they were on set and how they were also prepping and how excited they were, from being intimidated it went to being motivated. Seeing Tom on set, he was treating this movie like it was his first and last movie. He was so excited and was full of energy. He's a movie star, he's a rock star, there's nothing that man can't do.

Hough: I was bummed I didn't get to do any scenes with Catherine because I mean, as a female actor kind of coming up that's the epitome of a beautiful female movie star. I still get nervous around her. I saw her yesterday and I was nervous. She walked in, the first time I saw her, in like this gorgeous white suit and just exuded movie star. She wears movie star perfume. She's gorgeous, beautiful on the inside and out.

As a choreographer, how did you feel about the choreography in the movie?

Hough: Yeah. I've choreographed my whole life and danced my whole life. But when it comes to me and [Mia] Michaels, I will back off one hundred and fifty percent because she is the best choreographer. She has the best vision and she has a certain style and mine's different. If I could have her style over mine I probably would. She's absolutely out of this world brilliant. It was fun though to be able to trust somebody that much because I always have my own little inputter. I'm like oh it could always be a little better. And hands down, Mia's the best.

Have they asked you to be a choreographer in a movie you aren't in?

Hough: Oh, no. No. But I've done choreography jobs for artists in music videos, certain things like that.

Diego, do you think that this movie will give you the push that you need to stay in Hollywood?

For both of you, what was your favorite part about working with Adam Shankman? I hear he's a total goofball.

Hough: He's a goofball? I think that's an understatement. He is like crazy insane fun. Just seeing him in the hallway, he is just a burst of red with a shirt just running down the hallway. [laughs] He looks like a bird when he walks and I love it. He's so happy though and he really loves what he does. That just translates to his work and just to us. Everybody has to be around him every single day and to have that kind of energy is pretty great.

Boneta: My favorite thing, and I think this just answers your question big time, there was a very fancy production office and Adam had a very fancy office. I don't think he was there once. His office was at the choreography warehouse with no air conditioning with this plastic white table, a plastic chair and was there every single day. That's where we worked from with Mia [Michaels] and that's how involved he was. He was, I mean every detail, he was in the trenches working just as much as anyone else was. When you have someone like that directing, you can see that on screen.

Can you talk about what it felt like to perform a song so big and powerful like “I Wanna Rock,” and this being your first movie, to be able to do that on screen and look like a rock star?

Boneta: That was a tough, a very tough performance. It was a workout with that guitar and working up and down. It was tough but it felt like a concert. That was a live audience and every single take it was like feeding off their energy. Thank you, that really means a lot to me.

You mentioned multiple takes. Was it hard keeping in the mindset of when you keep performing over and over again, is that something you have to try and keep in focus?

Boneta: Yeah, and that's where the audience really helps you. You feed off their energy and it's literally like being in a concert just singing the same song. So you have to be able to refresh.

Julianne, what was it like having Tom Cruise touch your boob?

Hough: [laughs] Well...

Was that weird? Because it's so...

Hough: I remember it like it was yesterday. No, I mean it's definitely strange but I always have that now. [laughs] Actually what's funny too is I can't remember what Catherine said but there's a part where, I think it's out of the movie, or does he do it where he grabs her boob and he remembers her? It's so funny because she's such a broad, mouth like a sailor and just super cool. She said something that was pretty true to how I felt too. "If he comes back over one more time I could hang my jacket on him." But it's true! You get so excited. Look at his abs. He walks over there and then he's grabbing your boob. I mean, what do you do? You do exactly what I did which is no acting whatsoever.

I think one of the changes from the musical to the movie is that Sherrie doesn't sleep with Stacy, but in the musical she does. This time it's just a misunderstanding. Could you talk about how that change adds some integrity to her character and how it's sort of important to take that change?

Hough: Well I think that for the movie I think that people want to root for the couple, the love story. Who wants to know that she slept with him? You don't want that. Even in real life if it did happen you still don't want that. I think that's also why "Rock You Like A Hurricane," which was Tom and I's really sexy lap dance performance got cut out. I think it just cheapened Sherrie a little and I don't think women really liked her as much. So yeah, we wanted to make Sherrie likable and we wanted to root for the couple. I think it would be a lot harder for Drew to appreciate Sherrie and fall back in love with her if she had done that. I think you just feel more for them and also for Stacey Jaxx. You don't want to really despise him either. The other girls, you don't know who they are, they're groupies, but when there's connection with the characters you don't want to see that.

I actually want to follow up on that because Mary J Blige's character sort of motivates her to empower herself to go from being a waitress to a stripper. What do you think of that sort of message that it kind of gives to girls? Because it's not a really great message.

Hough: It's not a great message in the literal sense, as far as yeah, you don't really want to go up on a stripper pole because that's what men like. But I think that if you're confident in who you are and you're secure in who you are, you can do whatever somebody asks you to do and you're not going to lose your integrity and who you are. And there you go! [laughs] That was intense.

Diablo Cody has flown remarkably under the radar since 2007, when her first movie Juno won her a Best Original Screenplay Oscar and she, her stripper past and her leopard print Oscar dress were seemingly everywhere. But even though her name has become an unfair punchline for hacky and gimmicky writing, Cody herself has kept her head down and continued to work hard, completing a screenplay for Young Adult (which will be out later this year), starting work on a Sweet Valley High film adaptation, and signing on to write a remake of The Evil Dead. OK, that move definitely put her back in the crosshairs of pop culture.

And she'll be getting more attention, good or bad, once again as she prepares to embark on her directorial debut, based on a script she wrote called Lamb of God. The project has been in the works for a while, with Julianne Hough and Russell Brand bandied about as leads, and now Mandate Pictures has confirmed the casting and a spring start date. The film no longer has a title, though, going into production as Untitled Diablo Cody project. Here's the brief synopsis they provided:

Hough and Brand are both public figures who could probably relate to Cody's experience of both good and bad press-- Hough is a Dancing With The Stars breakout star who's got her first starring role in the automatically controversial Footloose remake, while Brand became a star playing a lovable lout in Forgetting Sarah Marshall but had a hard time translating that into something different with this Arthur remake this year. Cody's sharp writing may or may not translate into strong directing skills, but I like where he's headed from what we've seen so far. She's a completely unique and valuable voice in screenwriting right now, and here's hoping she can be a good one as a director as well.

After coming out of pretty much nowhere to win an Oscar for her Juno screenplay in 2008, Diablo Cody has been laying relatively low-- her follow-up screenplay Jennifer's Body became a hugely underseen film, and her show The United States of Tara ran on Showtime for three successful but low-key seasons before being cancelled earlier this year. But this fall Cody will be back to the big screen with what's looking like a likely Oscar run for Young Adult, directed by Jason Reitman, and she's also gearing up to make her directorial debut on Lamb of God, based on her own screenplay.

The initial announcement of the project didn't tell us much about the plot, but now a rumor from Twitch has started shedding light on the situation they report that Russell Brand has been offered the male lead in the film, and that Dancing With the Stars and upcoming Footloose star Julianne Hough is a top choice to play the female lead. Over at The Playlist they've read the script and say the plot kicks off when the main character, a young Christian girl named Lamb, survives a plane crash but loses her faith. She travels to Vegas and befriends a craps dealer and a bartender, the character that recovered alcoholic Brand would play. Between his raucous Get Him to the Greek character and the alcoholic in Arthur, this guy sure can't stay sober onscreen.

It's unclear when production on Lamb of God might start, though I imagine it has to be after Cody is done doing the publicity circuit for Young Adult this fall. I like the idea of Brand hopping on board a project that's a little different, though, and also not entirely about his personality. Since breaking out for U.S. audiences in Forgetting Sarah Marshall he's really just been playing various incarnations of his public persona, whether in the spinoff Greek or even as the voice of an energetic animated bunny in Hop. But Cody's name will be the big one on Lamb of God, and it might be nice to see Brand recede back into part of an ensemble.