Back in 2007, Nikki Blonsky was a rising star in Hollywood.
She had hit the silver screen in the highly coveted role of Tracy Turnblad in the film adaption of Broadway musical Hairspray, which would land her a Golden Globe nomination and two Critics' Choice Awards.
The singer-actor led the film opposite industry heavyweights like John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron.
This was no small feat for an 18-year-old New Yorker plucked from a job working at an ice cream shop and chosen from a pool of over 1000 candidates.
Hairspray was Blonsky's first screen role and given the surrounding praise for her enigmatic performance as Tracy, people expected this was just the beginning of a blossoming career.