DWTS Alum Julianne Hough Fought Hard For Footloose Role

Julianne Hough made a name for herself on Dancing With the Stars by securing two championships, with Apollo Ohno on season four and Hélio Castroneves on season five. Fighting for the win not once but twice turns out to be a recurring them in Hough's career.

She nabbed the part of Ariel in the remake of Footloose, out today, when director Kenny Ortega was heading the project. But once Ortega bailed and was replaced by Craig Brewer, Hough found herself struggling to hang onto the lead female role."I basically had to fight for the role for the second time," Hough told Collider.com. "I had to prove to Craig that I was Ariel, and I did, so here we are."

The movie, which is opening to mixed reviews, updates the 1984 film of the same name that made Kevin Bacon a star. Hough said it was no easy road keeping her grip on the role, which not only showcases her superb dancing skills but adds a coveted line to her resume. "It was a long, long process," she said. "I was attached when it was a musical. I was excited because it was a movie, and I was attached to it. I thought, 'Oh, this will just get my foot in the door for the films I really want to do later on, down the line.'"

Hough, who showed up for a guest gig on Dancing with the Stars earlier this week to promote the movie, is happy audiences are getting to see that she can act. "I know everybody has discovered me as a dancer, but hopefully this will be the chance that I’ve been looking for, for people to see me as an actress," she said. "Honestly, I think this is the perfect movie that I could have done for breaking into the world"

Hough will next appear in Rock of Ages, co-starring Tom Cruise. Watch the trailer for Footloose here: