hairspray cast now

It’s been 15 years, so what is the cast of Hairspray up to now?

Little Inez went onto write half of Ariana Grande’s songs


It’s hard to believe but the 2007 version of Hairspray turned 15 years old this year. It feels like just yesterday we were all watching Tracy and Link singing Without Love whilst Tracy was stuck in a car boot.

Since the movie came out a lot has changed in the cast member’s lives. Some of them were already household names and so continued being legends, others like Zac Efron went onto have incredible acting careers, and some have completely switched lanes like Tayla Parx, who played Little Inez, who has chosen to focus on music and been behind some of the biggest songs in the last few years. And occasionally the cast have acted together again in new projects.

So what has the cast of Hairspray been up to in the last 15 years? This is where they are now:

Tracy Turnblad – Nikki Blonsky

via Instagram @nikkiblonsky

Nikki Blonsky played lead character of Hairspray, Tracy Turnblad, as her first ever role as a professional actress and she went onto win two Critic’ Choice Awards for the role.

Since then she’s continued acting and starred in the ABC show Huge, the movies Geography Club and The Last Movie Star. In 2020 she came out as gay on TikTok and earlier this year she introduced her partner Hailey Jo Jenson to the world on Instagram.

In 2011 she gained her cosmetology licence and has worked as a hair and makeup stylist in between auditions. Now, she’s part of the cast of kids TV show The Adventures of Farful and has over 70,000 followers on TikTok.

Link Larkin – Zac Efron

via Instagram @zacefron

I’m sorry but I cannot get over how young Zac looked in this movie? 15 years later Zac is still acting with notable roles in 17 Again, The Greatest Showman, Baywatch and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile amongst many others.

He’s also turned into a documentary maker with his Netflix docu-series Down To Earth With Zac Efron. During the pandemic Zac moved to Byron Bay in Australia.

After Hairspray he’s had a number of relationships, including Vanessa Hudgens, Sami Miró and Vanessa Valladares, who he dated whilst he lived in Australia.

Amber Von Tussle – Brittany Snow

via Instagram @brittanysnow

Brittany Snow played the bitchy Amber who was the girlfriend of Zac Efron’s character Link Larkin. Since then her career has been pretty impressive.

She’s starred in all the Pitch Perfect movies, Prom Night and Someone Great. Brittany has also had appearances on the TV shows Gossip Girl, Harry’s Law and Almost Family amongst many others.

In 2019 she announced her engagement to Selling The OC cast member Brett Stanaland and they married a year later, just before the pandemic. She’s done a bunch of charity work over the years particularly within the mental health field.

Seaweed J. Stubbs – Elijah Kelley

via Instagram @oneelijahkelley

Elijah Kelley has been acting since 2000, with his role as Seaweed in Hairspray being his third movie role. Since the film he’s continued acting, starring in movies Red Tails and Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

He’s also been on TV in episodes of Star, Tales and The Bobby Brown Story. Elijah returned to his musical roots in 2015 when he starred as the Scarecrow in NBC’s The Wiz Live!

Penny Pingleton – Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes was already a household name on children’s TV when she took on the role of Penny in Hairspray. After the film Amanda starred in a few more projects including Easy A, Sydney White and Living Proof.

Three years after Hairspray she announced she was taking a a hiatus from acting. In August 2013 she was placed in a conservatorship after being put under a three day mental evaluation hold after she set fire to stranger’s driveway. A year later she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

In 2018 she said she had been sober for four years after experimenting with cocaine, MDMA and becoming addicted to ADHD medication Adderall. Earlier this year she filed to end her conservatorship and a month later the conservatorship was terminated. In 2020 Amanda announced she was engaged to Paul Michael however the pair broke up earlier this year.

Little Inez Stubbs – Taylor Parks

via Instagram @taylaparx

Hairspray was Taylor Parks’ (Tayla Parx as she is professionally known as) first ever movie role and she’s done a few more acting jobs since, including episodes of True Jackson VP and Victorious.

However, she’s now transitioned her career into music and is responsible for helping to write some of the best bangers in the last few years including Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande, Sweet Melody by Little Mix and Love Lies by Khalid and Normani amongst many others.

Tayla is also an artist in her own right, having released two albums since 2019. She identifies as bisexual and has over 200,000 followers on Instagram.

Corny Collins – James Marsden

via Instagram @james_marsden

James Marsden had already been in a bunch of successful movies before he starred in Hairspray. Since the film he’s continued to act with lead roles in the movies 27 Dresses, The Best of Me and and The Butler alongisde his Hairspray co-star Elijah Kelley.

He’s had roles in the TV shows Dead To Me, Westworld and 30 Rock. Four years after Hairspray came out James divorced from his wife of 11 years. The pair have two children together. A year later James had a child with Rose Costa, who he was in a relationship with at the time.

Edna Turnblad – John Travolta

via Instagram @johntravolta

Hairspray wasn’t even John Travolta’s biggest musical role, considering he was literally the Danny Zuko in Grease. After Hairspray John has continued to have big roles including the cartoon movie Bolt, a number of crime thriller movies and as Robert Shapiro in The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

Two years after Hairspray came out John’s son Jett died in the Bahamas from a seizure at the age of 16. And two years ago John’s wife Kelly Preston died of breast cancer leaving behind John and their two children.

Velma Von Tussle – Michelle Pfeiffer

via Instagram @michellepfeiffer

Sorry but Michelle Pfeiffer is such an icon, although her character in Hairspray is certainly not. She was already a household name before she went on Hairspray and has continued acting in some great movies since. She’s appeared in New Year’s Eve, Dark Shadows, Murder on The Orient Express and Avengers: End Game amongst many others.

Michelle has been married to her husband David E. Kelley since 1993 and they have one biological son together and a daughter Michelle adopted before she married David.

Wilbur Turnblad – Christoper Walken

via Ampilhac Mireille/ABACA/Shutterstock

Christopher Walken has been acting since the 1950s and took on the role of Tracy’s dad Wilbur in Hairspray. After Hairspray he appeared in even more big projects such as Severance, The Outlaws and the Jungle Book.

Next year he will be starring in the second Dune film as Emperor Shaddam IV. Christoper has been married to casting director Georgianne Thon since 1969 after meeting in 1963.

Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs – Queen Latifah

via Instagram @queenlatifah

Hairspray was truly filled with so many legends, especially Queen Latifah who played Motormouth. After Hairspray Queen Latifah has continued acting starring in films such as 22 Jump Street, Ice Age, Valentine’s Day, Girls Trip and Hustle amongst many others.

Queen Latifah joined her Hairspray co-star Elijah Kelley in The Wiz Live! where she played the Wiz. She also appeared in the live action TV special of the Little Mermaid as Ursula.

Two years after Hairspray she released her seventh studio album Persona. Since 2013 Queen Latifah has been in a relationship with dancer Eboni Nichols and it appears the two have one son together called Rebel, however neither have officially confirmed this.

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