What's Up, Nikki Blonsky? The Love, Loss Star on Her Stage Debut and Kissing Zac Efron

After dancing from teenage ice cream shop server to overnight movie star thanks to the 2007 film adaptation of Hairspray, it seemed inevitable that Nikki Blonsky would end up on the New York stage. However, post-Hairspray the charming young actress moved on to weight-sensitive projects such as Queen Sized and TV’s Huge. Now the Long Island native is finally making her way to the theater scene as part of the January cast of off-Broadway fashion-centric hit Love, Loss and What I Wore. Broadway.com caught up with Blonsky to talk about Hairspray memories, her own personal style and her future in Hollywood.

Love, Loss and What I Wore marks your New York stage debut. Congratulations!
Thanks! Since I did the Hairspray movie, every time I’d come back to New York people would ask, “Oh, are you going to do theater here any time soon?” Nothing presented itself that I was really in tune with, but once I saw Love, Loss and What I Wore, I was like, “I have to be in this!” [Former cast member and Grease film star] Didi Conn told me it’s so much fun, and I love musicals because of her, so I was like “OK, I’m taking Didi Conn’s advice!”

Do you have any clothing-related memories?
My grandmother’s ring was given to me the day she passed away, and that’s something I’ll have with me the rest of my life. I’ve actually snuck it in and worn it in movies. It has an M on it, because her name is Margaret, and it’s something I’ll pass down to my children. Every time I look down at my hand, there’s my nanny right there!

How would you describe your own style?
Being a New Yorker, not to be cliché, I wear a lot of black. I have a very curvy and voluptuous figure so I accentuate that and I’m not afraid to wear a belt to show my waist. I like to wear a lot of sweaters, nothing too thick, but the very dainty, pretty ones. I just like to look New York chic, but not overdone because that can get annoying.

You starred in the ABC Family original series Huge this past summer. What was that experience like?
I loved the show and everything it stood for. The title and the writers were genius. I loved the character I was playing because she was so different from me and not just the obvious [style choices] of her electric blue hair and boy clothes. It really gave the plus-sized community a show they could tune into every week and feel comfortable watching. Unfortunately, I don’t know if the world wasn’t ready or the media wasn’t ready, but the show was canceled. I have faith that in the future another show will come along where I will be able to celebrate my body and who I am.

After Hairspray and Huge, do you feel you're being typecast in plus-sized roles?
I have a new film coming out in February called Waiting for Forever with Rachel Bilson and Blythe Danner. I auditioned to play a young mom, a role that had nothing to do with being plus-sized, and I got it. That was the first moment I said, “I’m not always going to be typecast.” [Director] James Keach really gave me faith and hope that I will not always be put in the corner and pulled out when a movie needs a cute, funny plus-sized girl. I’m always down for those roles, but there’s so much more depth to me. I think when people see me in Love, Loss and What I Wore they’re going to forget that I’m a plus-sized woman and see me as a character full of emotion.

Were you upset that plans for a Hairspray sequel were scrapped?
I love Hairspray so much. It’s just magical to me. I would just die to work with John Travolta again. We’re very close, and I still speak to him all the time. Same with Amanda Bynes and Zac Efron, which I know girls will like to hear. It was such a fun, life-changing experience for all of us.

So what’s it like making out with Zac Efron?
Well, it wasn’t a hard day at the office [laughs]. He’s a wonderful guy and very talented. I’ll leave it at that!