If you’re anything like me, then the name Nikki Blonsky may not immediately ring a bell. But if you’re a fan of anything and everything Hairspray, you might remember Blonsky from her role as Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 film. She was an icon back in the mid-2000s, but has remained relatively out of the spotlight — until now. If you didn’t know, Blonsky is experiencing a resurgence on TikTok and it’s taken a lot of people on the internet by surprise.
When Hairspray came out in 2007, Blonsky quickly rose to fame. The film was a huge hit with the actress taking home the Critics’ Choice award for Best Young Actress for her role as Tracy and the Young Hollywood Award for One To Watch. Blonsky’s career was on an upward trajectory and she was living the dream. Within a year, she’d gone from working in an ice cream shop to acting alongside celebs like Zac Efron, Queen Latifah, and more. But after a 2008 airport incident made national headlines, Blonsky wasn’t seen as much in the public eye.
Now, Blonsky is making her unintentional comeback in the form of Cameo videos that are now going viral on TikTok. You may be wondering why videos of her are gaining so much attention NOW. Well, let me tell you. Even though it might be shocking that her popularity is on the rise again, it’s not completely unprecedented, as she has been doing Cameos for quite some time.
Notably, her Cameos start off in a similar fashion with her playing an iconic Hairspray track in the background (most of the time, she’s singing along) and then introducing herself by saying, “Hey, it’s Nikki Blonsky here.” These videos have even spiraled into their own TikTok trend, where users have been sharing Cameos they’ve received from Blonsky through the years. All the videos are very similar, which makes this resurgence 10 times funnier.
Some people are even doing their best impressions of Blonsky delivering Cameos.
Since this sudden TikTok resurgence, Blonsky has raised her Cameo prices from $20 to $100, which is honestly shocking because I was considering buying one just for fun but now, I don’t think so. $100 is steep when I can get the same type of Blonsky fix from re-reading her old tweets and watching her as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray.