Sonia Kruger pays tribute to her breakout role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom as the iconic film celebrates its 32nd anniversary READ MORE: Sonia Kruger's surprise new career as she gets emotional seeing it come to life: 'I almost cried' By Marta Jary For Daily Mail Australia Published: 10:34 BST, 20 August 2024 | Updated: 10:49 BST, 20 August 2024 e-mail View comments Sonia Kruger took a walk down memory lane on Tuesday as she paid tribute to her breakout role in Strictly Ballroom. The television host played Tina Sparkle in the 1992 Baz Luhrmann -directed romantic comedy - and the film reached its 32nd anniversary this week. Sharing a series of images from the film to her Instagram, Sonia got misty eyed looking back at the iconic flick.
'It was the movie that had the whole world dancing! Happy 32nd Birthday Strictly Ballroom!' she wrote. 'It's where his career started,' the 58-year-old previously told Ben O'Shea on The West Live podcast of Luhrmann. 'And same with mine, too.
If it wasn't for that movie I probably wouldn't be in television today,' she added. Sonia explained how she landed a speaking role in the film after initially being cast as an extra due to her ballroom dancing background. 'I had heard through a friend of mine, that there was a moving being made about ballroom dancing,' she said.
Sonia Kruger (pictured) took a walk down memory lane on Tuesday as she paid tribute to her breakout role in Strictly Ballroom 'And because I was at that point a professional dancer, I thought I know they're gonna use me as an extra, but I would really like a role. So I went and found out who was casting it.' Sonia worked out that the casting agent was Faith Martin, and went and knocked on her door.
'I said, "Hi I am Sonia, I would really like a role!" And she said, "Well there is this character, Tina Sparkle, but we aren't casting it for another year. 'A year went by and I got a phone call to go and audition for Baz. So they were true to their word.
' The television host played Tina Sparkle in the 1992 Baz Luhrmann-directed romantic comedy - and the film reached its 32nd anniversary this week. Pictured in the film 'It was the movie that had the whole world dancing! Happy 32nd Birthday Strictly Ballroom!' she wrote The Dancing With The Stars host said that when she spoke to Baz and he told her she was 'perfect' for the role of clueless Tina Sparkle. Read More EXCLUSIVE Sonia Kruger's astounding $1million Logies secret that hardly anyone knows about 'And yet I only had six lines in the movie,' Sonia said with a laugh.
She explained that Baz replied: 'Think about it, Brad Pitt only had six lines in Thelma and Louise and look what happened to him!' In the comedy, Paul Mercurio stars as Scott Hastings, an Australian ballroom dancer who pairs with beginner-dancer Fran (Tara Morice) after his maverick style earns him the disdain of his conservative colleagues. Together they set out to win the National Championship dancing title and show the Ballroom Confederation that they're wrong when they say, 'there are no new steps!' Sonia was also a ballroom adviser in the movie and helped teach her fellow cast members how to dance. Baz Luhrmann Sonia Kruger Instagram Share or comment on this article: Sonia Kruger pays tribute to her breakout role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom as the iconic film celebrates its 32nd anniversary e-mail Add comment.
