Holly Valance biography
Holly Rachel Vukadinović (Serbian Cyrillic : Вукадиновић) (born 11 May, 1983), who is better known by her stage name of Holly Valance, is an Australian actress and ARIA Music Awards nominated singer.
Early life
Valance was born in Melbourne, Australia, on 11 May 1983 to a Serbs father Ryko and a United Kingdom mother, Rachel. She is related to the late British comedian Benny Hill — Hill's cousin was her grandfather (cousins twice removed). Valance was educated at the Star of the Sea College, a Roman Catholic high school in Melbourne.
Music career
Valance's first single as a recording artist was a cover of Turkish singer Tarkan's "Kiss Kiss (song)", released in 2002. The song debuted at 1 in both the Australian Recording Industry Association and UK Singles Charts charts in April 2002/May 2002. The director's cut version of the music video was notable in that Valance appeared to be dancing naked, but in fact she was wearing flesh-colored panties but no top. The footage was then digitally retouched adding strategically placed lighting effects. The song was nominated for 4 ARIA awards.
Her next single, "Down Boy" peaked at 2 in the UK and at 3 in Australia. Her début album
Footprints (album) was released on October 14, 2002. It debuted and peaked at 9 in the UK and 15 in Australia. The album's third and final single "Naughty Girl (Holly Valance song)" peaked at 3 in Australia and at 16 in the UK.
In 2003, the first single "State of Mind (song)" from Valance's second album State of Mind (Holly Valance album) debuted and peaked at 8 in the UK and at 14 in Australia, but the album didn't get into the top 50 of either country.
"Desire" was, according to the sticker on the album cover, to be the second official single from the album and she even made a few performances for the promotion, but it was cancelled due to poor album sales. Following legal problems with her manager/boyfriend, and poor sales from the album
State of Mind, Valance was dropped from her recording company.
Though her official website originally reported Valance would release new material via another label, this never materialized, with Valance recently confirming she is no longer interested in recording music, telling
Men's Style magazine:
"No one can make any money. It was a really tough slog and I had a good go at it, but it was difficult. You put in so much effort and put in so many long hours for not much return. I was making all my money from endorsements and appearances, but I didn't make that much from the actual record sales. I think everyone is suffering in the music industry. It wasn't just me. I do something until it's not fun any more and then move on. Music wasn't fun any more."
She signed a £3 million deal with the hair products company Schwarzkopf Live to front the new line aimed at an early teen to early 20s market. Valance was seen modelling Cosmic Blue, Sahara True Blonde, Hypnotic Red as well as XXL dresses and XXL hats (each colour has a strapline which referenced other popular culture artists). The adverts could be seen across the United Kingdom at bus stops, shopping malls, on buses and in magazines.
During this time, Valance appeared on Har Mar Superstar's album
The Handler singing on tracks "Body Request" and "Back the Camel Up".>
In 2002, she won the British
Gentlemen's Quarterly Award for
Woman of the Year.
Film and television career
From 1999 to 2002, Valance played the role of Felicity Scully on Australian soap
Neighbours. During the same period Valance played as a raising star in many TV commercials for 1800 Reverse.
In 2004, Valance returned to acting, this time in the United States, appearing in episodes of the television series
CSI: Miami,
Entourage (TV series). In 2005, she appeared in an episode of
CSI: NY. She then guest-starred in
Prison Break, in 2006, as Nika Volek, a role which she continued to portray in the show's second season. In 2007, she appeared in the TV series
Shark (TV series) and
Moonlight (TV series).
In 2006, Valance appeared in the National Lampoon Inc comedy
National Lampoon's Pledge This!, alongside United States socialite Paris Hilton. The same year, she was in
DOA: Dead or Alive, an adaptation of the popular video game
Dead or Alive (series), where she played Christie (Dead or Alive). She is currently in talks to appear in the thriller (genre)
Vauxhall Crossed. She is also according to
Legal action
In 2003, Valance fired her then-manager Scott Michaelson (who owns Biscayne Partners Pty Ltd) by fax, 15 months before her contract was due to expire. Biscayne Partners Pty. Ltd. sued Valance Corp., won their case and were awarded damages by the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
During the trial, Valance's mother claimed that Michaelson was negligent in his duties as a manager, which forced her to take over from his role as manager. Former
Neighbours co-star Kym Valentine also gave evidence that Valance "said she was feeling bad, a bit stressed out, because she was leaving Scott" and that "she said the solicitors for her record company would get her out of the contract and would be faxing him the paper work (from the UK) to do so." Valance denied that she told Valentine this conversation in court, even though she had signed an affidavit where she stated she had no recollection of the conversation.
Justice Clifford Einstein said, "I have given close consideration to the question of whether or not the circumstances presently before the Court which do, it seems to me, show a calculated disregard of the rights of Biscayne as well as a cynical pursuit of benefit". though the court did not award in favour of Biscayne getting a percentage of sales of her album,
State of Mind.
Personal life
Valance currently resides in Los Angeles, California and is dating fellow Aussie actor Alex O'Loughlin. Valance has recently become involved in charitable work with Mental Disability Rights International.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Awards and recognition
Selected Filmography
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National Lampoon's Pledge This! (2006)
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DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)
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Taken (film) (2008)
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Vauxhall Crossed (In talks, 2008)
Television appearances
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Neighbours (1999-2002, 2005)
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CSI: Miami (1 episode, 2004)
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Entourage (TV series) (1 episode, 2005)
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CSI: NY - Lydia (1 episode, 2005)
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Prison Break (2005-2006)
-
Shark (TV series) (1 episode, 2007)
-
Moonlight (TV series) (1 episode, 2007)
Holly Valance in the news
Pop A DVD In: Neighbours The Iconic Episodes Volume One - PopSugar.com
Pop A DVD In: Neighbours The Iconic Episodes Volume OnePopSugar.com, CA - Nov 8, 2008We also get to see Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance before they became hugely famous. ...
read moreHarold Bishop, Ramsay St's grey nomad - Melbourne Herald Sun
Harold Bishop, Ramsay St's grey nomadMelbourne Herald Sun, Australia - Oct 25, 2008... come through Neighbours and catapulted into international stardom - such as Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, Delta Goodrem and Holly Valance. ...
read moreMovie reviews: Taken (15) and High School Musical 3 (U) - Perthshir...
Movie reviews: Taken (15) and High School Musical 3 (U)Perthshire Advertiser, UK - Oct 29, 2008Following a brief stint as a minder for a vulnerable-to-attack pop diva played by Aussie songbird Holly Valance, the one-man killing machine’s brawn coupled ...
read moreSoap star to pop star transitions - Adelaidenow
Soap star to pop star transitionsAdelaidenow, Australia - Nov 1, 2008HOLLY VALANCE left the role of ``Flick'' Scully and went from girl-next-door to girl-next-door-if-you-live-next-to-a-strip-club when she went practically ...
read moreİkilem: Müzikte Yurtdışına Açılmak Hedef Olmalı Mı? Olmamalı Mı? - ...
İkilem: Müzikte Yurtdışına Açılmak Hedef Olmalı Mı? Olmamalı Mı?MTV Turkey, Turkey - Nov 12, 2008Tarkan – Şıkıdım ve aynı şarkının yabancı versiyonu “Kiss Kiss” ile Holly Valance karşımızda. Canlı yayında Programa katılmak ve İkilemimize oylarınızla yön ...
read moreClip: de nieuwe van Sjanneh Pauwl - Spunk.nl
Clip: de nieuwe van Sjanneh PauwlSpunk.nl, Netherlands - Nov 6, 2008Britney, Christina, Eminem, Pink en Usher deden het al en het wachten is op Nelly, Ronan Keating, Ricky Martin, Holly Valance en R. Kelly. ...
read moreCANÇÕES DE AMOR - Diário do Nordeste (Inscrição)
CANÇÕES DE AMORDiário do Nordeste (Inscrição), Brazil - Oct 25, 2008Com Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Anjul Nigam, Goran Kostic e Holly Valance. Liam Neeson vive um ex-soldado que, em meio a uma viagem à Europa, ...
read moreConfira as estréias deste fim de semana - O POVO Online
Confira as estréias deste fim de semanaO POVO Online, Brazil - Oct 31, 2008Com Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Anjul Nigam, Goran Kostic, Holly Valance. 91min. No Multiplex Iguatemi 5, às 15h50, 17h50, 19h50, 21h50 e 23h50 (esta última ...
read moreConfira as estréias do fim de semana - O POVO Online
Confira as estréias do fim de semanaO POVO Online, Brazil - Nov 7, 2008Com Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Anjul Nigam, Goran Kostic, Holly Valance. 91min. No Multiplex Iguatemi 4, às 14h30, 19h10 e 23h40. 16 anos. Ação/suspense. ...
read moreLÍRIOS D´ÁGUA - Diário do Nordeste (Inscrição)
LÍRIOS D´ÁGUADiário do Nordeste (Inscrição), Brazil - Oct 31, 2008Com Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Anjul Nigam, Goran Kostic e Holly Valance. Liam Neeson vive um ex-soldado que, em meio a uma viagem à Europa, ...
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