Julianne Hough may have started out her career as a D-lister on Dancing With the Stars, but Hough has quickly moved her way up among the rankings, rubbing elbows with A-listers in the business.

And how about that A-list boyfriend, people? Hough talked to Parade.com about her tweet from Kevin Bacon, co-starring with Tom Cruise, making time for boyfriend Ryan Seacrest, and more.

ON BALANCING HER BUSY CAREER AND HER BOYFRIEND RYAN SEACREST:

“It’s a hard thing to do, especially when you’re so caught up in your work and bettering yourself. It does get hard because you’re so focused on that, but I think at the end of the day you have to find a balance with what’s really important. I’m so lucky that I have a great relationship. I’m very blessed and I don’t take anything for granted. I think if you alienate people and just focus on your work then it just becomes lonely and it’s not fun anymore.”

ON ROCK OF AGES CO-STAR TOM CRUISE:

“Where do I go from there? It’s very cool to be able to say that my first real film was Footloose and my second film I got to start alongside Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones. I’m very fortunate and I know it doesn’t happen like that every day, so I’m definitely still counting my blessings and working really hard.”

ON DEALING WITH FAME AND PAPARAZZI:

“I don’t think you can ever get used to it. It’s definitely strange. Especially since I grew up in a family that it’s all about family and not about materialistic things. So it is weird, but I guess it comes with what it is. You have to remember where you came from, and I definitely have enough brothers and sisters to kick me in the butt whenever I get out of line!”

Check out the full interview at Parade.com.

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