Exclusive: Sharni Vinson starred in one of the biggest shows on Australian television and later the most successful dance franchise in film. But behind her Hollywood act lies the opposite truth.
“I was naive,” the 42-year-old admitted to nine.com.au. Vinson soon realized that life in the spotlight wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
Vinson (left) with former Home and Away co-stars Isabel Lucas, Indiana Evans and Jodie Gordon. Paul McConnell
The Australian actress moved to Los Angeles in 2008 at the height of her career. Just two days after finishing her role as Cassie Turner on the series. Home and AwayA 24-year-old girl was on a plane to make her dream come true.
Vinson had only lived in Los Angeles for 12 months when she landed her first feature film, the lead role in a dance franchise. Step forward 3D.
It was while reading chemistry that she met her “future partner.” Twilight star Kellan Lutz (now former). She never expected their relationship to explode like this.
“He was one of the guys who auditioned for the lead role but never got it,” she said. “We ended up dating for a couple of years.”
“But I didn’t know meeting a fellow actor would be such a big deal.”
The moment soon came when she vowed to “stay out of the public eye.” At least when it came to her personal life.
“When we were just trying to get coffee, there were paparazzi standing in front of his house, they were standing in front of my house waiting for us to go to the beach, and they were hiding in the park,” she recalled. “It became very intrusive.”
Vinson and Kellan Lutz dated for almost two years before breaking up in 2013. Zunino Celotto
“I didn’t know it would get this crazy,” she said. “I was a little naive about how the world worked.”
“I hated this whole media storm where people write things and make things up, because 99.9 percent of the time it’s absolute made-up bullshit.”
Outside of the relationship, Vinson found the experience “horrible.”
Vinson was by Lutz’s side during his time in the Twilight saga. Jason Merritt
“So since then I’ve avoided dating actors or any names that people might focus on,” she said. “It just got out of hand. It was none of my business.”
At least she could focus on dancing and acting.
Step forward 3released in 2010, directed by Jon M. Chu (who would go on to direct Wicked), grossed US$159.2 million (US$227.97 million) at the worldwide box office. It became the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
Sharni said filming Step Up 3 was “surreal” after auditions for the lead role took place around the world. Universal Pictures/YouTube@StepUpMovie
“I had no idea I was going to book it because there are so many great dancers in this world,” she said. Universal Pictures/YouTube@StepUpMovie
Immediately after, Vinson was asked to helm the 2011 surf sequel. Blue Crush 2 – the original made famous by Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez.
“It was some of the best work I’ve ever done, it was an incredible experience,” Vinson beamed, recalling the project, which she filmed in coastal South Africa.
But producers couldn’t keep Vinson out of the water.
Soon after, she returned to Australia to film the 2012 thriller. Lure 3Dwhere she was reunited with Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis.
“It was a really crazy shoot because it was a very wet movie again,” she laughed. “And god, the animatronic sharks looked incredible.”
Vinson starred in the Australian shark thriller Bait 3D. YouTube/@ParamountPicturesAU
After the highly successful 2013 horror You’re nextwhich gained huge popularity in the States, Vinson officially returned to Australia in 2018.
She was promised three seasons of a new reality series Dance Boss Host: Dannii Minogue. The show was canceled after just one season.
But when COVID reached Australian shores, Vinson realized, “Damn, I really came back at the right time.”
And although Vinson lives a relatively private life in Sydney, the actress has not been missing for “the last seven years.” Instead, she’s spent the last seven years starring in Netflix’s superhero series. Guardians of Justice.
Vinson in the superhero satire Guardians of Justice on Netflix. YouTube/@adi.shankar-wins
Oddly enough, it stars ex Kellan Lutz and Step forward 3 co-star Alyson Stoner, despite not sharing any scenes.
Vinson began filming the satire of the DC superhero universe in 2015, and did not complete the series until 2022.
“It took us seven years because we use seven different types of animation, we had composers from all over the world, we had cast changes, rewrites, and COVID in the middle of it all,” she explained.
“It’s a big chunk of time that you haven’t seen. It looks like somebody’s not working, but you’re actually working behind the scenes.”
The passion project, co-executive by Vinson, was picked up by the Cannes International Series Festival and Netflix in 2002.
“It was a dream to walk down the red steps of the Cannes Film Festival,” she said.
Vinson, while continuing to act, enjoys a quiet life in Sydney. Instagram/@sharnivinson
Right now, Vinson is living a different dream.
“I really feel like I came at the right time,” she said, looking back. Home and Away The “golden years”, a time that also launched the careers of Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Isla Fisher and Tammin Sursok, to name a few.
“But the industry has changed since then,” she admitted.
“At the moment I’m very, very happy to be back in Australia and spending time with my family because that’s what was taken away from me in the 11 years I spent in the States,” she said.
The dancer and actress still leads an active lifestyle. Instagram/@sharnivinson
“I’m very close to my family. It’s almost making up for lost time.”
“I definitely spend most of my days doing Pilates, yoga and staying in shape. But I think that’s because my whole philosophy is ‘be prepared,'” she explained.
“You really have to get to a point mentally and physically where you’re ready to just quit.”
Whether it’s flying to New York to shoot a dance film for five months or to South Africa to shoot a surf film with 48 hours’ notice.
“Because when calls like these come in, you never know what they’re going to be.”