How Old Christina Aguilera Is In Burlesque

Summary

• Ali and Christina Aguilera share a connection beyond fame in the movie Burlesque, inspired by Aguilera’s performances with the Pussycat Dolls.
• The age of Christina Aguilera during filming mirrors that of her character Ali, showcasing a parallel in experience and determination for success.
• Despite critical reviews, Burlesque received praise for heartfelt performances from Aguilera, Cher, and Tucci.

More than a decade ago, Christina Aguilera played small-town girl Ali in the musical film Burlesque, and the pop icon was still relatively young when she engaged in this role amid her blossoming career. The 2010 movie more or less reflects the narrative of artists like Aguilera in that Burlesque follows the journey of a young woman fighting to make a name for herself from the ground up to stardom. Ali chases her dreams to Los Angeles, where she stumbles upon Tess (Cher) and her struggling burlesque lounge. Despite the tough grind, they both find the success they dreamed of.

Ali and Christina Aguilera’s connection runs deeper than their pursuits for fame.Burlesque’s writer and director Steve Antin found inspiration in Christina Aguilera when she performed with the Pussycat Dolls before the film’s release. Antin had long been inspired by the burlesque dance troupe background of the Pussycat Dolls but was motivated to write the motion picture Burlesque after witnessing Aguilera on stage; Antin has previously spoken on how Aguilera helped bring his conception to life, “I actually shot the show Christina Aguilera did with the Pussycat Dolls, but I didn’t get to know her then. A few years after, we sent her the script for Burlesque. I saw her at a party and approached her” (via thethings.com).

Christina Aguilera Was 28 When She Made Burlesque

It is unsurprising that Ali’s on-screen portrayal mimics the age Christina Aguilera was when filming on Burlesque began — Aguilera was 28 when she played alongside the legendary performer Cher and a cast of characters to match. Although Ali’s age is never revealed in the theatrical movie, her vivaciousness and drive for immediate success can lead audiences to assume she’s still reasonably young. It would make sense for Ali to be in her mid to late 20s, especially because Steve Antin was influenced by Aguilera and the Pussycat Dolls in the first place.

While Aguilera certainly had more experience in the industry with her role in the Mickey Mouse Club revival in the 1990s and her music career, it is easy to imagine that she and Ali share a similar work ethic. Aguilera released several pop hits as a teenager before slowing down on her album production to raise a family and take on a few acting roles. Ali is seen learning the classics and studying the dancers in the club while she waits tables, learning the routines completely on her own.

How Old Were The Rest Of The Burlesque Cast?

The casting of the remaining characters of the movie Burlesque is similarly coordinated in age, making the ensemble of characters reflect the real life experience of the actors as well. Other big-hitting actresses that make up Tess’ burlesque troupe were young and matched their characters’ on-screen portrayal — actress and singer Kristen Bell who played Nikki, was 30 years old, Julianne Hough was 22 as Georgia, and Chelsea Traille was 25 playing Coco. Cher was the most senior actress on screen at 64 years old and had a wealth of music and movies behind her.

Bell was best known for playing the titular Veronica Mars, but she had a background in musical theater and would go on to voice Anna in Frozen. Hough, on the other hand, primarily had a background in dance, having been a regular cast member of Dancing With The Stars for years before getting larger acting roles. It made sense that both of them would be able to follow the routines for a burlesque dance troupe, and their ages reflect the experience of their characters, with Nikki as the more jaded of the two and Georgia as the more naive.

Like Hough, Traille is a professional dancer, and Burlesque marked her big screen debut. She went on to appear as a dancer among ensembles in music videos, television shows, and movies, like Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

Burlesque
was adapted into a stage musical in the UK in 2024.

Of the men who acted in Burlesque, Cam Gigandet, who played the principal love interest Jack, was 28 at filming, the same age as Aguilera. Sean’s Stanley Tucci was 50 years old, which made sense for the character since he plays opposite Cher as her oldest friend and business partner. Eric Dane, who acted as antagonist Marcus, was 38. That certainly adds a layer to the relationship between Marcus and Ali since he has a decade of experience and a powerful job as he attempts to win her over.

Despite more than a decade past, Burlesque is still garnering fondness from fans, and a predominant part of its resurgence is the star power behind the film’s great casting.

It’s Surprising Burlesque Didn’t Lead To A Big Christina Aguilera Movie Career

What’s most surprising is that, after appearing in Burlesque, Christina Aguilera didn’t have a career in acting take off. Though the movie received mixed reviews from critics, Aguilera, Cher, and Tucci, in particular, were praised for their heartfelt performances. Critics were surprised by the emotional depth of Aguilera’s performance since she hadn’t appeared in anything of note beyond cameos and music videos prior to the movie.

Burlesque was nominated for Best Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes and two of the songs received Best Original Song nominations, with “You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me” winning the award. The soundtrack was also nominated for a Grammy. The actors didn’t receive award show nods for their performances, but audiences still loved them. The movie holds an A on CinemaScore despite all of the mixed critical reviews.

Following Burlesque, Aguilera continued to appear in cameo roles and perform for music videos, but her only roles of particular note have been in the 2018 movie Zoe in which she played a synthetic human, and in multiple episodes of the musical series Nashville, where she played a pop star. She wowed critics with her role in Nashville as well, but only appeared in three episodes.

Perhaps the issue is that despite her great performances, audiences (and casting directors) simply have difficulty separating Aguilera from her singing voice. She rose to stardom as a pop singer when she was a teenager after appearing on The Mickey Mouse Club as a child, and it’s hard for audiences to look beyond that. Her best-known roles, after all, have revolved around music as well, and she’s gone on to be a coach in multiple seasons of The Voice. Burlesque could have been a jumping off point for her acting career if audiences could look beyond her vocal range.