Biography: Holly Valance

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Holly Valance -- real name Holly Vukadinovic -- is the latest graduate from the prestigious Erinsbrough Fame Academy, also known as "Neighbours," the wobbly soap phenomenon set in a fictitious Melbourne suburb that has been drawing inexplicably massive audiences for more than two decades.

The 23-year-old is in good company. Other celebrated "Neighbours" alumni include diminutive diva Kylie Minogue, Hollywood stars Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe, singer/model Natalie Imbruglia and Australia's own homegrown Hasselhoff, Stefan "Don't It Make You Feel Good" Dennis.

Like Kylie -- another Melburnian -- Valance was lured away from Ramsay Street by the promise of a glittering pop career, enjoying chart success at home with her debut single "Kiss Kiss" in 2002.

She then broke into the UK charts with the provocatively-titled follow-ups, "Down Boy" and "Naughty Girl," which carried the album "Footprints" into the top 10.

Of course, it did no harm to Valance's career that she possessed the sort of Aussie beach babe looks "appreciated" by the serious-minded readership of upmarket lads' mags like Arena and GQ.

Valance released a second album, "State of Mind," in 2003. But, while the single of the same name went top 10 in the UK, the album flopped, with Valance distracted by a court case which saw former manager Scott Michaelson -- another former Neighbours actor whom Valance had dumped earlier in 2003 -- successfully sue her for A$350,000 ($276,000) in lost earnings.

Since 2004, Valance has returned to acting, this time based in LA, with roles in "CSI Miami," "CSI: NY" and "Prison Break" and a starring role in 2006 martial arts flick "DOA: Dead or Alive."

Whether she can break free of the soap-actress-turned-pop-starlet tag remains to be seen, although a forthcoming role alongside Ewan MacGregor in the Balkan war movie "The Tourist" suggests a hardening of ambition -- especially given that Valance (whose father is Serbian) will play a Bosnian Muslim mother.

But if all else fails there's always "Home and Away" -- though "The O.C." is probably more Holly's style these days.

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