Why Julianne Hough Is Having 'The Greatest Time' of Her Life at 30 (Exclusive)

julianne_hough_gettyimages-1032947542.jpg
Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic

The multi-hyphenate is ready for her next chapter!

Julianne Hough has never felt better. 

Between her dancing and acting careers, the multi-hyphenate has accomplished more in 30 years than many people do in their entire lives -- but she's ready to start her next chapter. 

"Maybe because I'm 30 now, I feel much more grounded," Hough told ET's Lauren Zima at the world premiere of her new movie, Bigger, in Las Vegas on Thursday. "I think maybe a few years ago, the applause and the room full of people and the excitement, that would've been really cool. But now I think I am in a place of just, like, the artistry." 

"Even before I was 20, I felt like I already had four or five different chapters of my life. And then 20 to 30, I feel like I had four or five chapters as well. So it's sort of just reflective of all the different parts of who I am," she continued, noting how appreciative she is that she doesn't "have to be just one thing." 

"That's been my journey this year, for sure, is just acknowledging, accepting and going through those parts of me," Hough added. "I am digging in. I'm trying to get wise, you know?" 

The former Dancing With the Stars judge married NHL player Brooks Laich last July. Just a few months later, she started filming her new role as Betty Weider in Bigger, for which she had to undergo a bit of a body transformation. 

"It's like he gets a new wife!" she hilariously said of Laich's reaction to the curves she crafted for the movie. "Every six months, there is a new version." 

According to Hough, however, part of the reason she and Laich work so well together is because they're not just accepting of change, they're proponents of it. 

"You get married, and then it's like, a year goes by and it's like, 'Holy cow, who are we now? We're like completely different people now, like in the best way possible,'" she expressed. "I read something the other day that [said] it's not about changing your spouse, but it's about being in a relationship where we both are encouraged to change ourselves and grow together. We can go at different paces and different times, but as long as that person has got the same trajectory of wanting to grow and change and evolve, that's good."

That growth is one of the reasons she signed on to Bigger. "I think the whole point of making movies and entertaining people is to give them something and to share a part of you or a story that they can either connect to, relate to or be inspired by," she explained.

"The [Bigger] story is about perseverance and belief and vision, and I think today ... I'm such an advocate for, like, women CEOs and [for women] to be able to see this and be like, 'If you have a vision, keep going. If you have a belief, you know what you are capable of. Just believe in yourself and keep going,'" Hough said. 

"I know that's cliché to say, but I'm just now finding a new belief in myself 11 years after getting a little sidetracked for a minute," she added. "Finding that belief in yourself again, you keep having to find that again. Hopefully, this inspires people to do whatever it is in their vision to make it happen."

And the blonde beauty has much more in the works. "It's actually the greatest time of life. I'm so excited. This next phase and chapter is going to be awesome and there's a lot of momentum happening right now," she gushed. "So I'm just keeping it open and going for it."

Bigger hits theaters in a limited release on Oct. 12. See more on Hough in the video below. 

RELATED CONTENT: