Sure, Nikki Blonsky played the lead in 2007's Hairspray alongside John Travolta and a list of other A-list names and subsequently starred in the ABC Family show Huge. But the actress's current career is anything but.

If you want to find Nikki at work today, just head to Steven Dann, a high-end shoe boutique in her hometown of Great Neck, N.Y.

When Huge failed to make a splash, work slowed to a crawl for the actress and she needed some extra moola.

So why the chic shoe boutique? And is the Hairspray star acting like a Hollywood diva or is she in the running for employee of the month?

"Steven says she's one of the best employees he's ever had!" a store source tells us. "Nikki had known Steven for a long time. When she started her career she got shoes, bags and accessories from the store for red carpets but recently approached him about working at the store."

Dann, we're assured, loved the idea of Nikki bringing in new business and he jumped.

"So it was done," we're told.

Blonsky, who has no comment on the career change, just started the gig last week and hopes to work at the shoe store throughout the summer, but the customers already love her!

"Customers come in and see her and ask, 'Oh my God! What are you doing here?,'" quips our Dann store source, who continues with what's a typical customer reaction: "Are you shopping?', and she laughs and says, 'No, I'm working!'"

Our footwear-friendly insider then fesses: "It's a little uncomfortable for [Nikki] obviously, but the customer will ask her to sign her autograph on the receipt and she does."

And despite changing career gears for a bit, it appears Nikki hasn't lost her inner song and dance.

"She's really sweet to the little kids that come in the store," adds the insider shoe maven. "She even sings and dances for the customers, busting out the tunes from Hairspray!"

But don't worry, Nikki hasn't said sayonara to showbiz. "She's supposedly working on a project that will catapult her career, something bigger than Hairspray," says our shoe-pal.

What could possibly be bigger than Hairspray? Your guess is as good as ours.

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