Vanessa Anne Hudgens

Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14, 1988), also known simply as Vanessa Hudgens, is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in 2003 and appeared in the Hollywood films Thirteen and Thunderbirds, before reaching fame in the 2006 hit Disney Channel film High School Musical. Hudgens also began a music career and released her debut album, entitled V, in 2006. In 2007, Hudgens became the spokesperson for Neutrogena.

Hudgens was born in Salinas, California, the daughter of Gina (née Guangco) and Greg Hudgens.[2][3] She has a younger sister, Stella Hudgens, who is also an actress. Hudgens's father is an American of Irish and Native American descent, and her mother, who grew up in Manila, is a Filipina of Spanish and Chinese ancestry.[3][4] Hudgens has been home-schooled since after her seventh-grade year at the Orange County High School of the Arts.[3]

Starting at the age of eight, Hudgens performed in musical theater as a singer, and appeared in local productions of Carousel, The Wizard of Oz, The King and I, The Music Man, and Cinderella, among others.[5] Hudgens successfully auditioned for a commercial and subsequently moved to Los Angeles with her family, with whom she is still close.


Career

Film and television
Hudgens began performing at an early age, appearing in musicals starting at age eight, by taking over a friend who couldn't go to the audition, and moved to Los Angeles after winning an audition for a commercial. She scored roles on shows such as Quintuplets, Cover Me, and Still Standing, then made her feature debut in Thirteen as Noel and appeared in the 2004 film Thunderbirds as Tintin. In both her first two films Hudgens appeared alongside Brady Corbet.

Her television appearances include guest roles on Quintuplets, Still Standing, The Brothers Garcia and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as Corrie, a classmate of Maddie and London. Hudgens also appeared on Drake & Josh, playing Drake's girlfriend, Rebecca.

Hudgens' largest role among teenage audiences has been starring in the Disney Channel movie High School Musical, which premiered in January 2006; BBC News said that the film's success turned Hudgens into a "household name" in North America.[6] Hudgens and Efron had won "Best Chemistry" award at the Teen Choice Awards for their roles.[7]

As a result of the film's popularity, Hudgens was offered a contract by Old Navy to appear in multiple commercials for the company. Hudgens had previously appeared in a swimwear commercial for the company in 2005.[8] She also appeared in a Blockbuster commercial for no late fees, as the teenage daughter. Also, Hudgens is set to be the new face of Neutrogena in 2007, appearing in both film and print ads. Hudgens is also an endorser of the Ecko line. Hudgens participated in the Disney Channel Games 2006, which was filmed in April 2006 and aired two months later.

Hudgens finished filming High School Musical 2 on April 13, 2007, in St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah. In both films, Hudgens stars as shy, intelligent Gabriella Montez. The film premiered on the Disney Channel on August 17, 2007. The first High School Musical spawned a hit soundtrack, a worldwide concert tour, a show at Walt Disney World, and even a book series that helped Hudgens land in Forbes magazine's list of top-earning stars under 21." In the list, the 18-year-old Hudgens was No. 7 with estimated earnings of $2 million.[9]

On January 11, 2008, The Hollywood Reporter announced that that Hudgens will star in the comedy, Will. Hudgens will play 15-year old Sam. The story is about an outcast, Sam, and a popular girl who develop mutual bond through their love of music. The duo gather up their friends to form a rock group to compete in the school's battle of the bands. Shooting is stated to start in Febuary in Austin, Texas. Hudgens will still be in the third installment of High School Musical, even while filming Will.[10]


V (2006-2007)
Hudgens' debut album, entitled V, was released in early September 2006. She is signed with Hollywood Records, a Disney-owned record label. A music video for her first single, "Come Back To Me", debuted after the world premiere of The Cheetah Girls 2 in late August. The official music video for her second single, "Say OK", was first shown following the premiere of Disney's Jump In! "Let Go" and "Let's Dance" have both been used in commercials for ABC, "Let Go" for a Desperate Housewives commercial,[11] and "Let's Dance" for Dancing With The Stars. "Say OK" has also been used in commercials for ABC Family's Lincoln Heights.

In August 2007 at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards, Hudgens was named the Choice Breakout Singer - Female, beating out other noteworthy nominees including American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee, Amy Winehouse, Corrine Bailey Rae and Lily Allen.[citation needed]


Second album (2008)
Hudgens has been seen stepping into the recording studio for work on her upcoming album which is expected to have a late May/early June release date. So far, two title tracks have been revealed - “Whisper” which is described as a sexy new style for Vanessa, and “It Feels Right”. Also, a song titled “I Will” which has been written by Hilary Duff has also been confirmed.[12]


Personal life
Hudgens confirmed in an interview with Teen Magazine that, as of October 2007, she was dating her High School Musical co-star Zac Efron.[13][14]


Photo scandal
On September 6, 2007, controversy erupted after nude photos of Hudgens surfaced online. A statement from her publicist claims that the photo was taken privately and it was "unfortunate" that they were released on the Internet.[15] Hudgens later apologized, saying that she was "embarrassed over the situation" and regretted having "taken [those] photos".[16] Disney Channel spokeswoman Patti McTeague indicated that Disney will still be working with Hudgens, stating, "Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a lapse in judgment. We hope she's learned a valuable lesson."[17][18].


Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2002 Still Standing Tiffany episode "Still Rocking"
Robbery Homicide Division Nicole at 10 episode "Had"
2003 Thirteen Noel
The Brothers Garcia Lindsey episode "New Tunes"
2004 Thunderbirds Tintin
2005 Quintuplets Carmen episode "Coconut Kapow"
2006 Drake & Josh Rebecca episode "Little Sibling"
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Corrie 4 episodes
High School Musical Gabriella Montez made for television (Disney Channel).
2007 High School Musical 2 Gabriella Montez made for television (Disney Channel).
2008 Will Sa5m (the 5 is silent) pre-production
High School Musical 3 Gabriella Montez pre-production


Discography
Main article: Vanessa Anne Hudgens discography
2006:V

Concert tours
2006-2007: High School Musical: The Concert (Vanessa Anne Hudgens with High School Musical)

DVDs
2007: High School Musical: The Concert- Extreme Access Pass