Vanessa Hudgens Bio

Vanessa Hudgens Biography

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This Vanessa Hudgens biography contains information believed to be accurate as extracted from sources around the internet including Wikipedia. If you believe there are errors or omissions in this Vanessa Hudgens bio, please let us know so that we can correct any inaccuracies.

Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14, 1988), 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 series. Hudgens also began a music career and released her debut album, entitled V, in 2006. In 2007, Hudgens became the spokesperson for Neutrogena. She will also be in the upcoming movie Rock On. Her sophomore album, Identified, will be released July 1, 2008.

Vanessa Hudgens: Early life

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

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. Hudgens successfully auditioned for a commercial and subsequently moved to Los Angeles with her family, with whom she is still close.

Vanessa Hudgens: Acting career

Vanessa Hudgens - 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.

On January 11, 2008, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Hudgens will star in the comedy, Will, alongside Gaelan Connell, Alyson Michalka, and Lisa Kudrow. 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 February in Austin, Texas.

Hudgens was also to have starred in Prom Night but turned down the offer to work on her music. Brittany Snow was offered the role instead.

Vanessa Hudgens - High School Musical

Hudgens' largest role among teenage audiences has been starring in the Disney Channel movie High School Musical, staring as the shy, intelligent student Gabriella Montez. The show premiered in January 2006; BBC News said that the film's success turned Hudgens into a "household name" in North America. Hudgens and Efron had won "Best Chemistry" award at the Teen Choice Awards for their roles. 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.

Hudgens reprised her role in High School Musical 2 on April 13, 2007, in St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah. The film premiered on the Disney Channel on August 17, 2007

As a result of the first 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. 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.

Despite early speculation that Hudgens would be dropped from High School Musical 3: Senior Year due to her public photo scandal (see below), Disney denied the reports, saying, "Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a lapse in judgment. We hope she's learned a valuable lesson."

Vanessa Hudgens: Music career

Vanessa Hudgens - 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, 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.

Vanessa Hudgens - Identified (2008)

The album will be titled Identified. Other songs include "Hook it Up", "Last Night", and a song done in 3/4 time. The first single from her new album, titled, "Sneakernight", premiered on Radio Disney on April 11, 2008.

Vanessa Hudgens: Personal life

Hudgens confirmed, in an interview with Teen Magazine in October 2007, that she was dating her High School Musical series co-star Zac Efron. In an interview, Hudgens' publicist stated that her music video for "Say OK" was their official "coming out" as a couple.

Vanessa Hudgens: Controversies

Vanessa Hudgens - Photo scandal

On September 6, 2007, controversy erupted after provocative photos of Hudgens surfaced online. Two showed her posing in suggestive lingerie, and another showed her nude. A statement from her publicist claims that the photo was taken privately and it was "unfortunate" that they were released on the Internet. Hudgens later apologized, saying that she was "embarrassed over the situation" and regretted having "taken [those] photos." 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."

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