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Vanessa Hudgens
File:Vanessa-Hudgens-2-DeNoiseAI-severe-noise.png Vanessa-Hudgens-2-DeNoiseAI-severe-noise.png
Native nameVanessa Anne Hudgens
BornVanessa Anne Hudgens
1988/12/14
Salinas, California, U.S
🏡 ResidenceSalinas, California, U.S
🏳️ NationalityAmerican
🏳️ CitizenshipAmerican
🏫 EducationOrange County High School
💼 Occupation
Actress, Singer
📆 Years active  2003
💰 Net worth$ 14 million
Height155 cm
👴 👵 Parent(s)Gregory Hudgens,Gina Hudgens
👪 RelativesAustin Butler
FamilyStella Hudgens
🌐 Websitehttps://vanessahudgens.tumblr.com

Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in Thirteen (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical film series (2006–08), which brought her significant mainstream success. The success of the first film led to Hudgens' acquiring a recording contract with Hollywood Records, with whom she released two studio albums, V (2006) and Identified (2008).

Since the release of her studio albums and the High School Musical franchise, Hudgens has focused on her acting career. She has appeared in the films Bandslam(2009), Beastly (2011), Sucker Punch (2011), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), Spring Breakers (2013), Machete Kills (2013), and The Princess Switch(2018). She has also played the title role in the Broadway musical Gigi in 2015. She has had a role in two of Fox's live musical productions: Rizzo in Grease: Live in 2016, and Maureen Johnson in Rent: Live in 2019.

Early Life[edit]

Hudgens was born in Salinas, California, and lived with her parents along the West Coast, from Oregon to Southern California. Her mother, Gina (née Guangco), held a succession of office jobs, and her father, Gregory Hudgens, was a firefighter. She has a younger sister, Stella Hudgens, who is also an actress. She was raised as a Roman Catholic. Her father, Greg, was of Irish and Native Americandescent, and her mother, a native of Manila, Philippines, is of Filipino descent. All of her grandparents were musicians.

Career[edit]

1998–2004: Career beginnings and stage[edit]

Starting in 1998, 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. Two years after her career in stage plays and musicals, she started auditioning for commercials and television shows, and her family moved to Los Angeles after she won a role in a television commercial. Her acting career started at the age of 15, and she briefly attended Orange County High School of the Arts, followed by homeschooling with tutors.

Hudgens had her first acting role in an episode of the sitcom Still Standing, in which she portrayed Tiffany. Following her appearance on the series, she guest starred in an episode of the series Robbery Homicide Division, airing on CBS in 2002. 2003 saw Hudgens making her theatrical debut in the 2003 drama film Thirteen, in which she had the supporting role of Noel. The film, which revolved around teenager Tracy trying to fit in and getting caught up in the wrong crowd, was somewhat of a commercial success, grossing $10 million worldwide. Despite its minor commercial success, the film received positive critical reviews. It has an 82% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and USA Today called Thirteen the most "powerful of all recent wayward-youth sagas". Hudgens subsequently landed a role in the 2004 science fiction-adventure film Thunderbirds, based on the television series of the same name. Hudgens portrayed the character of Tin-tin. The film was a commercial failure and was strongly criticized for "abandoning the original concepts".

2005–2008: High School Musical and music[edit]

Hudgens performing at the High School Musical: The Concert in 2007 In 2005, Hudgens was cast as Gabriella Montez, one of the lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical. The film saw Hudgens portraying the new girl at high school who falls for the captain of the basketball team. The two later reveal a passion for singing, and audition for the school play together. Hudgens starred alongside Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale in the film, the former of which she was partnered up with during the auditioning process due to their "chemistry". The film, released on January 20, 2006, was both a critical and commercial success. High School Musical was Disney Channel's most watched film that year with 7.7 million viewers in its premiere broadcast in the US, until August's premiere of The Cheetah Girls 2, which achieved 8.1 million viewers. In the UK, it received 789,000 viewers for its premiere (and 1.2 million viewers overall during the first week), making it the second most watched program for the Disney Channel (UK) of 2006. On December 29, 2006, it became the first Disney Channel Original Movie to be broadcast on the BBC. For the film, Hudgens recorded numerous songs which had commercial success. The song "Breaking Free", a duet with Zac Efron, went on to become Hudgens' only Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 to date, when it peaked at number 4 on the chart. The song also reached number 9 in the UK, her highest chart entry in the country. Following the success of the film, Hudgens began work on her debut album. The project, later revealed to be titled V, was released on September 26, 2006. The album sold 34,000 copies in its first week of release, and debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.In February 2007, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. As of August 2009, the album has sold 570,000 copies in the U.S. It was preceded by two singles, "Come Back to Me" and "Say OK", both of which were slightly successful in numerous countries. Both singles received heavy promotion on Disney Channel, with the music videos for both premiering on the channel. Hudgens in concert in January 2007 In 2007, work on the second film in the High School Musical series began, and Hudgens was confirmed to be returning for the sequel. High School Musical 2 was released on August 17, 2007. The premiere was seen by a total of over 17.2 million viewers in the U.S., which is almost 10 million more than its predecessor, making it the highest-rated Disney Channel Movie of all time. Disney Channel aired a weekly program called Road to High School Musical 2, beginning on June 8, 2007, and leading up to the premiere of High School Musical 2 in August. The show offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the production of the movie. The world premiere of the opening number "What Time Is It" was on Radio Disney May 25, 2007, and similarly "You Are The Music In Me" premiered on July 13, 2007. The film was generally well received by critics, gaining a score of 77/100 at Metacritic, while it received a generally mixed response of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. USA Today's Robert Bianco awarded the film three stars out of four, saying High School Musical 2 was "sweet, smart, bursting with talent and energy, and awash in innocence". While critics enjoyed the film, they noted that the timing of the movie's premiere seemed odd, premiering just when school was about to start up again, while the movie's plot involved the gang going on summer vacation. High School Musical 2 won the "So Hot Right Now" award at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards 2007, in which High School Musical castmate Zac Efron hosted with The Veronicas.

In 2007, Hudgens began work on her second studio album, partly due to the success of the High School Musical franchise. Her second studio album, Identified, was released on July 1, 2008. It sold 22,000 copies in its first week of release, 12,000 less than that of her previous effort. Despite the drop in sales, the album debuted at number 23, one spot higher than V. The album was preceded by one single, "Sneakernight", which was her lowest performing single in the US to date. It was a success on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the US, where it peaked at number 8. Following the commercial failure of the album, it was announced that Hudgens had parted ways with Hollywood Records. Hudgens went on to reprise her role as Gabriella in the 2008 sequel High School Musical 3: Senior Year, the first film from the franchise to be released theatrically. It opened at number one at the North American box office in October 2008, earning $42 million in its first weekend, which broke the record previously held by Mamma Mia! for the biggest opening by a musical. The film finished with $252 million worldwide, which exceeded Disney's expectations.

2009–2015: Focus on acting[edit]

Hudgens at the MyHabit launch at Skylight West Studios in May 2011 Following the completion of the High School Musical series, Hudgens confirmed that she was taking a break from her music career to focus more on acting. She played a supporting role in a musical comedy Bandslam, which was released theatrically on August 14, 2009. Hudgens plays "Sa5m", a 15-year-old awkward freshman with untapped talents. Although Bandslam was commercially unsuccessful, Hudgens' performance received praise from critics. David Waddington of the North Wales Pioneernoted that Hudgens "outshines the rest of the cast, failing to fit in with the outcast narrative and making the inevitable climactic ending all the more expected", and Philip French of The Guardian compared her acting to Thandie Newton and Dorothy Parker. Hudgens made a return to theater productions and starred in the musical Rent as Mimi. The stage production ran from August 6–8, 2010 at the Hollywood Bowl. Her involvement in the production drew negative comments, but director Neil Patrick Harris defended his decision with casting Hudgens by saying, "Vanessa [Hudgens] is awesome. She's a friend. I asked her to come in and sing to make sure she had the chops for it. And she was very committed and seemed great."

Hudgens' involvement in Beastly, a film based on Alex Flinn's novel of the same name, was announced in early 2009. She played one of the main characters in the film, Linda Taylor. Hudgens described her as, "...the "beauty" of the story but not the stereotypical beauty everyone thinks of." Along with Beastly co-star, Alex Pettyfer, Hudgens was recognized as ShoWest stars of Tomorrow. Beastly, which also starred Mary-Kate Olsen, was released on March 4, 2011. Beastly received mostly negative reviews, earning a 20% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes from 89 reviews, with an average rating of 3.7/10. It was ranked No. 45 in The Times' predicted "50 Biggest Movies of 2010". The film was screened at ShoWest and it drew enthusiastic reactions from the luncheon crowd of exhibition officials. The film went on to make $28 million worldwide as of 2012. Hudgens was also cast as one of the five female leads in the action film Sucker Punch, directed by Zack Snyder. She played Blondie, an institutionalized girl in an asylum. The film was released in March 2011, and grossed $19 million in its first weekend at the North American box office, opening at number two. By the end of its run, Sucker Punch totaled $89 million worldwide. Though the film's content was derided, it received some recognition for the visual effects of the fantasy sequences. Sucker Punchreceived a nomination at the 2011 Scream Awards for Best F/X, and its stunt work was nominated for a Taurus Award. Hudgens at the 2012 People's Choice Awards In October 2010, Hudgens joined the cast of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), the sequel to the 2008 film Journey to the Center of the Earth, alongside Dwayne Johnsonand Josh Hutcherson, playing Hutcherson's love interest. The film earned $325 million worldwide during its theatrical run, which outperformed its predecessor. It received generally mixed to negative reviews from critics. The consensus from Rotten Tomatoes is: "Aggressively unambitious, Journey 2 might thrill teen viewers, but most others will find it too intense for young audiences and too cartoonishly dull for adults".

In November 2011, Hudgens announced on her official website that she would be starring with Selena Gomez and James Franco in Spring Breakers. The film followed four college-aged girls who decide to rob a fast food restaurant in order to pay for their spring break. It was released theatrically in March 2013, receiving generally positive reviews. The film featured mature themes such as drug use, sexual escapades, and violence. To coincide with the film, Hudgens later released the dubstep-influenced song "$$$ex", with a music video featuring clips from the film. The song features guest vocals from YLA, and was produced by Rock Mafia. Vanessa later expressed her discomfort with a sex scene in an interview with Glow Magazine stating: "It was very nerve-racking for me. I told my agent that I never want to do it ever again."

In April 2011, it was reported that she would star in Gimme Shelter with Brendan Fraser, a film written and directed by Ron Krauss. Hudgens also plays Cindy Paulson in The Frozen Ground (2013), a film based on the Robert Hansen case wherein she plays as his only victim who escaped. She co-stars with John Cusack and Nicolas Cage. In 2015, Hudgens took on the title role in the new production of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's Gigi, which opened at the Kennedy Center from January 16 to February 12, before transferring to Broadway on April 8. The production closed on June 21.

2016–present[edit]

On January 31, 2016, Hudgens starred in the role of Rizzo in Grease: Live, Fox's live broadcast based on the original Broadway musical. Hudgens dedicated her performance to her father, Greg, who died from cancer one day before the special aired. In 2017, Hudgens played Emily Locke on NBC's comedy series Powerless, which was based on DC Comics characters. It was cancelled after one season. That same year, Hudgens was featured on Shawn Hook's single "Reminding Me" and also starred in the music video. In 2018, Hudgens starred in the romantic comedy film Dog Days, alongside Finn Wolfhard and Nina Dobrev; the movie began filming in late 2017. Also that year, she co-starred in the Jennifer Lopez comedy film Second Act, directed by Peter Segal.

In 2019 she starred in another Fox live musical presentation, Rent: Live as Maureen Johnson.

Personal Life[edit]

Hudgens began a relationship with High School Musical co-star Zac Efron in 2005. The couple became a frequent target for the media, and in turn the BBC predicted that Hudgens would be a "household name" in the US. They ended their relationship after five years in December 2010. Hudgens is a close friend of actress Ashley Tisdale, whom she met when they both appeared in the film High School Musical; Hudgens was a bridesmaid at Tisdale's wedding on September 8, 2014.

Hudgens has been in a relationship with Austin Butler since 2011.

In May 2016, Hudgens paid $1,000 in restitution for damage of U.S. Forest Service property by carving initials within a heart on a rock in the Coconino National Forest and displaying it on her personal Instagram feed.

Hudgens was raised Catholic, but since has grown away from that branch of Christianity and now identifies as a non-denominational Christian. She attends the Los Angeles affiliate church of Hillsong Church.

Leaked photos[edit]

On September 6, 2007, stolen photos of Hudgens were leaked online, one showing her posing in lingerie and another showing 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 apologised, saying that she was "embarrassed over the situation" and regretted having "taken [those] photos". Hudgens subsequently released a statement indicating that she declined to comment further on the subject. OK!magazine speculated that Hudgens would be dropped from High School Musical 3 as a result of the images, but The Walt Disney Company denied this, saying, "Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a lapse in judgment. We hope she's learned a valuable lesson."

In August 2009, another set of stolen pictures showing Hudgens topless emerged on the Internet. Hudgens' representatives did not comment, though her lawyers requested the removal of the pictures from the Internet. In late 2009, Hudgens sued "www.moejackson.com" for posting nude "self-portrait photographs" of her taken on a mobile phone in a private home. Hudgens later commented on the photos' impact on her career in the October issue of Allure with, "Whenever anybody asks me, would I do nudity in a film, if I say that it's something I'm not comfortable with, they're like, 'Bullshit, you've already done it.' If anything, it makes it more embarrassing, because that was a private thing. It's screwed up that someone screwed me over like that. At least some people are learning from my mistake."According to Us Weekly, further pictures were released on the Internet on March 15, 2011.

Public image[edit]

Hudgens in January 2012 at Bondi Beach, Sydney Hudgens was represented by William Morris Agency but signed on to Creative Artists Agency in 2011. In 2006, Hudgens' earnings were estimated to be $2 million.Hudgens was included in Forbes richest list in early 2007, and the Forbes article noted that she was included in Young Hollywood's Top Earning-Stars. On December 12, 2008, Hudgens was ranked No. 20 in the list of Forbes "High Earners Under 30", having reported to have an estimated earnings of $3 million in 2008. She was number 62 at FHM's Sexiest Women in the World of 2008 and number 42 in the 2009 list. Hudgens is also featured in Maxim's lists. She was included in People's annual "100 Most Beautiful People" 2008 and 2009 lists.

Hudgens promotes Neutrogena and was the 2008 featured celebrity for Sears' back-to school campaign. In 2007, she became a spokesperson for Marc Eckō products but ended the contract after two years. Hudgens regularly volunteers for charitable activities, including those for Best Buddies International, Lollipop Theater Network, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Hudgens is also featured in A Very Special Christmas Vol.7 disc which benefits the Special Olympics. Hudgens is also part of the "Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C): Change The Odds" along with other Hollywood stars including Zac Efron, Dakota Fanning, Kristen Bell, and others.

Brian Schall sued Hudgens in 2007 for an alleged "breach of contract"; according to the suit, Schall claims he advanced costs and expenses on Hudgens' behalf for her songwriting and recording career. Schall claims Hudgens owed him $150,000 after helping her earn more than $5 million for her music career. Hudgens argued that she was a 16-year-old minor when she signed the contract in October 2005, and therefore too young to do so. She subsequently disaffirmed it on October 9, 2008. Papers filed in court by her lawyer say California's Family Code "provides that the contract of a minor is voidable and may be disaffirmed before (age 18) or within a reasonable time afterward."In 2008, Hudgens was sued by Johnny Vieira, who claims he was owed a share of Hudgens' advances, royalties and merchandising revenue in exchange for his management services. Vieira accuses Hudgens of abandoning her talent team as soon as she became a commercial name. In early May 2009, the case was settled.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Thirteen Noel
2004 Thunderbirds Tin-Tin Kyrano
2008 High School Musical 3: Senior Year Gabriella Montez
2009 Bandslam Sa5m
2009 The Ultimate Idol Herself Documentary
2011 Beastly Lindy Taylor
2011 Sucker Punch Blondie
2012 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Kailani Laguatan
2012 Spring Breakers Candy
2013 Choose You Ex-girlfriend Short film
2013 The Frozen Ground Cindy Paulson
2013 Machete Kills Cereza Desdemona
2013 Gimme Shelter Agnes "Apple" Bailey
2015 Freaks of Nature Lorelei
2018 Dog Days Tara
2018 The Princess Switch Margaret Delacourt, Duchess of Montenaro
Stacy De Novo
2018 Second Act Zoe
2019 Polar Camille
2020 Bad Boys for Life N/A Filming

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Still Standing Tiffany Episode: "Still Rocking"
2002 Robbery Homicide Division Nicole Episode: "Had"
2003 The Brothers García Lindsay Episode: "New Tunes"
2005 Quintuplets Carmen Episode: "The Coconut Kapow"
2006 Drake & Josh Rebecca Episode: "Little Sibling"
2006 High School Musical Gabriella Montez Television film
2006 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Corrie 4 episodes (season 2)
2007 High School Musical 2 Gabriella Montez Television film
2009 Robot Chicken Lara Lor-Van / Butterbear /

Erin Esurance (voice)

Episode: "Especially the Animal Keith Crofford"
2012 Punk'd Herself Episode: "Lucy Hale"
2013 Inner Circle Herself Documentary
2016 High School Musical: 10th Anniversary Herself Special
2016 Grease: Live Betty Rizzo Special
2017 Powerless Emily Locke Lead role
2017 Running Wild with Bear Grylls Herself Episode: "Vanessa Hudgens"
2017 Drop the Mic Herself Episode: "Vanessa Hudgens vs. Michael Bennett"
2017–present So You Think You Can Dance Judge Since season 14
2018 Drunk History Joan of Arc Episode: "The Middle Ages"
2019 Rent: Live Maureen Johnson Special

Producer[edit]

Year Title Notes
2015 #15SecondScare Executive producer; Web-series
2019 The Knight Before Christmas Executive Producer; Christmas Film. Also starring.

Stage[edit]

Year Title Role Venue(s)
1998 Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical Cindy-Lou Who Old Globe Theatre
1998 The King and I Unknown Various locations
1999 Damn Yankees
1999 The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale
2000 Cinderella Cinderella
2000 The Little Mermaid Ariel
2001 Charlotte's Web Fern Arable
2001 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Unknown
2002 A Christmas Carol
2002 Carousel
2003 Evita
2003 The Music Man
2010 Rent Mimi Marquez Hollywood Bowl
2012 The 24 Hour Plays Vanessa Broadway
2015 Gigi Gigi Kennedy Center / Broadway
2018 In the Heights Vanessa Kennedy Center

Discography[edit]

Main article: Vanessa Hudgens discography

  • V (2006)
  • Identified (2008)

Concert tours[edit]

Headlining
  • High School Musical: The Concert (2006)
  • Identified Summer Tour (2008)
Opening act
  • The Party's Just Begun Tour (The Cheetah Girls) (2006)

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Association Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2006 Imagen Foundation Awards Best Actress – Television High School Musical Nominated
Radio Disney Music Awards Best Female Artist N/A Nominated
Favorite TV Star Who Sings N/A Nominated
Best Song (shared with Zac Efron) "Breaking Free" Nominated
Best New Artist N/A Nominated
Best Team Anthem (shared with High School Musical cast) "We're All In This Together" Won
Best Dance Style (shared with High School Musical cast) High School Musical Nominated
Best Song To Listen To While Getting Ready For School (shared with Zac Efron) "Start of Something New" Nominated
Favorite Karaoke Song (shared with Zac Efron) "Breaking Free" Nominated
Best True Ringer Ring Tone (shared with Zac Efron) "Breaking Free" Won
Best Video That Rocks "Come Back to Me" Won
Best Song to Play While Doing Homework (shared with Zac Efron) "Start of Something New" Nominated
Best Song to Wake Up To (shared with Zac Efron) "Start of Something New" Nominated
Best Song From A Movie (shared with Zac Efron) "Breaking Free" Nominated
Best Song You've Heard a Million Times and Still Love "Come Back to Me" Nominated
Best Song To Put On Repeat (shared with High School Musical cast) "We're All In This Together" Nominated
Best Song To Put On Repeat "Come Back To Me" Nominated
Most Stylish Singer N/A Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Chemistry (shared with Zac Efron) High School Musical Won
Choice TV Breakout Star High School Musical Nominated
2007 Choice Music: Breakout Artist – Female N/A Won
Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries, or Special (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress High School Musical Nominated
Radio Disney Music Awards Best Top 40 Artist N/A Nominated
Best Team Anthem (shared with Zac Efron) "You Are the Music in Me" Nominated
Most Stylish Singer N/A Nominated
Best Soundtrack Song (shared with Zac Efron) "Gotta Go My Own Way" Won
Best Soundtrack Song (shared with High School Musical 2 cast) "What Time Is It?" Nominated
Best Video That Rocks "Say OK" Nominated
2008 Teen Choice Awards Choice Hottie N/A Won
2009 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actress High School Musical 3: Senior Year Won
MTV Movie Awards Breakthrough Female Performance High School Musical 3: Senior Year Nominated
Best Kiss (shared with Zac Efron) High School Musical 3: Senior Year Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actress: Music/Dance High School Musical 3: Senior Year Nominated
Choice Movie: Liplock (shared with Zac Efron) High School Musical 3: Senior Year Nominated
Choice Hottie N/A Nominated
2010 ShoWest Female Star of Tomorrow N/A Won
Australian Kids' Choice Awards Cutest Couple (shared with Zac Efron) High School Musical 3: Senior Year Won
2011 People's Choice Awards Favorite Movie Star Under 25 N/A Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Red Carpet Fashion Icon – Female N/A Nominated
Choice Movie: Liplock (shared with Alex Pettyfer) Beastly Nominated
2012 Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Nominated
2013 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actress Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent (shared with Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine & Selena Gomez) Spring Breakers Nominated
2014 MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss (shared with Ashley Benson & James Franco) Spring Breakers Nominated
Young Hollywood Awards Trendsetter Award N/A Won
2015 Broadway.com Audience Awards Breakthrough Performance (Female) Gigi Won
2017 Teen Choice Awards "See Her" Award N/A Won
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Musical Moment (shared with the cast of Grease: Live) "You're the One That I Want" Won
2018 Broadway World Washington DC Awards Best Actress In A Musical - Large Professional Theatre In The Heights Won

References[edit]

Vanessa Hudgens Biography