Vanessa Hudgens Biography

Vanessa Anne Hudgens was born in Salinas, California on December 14, 1988. She is the daughter of Greg and Gina Hudgens. Greg is of an Irish and Native American descent and Gina is of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent. She has a younger sister, Stella whom she is so close with. Since eighth grade, she has been homeschooled and claims that she has never experienced the “school drama”. However, her mother filled her with enough knowledge as they move about the country and later settled in California.

Starting age eight, Vanessa has been performing in various musical theater and local productions. Her first professional job was doing a local production of The Wizard of OZ as a munchkin and was paid $50. When asked about it, she said in an interview -in the character profile of the Road to High School Musical- “I have to start somewhere”. She has also appeared in local productions of Evita, Carouse, The King and I, The Music Man, Cinderella and Damn Yankees among others. Vanessa got her first gig successfully by auditioning for a friend who couldn’t make it.

Vanessa started making television appearances in Quintuplets, Still Standing, Cover Me, Robbery Homicide Division and Brothers Garcia. In 2003, she filmed her debut film, Thirteen, doing the role of Noel. Later in 2004, has landed a role in another film entitled Thunderbirds as Tin Tin. As she’s been adding little more fame to her career, she appeared in Drake & Josh television series as Drake’s girlfriend. She made a huge bang in the showbiz industry and the teenage audience after starring in the hit made-for-TV movie High School Musical, a Disney Channel Original, as the shy intelligent Gabriella Montez along side with Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Gabreel and Monique Coleman. Later, after the huge success of the show, she has started appearing in various TV shows including The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song’s characters’s classmate. She also became the new spokesmodel of Neutrogena facial care alongside with actresses like Hayden Panettiere.

She’s not done yet. July 2006, months after the success and promotion of High School Musical, she began recording her debut album entitled V, which stand for Vanessa and Variety. She signed under Hollywood Records, which is also under Walt Disney. She was the first High School Musical star to record and release an album followed by Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu. The album includes her hit singles Come Back To Me and Say OK. Also, her song Let’s Dance was lately featured in the promo of the Dancing With The Stars new season. Months later, she toured with The Cheeatah Girls doing the opening act.

Late 2006, She signed for the sequel of High School Musical reprising her role as Gabriella Montez. And as before the rehearsal started, in December 2006, High School Musical cast and crew began visiting the states of America for a national. Tickets were sold out nationwide and all stadiums/concert halls were jam packed with thousands of screaming fans. After the tour, all casts and dancers of the High School Musical sequel started rehearsing and filming the movie. It premiere August 17, 2007 and became another hit TV Movie receiving 17 million viewers on its premiere.

2007, unknowing of what’s happening while she’s in Australia, with co-star and real life boyfriend Zac Efron promoting his movie Hairspray, life became rough with her as the internet played with her personal life. While handling the whole situation, she made herself busy with preparing for her second album, which, she revealed lately, is packed with RnB, Pop and Jazz. It was rumored to have a title of “Get On It” and rumored to be release early 2008.

She, however, made it through the whole scandal and signed with an endorsement with the clothing line, Red by Marc Ecko. November 2007, it was announced that Vanessa sealed a deal with Disney reprising her role as Gabriella Montez for the third installment of High School Musical on it’s first theatrical release. She also recently auditioned for a new role and will be waiting for more projects. Who said this girl will have her career down?

Written by Auie