BIRTHPLACE: Salinas, California

BIRTHDAY: December 14, 1988

JOB TITLES: Actress, Singer

FAMILY: Stella Hudgens (Younger Sister)

FATHER: Greg being of Irish and Native American descent

MOTHER: Gina was a mix of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish

PLACES LIVED: All over the West Coast – from Oregon to Southern California

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: Zac Efron A whom she met while co-starring in “High School Musical”

Vanessa Hudgens is on the peak of her career and being envied virtually by every teenage girl across the world. She is a singer and actress who starred in “High School Musical” (2006) and “High School Musical 2” (2007) together with Zac Efron the heartthrob and Tiger Beat poster boy. The High School Musical has became the little movie instantly as it should, with Hudgens and Efron soaring their way to the new generation of “child-friendly” Disney superstars, whom crowned to them from Miley Cyrus to Corbin Bleu. They were young star celebrities who resided on the opposite end of the Hollywood spectrum.

Hudgens started performing in local theater productions of “Carousel,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Cinderella” when she was eight years old. She and her family moved out to Los Angeles to continue pursuing her dreamed acting career which begun after a successful commercial audition. She was introduced in a film debut that featured her in a small role in “Thirteen” (2003) (the brutal look at modern-day teenage lives which starred Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter). This has set foot this lovely ambitious teen in the door of success.

Vanessa got her next big screen project the “Thunderbirds” (2004) which was much family friendly and lighter than the other past projects. “Thunderbirds” is a live-action adventure flick based on the popular 1960’s TV series. She co-starred in this film Bill Paxton but this film did little to raise her profile since it did little business. The pace of her career slow-down as she continued to land minor appearances in sitcoms like “Quintuplets” (FOX, 2004-05) and “Still Standing” (CBS, 2006). She also appeared in a couple of episodes during the second season of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” (Disney Channel, 2005).

In 2005, the executives of Disney Channel has made a move to revive the movie musical genre, eyeing to star young talents who grew up loving stage classics like “Peter Pan”, “Les Miserables, etc.” Vanessa won the coveted role of Gabriela Montez (a newly transferred student academic decathlete who finds herself drawn to East High’s star athlete) and Efron got the role of Troy Bolton (and resident hunk). This has called for fresh new faces where in the fans of Disney Channel could have related to and had opened the doors and windows for the 2 try outers.

The High School Musical became the Mouse Channel’s most successful movie that on its premier broadcast in the U.S. the viewers reached 7.7 million. The movie’s soundtrack became the best selling album of 2006 which also went beyond expectations. The songs like “Breaking Free” and “When There Was Me and You”, it was Hudgens who sang lead vocals.

Another milestone marked in the life of the teen star was set with the when for the teen set’s latest “It” girl in September 2006. Vanessa signed contract with Hollywood Records and released her debut album wherein it reached gold while her first single “Come Back to Me” became a radio and MTV tack. Her “Say OK” ballad titled single has reunited her and Efron in the music video.

Hudgens and her co-stars Bleu, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman, have inspired a hugely-successful U.S. and Latin American tour because of the massive success of “HSM”.

Teenage fans of Hudgens and Efron had even nicknamed the pair “Zanessa” – a combination of their first names because they not only sang and danced during the making of “High School Musical,” they also reportedly fell in love. The media influence in covering the activities of the young lovebirds has helped so much in drawing more sensation and attention to “High School Musical 2” in August 2007 with the Disney Channel. As expected it has broke TV records with a total of 17.2 million viewers which made it to be the highest rated basic cable broadcast of all time. The print controversial nude photos of Vanessa brought about the road to a third “HSM” movie hit a major bump.

Credit as Actor

High School Musical: The Concert

High School Musical: Gabriella Montez

High School Musical 2: Gabriella Montez

The 9^th Annual Family Television AwardsStill Standing: Tiffany 2002

The 2007 Teen Choice Awards: Winner

The 2007 American Music AwardsIdol Gives Back 2

Quintuplets: Carmen 2005

Robbery Homecide Division: Nicole 2002

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Corrie 2006

Drake and Josh: 2006

MusicChristmas in Washington: Musical Performer

Milestones

2007

Reprised her role in the Disney TV movie, “High School Musical 2”

2006

Cast as Gabriella Montez in the Disney Channel Original Movie, “High School Musical”

2006

Released her debut album, entitled “V”

2004

Appeared in the film, “Thunderbirds”

2003

Made feature debut in “Thirteen”

2002

Made television debut in an episode of “Still Standing” (CBS)

Appeared in local productions of “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Music Man”

Began performing in musical theater at the age of eight

Moved to Los Angeles after winning an audition for a commercial

Awards

Teen Choice Awards

2006 Best Chemistry "High School Musical"