Vanessa Hudgens, a multi-talented artist of Irish, Native American, Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish descent, was born in Salinas, California, on December 14, 1988, as the oldest daughter of Greg Hudgens and Gina Guangco. She has a younger sister by the name of Stella, who grew up in San Diego with her. Vanessa studied in Orange County High School of the Arts before opting a home-school arrangement as soon as she finished the seventh grade. She has grown her talent in these two fields from an early age, inheriting a profound fondness for both music and acting from her talented grandparents, which then guided her to different stage appearances in musical theater as a singer beginning at the age of eight. With the rich experience, it was not really shocking to see the girl undergo an audition for an advertisement effectively afterwards, which eventually took her to the next level in her life.
“Still Standing”Still Standing. She had already experienced her film debut in “Thirteen” (2003) within one year, accompanying it with a number of acting stints for either small or wide screen such as culminating in the original Disney Channel movie “High School Musical.” The TV movie, which debuted in January 2006, turned out to be a great success, propelling her teen cast into instant stardom. The soundtrack album was also a best-seller in the United States after ruling at #1 on Billboard Hot 200 for two consecutive weeks, as popular as the film itself.
The excellent outcome of the “High School Musical” soundtrack subsequently gave Vanessa a huge influence, who had contributed her voice to the CD for many songs, particularly in the smash hit single “Breaking Free.” Not only did she gain a significant amount of interest from music fans, she also delightedly found herself negotiating a contract deal with Hollywood Records, a Disney-owned company, in the immediate future. The lavish contract was then reflected in the debut album “V” which was released in the U.S. on September 26, 2006. In its first week, it performed well enough to achieve the 24th spot on the Billboard 200 chart while producing two hit singles, respectively “Come Back to Me” and “When There Was Me and You.” As a result, she became a teen star, earning a nod at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Singer Girl.
The scandal emerged on September 6, 2007, when many naked pictures of Vanessa circulated online, much to the shock of the actress herself and her followers. A statement issued by her publicist clarified that the pictures were apparently real, adding that they were taken personally, though confusion was mounting about whether the girl in the pictures was her. “I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust mean the world to me. I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos. I am thankful for the support of my family and friends.”I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust mean the world to me, in a fast public apology issued by her spokesperson. I am embarrassed over this situation and regret ever having taken these pictures. I am grateful for the support of my family and friends.
Her work and her personal life took over shortly after the uproar settled down. In October 2007, she reported her romantic partnership with HSM co-star Zac Efron, who was already an equally famous star among tweens, during an interview with Teen Magazine. In January 2008, it was revealed that she will appear opposite “Rock On” star Lisa Kudrow in the big screen sitcom “Friends” (2009) and that her latest album was in queue. The sophomore collection was named “Identified” and was launched with “Sneakernight” as the first single on July 1, 2008. Meanwhile, in the “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” that was taken to the big screen because of its success, she kept her calendar filled with her reprising act as Gabriella Montez. The movie is set to reach theaters on October 28, 2008.