Vanessa Anne Hudgens
Vanessa Anne Hudgens is a young actress best known for her appearances
on The Disney Channel, including her starring turn in the TV movie High
School Musical (2006). Hudgens grew up in southern California and began
her acting career before she was in her teens. She began getting roles
on television in 2002, and soon landed roles in the feature films Thirteen
(2003) and Thunderbirds (2004, directed by Jonathan Frakes). Already a
regular guest on the Disney comedy series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,
she was picked to star opposite Zac Efron in the made-for-TV romance High
School Musical. The movie was a hit and the soundtrack reached the top
of Billboard's charts, and Hudgens went on to secure a record deal. Source:
Vanessa Anne Hudgens, the star who portrays Gabriella Montez on the runaway hit "High School Musical," has signed an exclusive recording deal with Hollywood Records. Her debut CD "V" is being released September 26. Said Buena Vista Music Group Chairman Bob Cavallo, "We are delighted to have Vanessa at Hollywood. Not only is she talented, she is tireless in her work ethic and has a vision for her career. People will be very impressed when they hear her voice and see her perform." Certainly, Vanessa is no stranger to performing.
Vanessa Anne Hudgens, (also known simply as) Vanessa Hudgens, (born December 14, 1988 in Salinas, California[1]) 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. Hudgens also began a music career and released her debut album, entitled V, in 2006. In 2007, Hudgens became the spokesperson for Neutrogena.
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. 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.
Hudgens' largest role among teenage audiences has been starring in the Disney Channel movie High School Musical, which premiered in January 2006; BBC News said that the film's success turned Hudgens into a "household name" in North America.[6] Hudgens and Efron had won "Best Chemistry" award at the Teen Choice Awards for their roles.
As a result of the 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.
Hudgens finished filming High School Musical 2 on April 13, 2007, in St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah. In both films, Hudgens stars as shy, intelligent Gabriella Montez. The film premiered on the Disney Channel on August 17, 2007.
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.
Music
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.
Hudgens has stated that she is interested in recording a second album sometime soon. In an August 2007 issue of TV Guide magazine, with the cast of High School Musical on the cover, Hudgens expressed interest in writing songs about the negative side of Hollywood and how it can change people.
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 Katherine McPhee, Amy Winehouse, Corrine
Bailey Rae and Lily Allen, who all have a decidedly older sound with their
music.
Personal life
Hudgens confirmed in an interview with Teen Magzine that, as of August
2007, she was dating her High School Musical and High School Musical 2
co-star Zac Efron.
Photo controversy
On September 6, 2007, controversy erupted after nude photos of Hudgens
surfaced online. A statement from her publicist claims that the photos
were 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."