Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, Hudgens made her screen debut in the 2003 drama film Thirteen as Noel. She next starred in the 2004 science-fiction-adventure film Thunderbirds. Hudgens' most prominent role was as Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical series. She earned critical acclaim in the 2009 film Bandslam, which was released on August 14, 2009.Hudgens' debut album V was released on September 26, 2006. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number twenty four, and was later certified Gold. Hudgens released her second album, Identified, on July 1, 2008 in the U.S.
Early life and career:Hudgens was born in Salinas, California, and lived all over the West Coast – from Oregon to Southern California – with her parents, Gina (née Guangco) who held a succession of office jobs, and Gregory Hudgens, a firefighter, and a younger sister, Stella Hudgens. Hudgens and her family moved to Los Angeles after she won a role in a television commercial. Hudgens is of mixed cultural descents, as her father is of Irish and Native American descent, and her mother, a native of Manila, is of Chinese-Filipino-Spanish descent. Both sets of Hudgens' grandparents were musicians.
Starting at the age of eight, 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 TV shows. Her acting career started at the age of 15, and she was not able to finish her high school in Orange County High School of the Arts after being home schooled by tutors.
Personal life and public image:In an October 2007 interview, Hudgens stated that she is dating her High School Musical series co-star Zac Efron and had been since the filming of High School Musical. The two were not paired together during the audition process and did not meet until the first early rehearsals before filming started. Hudgens is a Catholic and her height is 5'3".
In 2006, Hudgens' earnings were estimated to be $2 million. Hudgens was included in Forbes richest list in early 2007, it was posted in Forbes website, that Hudgens was included in Young Hollywood's Top Earning-Stars. On December 12, 2008, Hudgens was ranked #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' lists. She was included in People's annual "100 Most Beautiful People" 2008 and 2009 lists.
Hudgens is represented by William Morris Agency. She is a spokesperson for Mark Ecko products. Hudgens also promotes Neutrogena and was the 2008 featured celebrity for Sears' back-to school campaign. 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.
Nude photos:On September 6, 2007, photos of Hudgens appeared 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 apologized, saying that she was "embarrassed over the situation" and regretted having "taken [those] photos." Hudgens has since released a statement that she doesn't want to talk about the scandal.
OK! magazine speculated that Hudgens would be dropped from High School Musical 3 when naked photos of Hudgens surfaced the Internet in late 2007. The Walt Disney Company denied the reports, saying, "Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a lapse in judgment. We hope she's learned a valuable lesson."
In August 2009, a new set of pictures showing Hudgens topless emerged on the Internet. Hudgens's representatives have yet to make an official statement. Lawyers have requested the removal of the pictures from the Internet. 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."
Lawsuits:Brian Schall sued Hudgens last 2007 for an alleged "breach of contract"; according to the suit, Schall claims he advanced costs and expenses on Hudgens’s behalf for her songwriting and recording career. Schall claims Hudgens owes him $150,000 after helping her earn more than $5 million for her music career. Hudgens argues that she was underage to sign her contract on October 2005 as she was just 16 then.
Hudgens 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 is owed a share of the 19-year-old's 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 the High School Musical era. In early May 2009, the case was settled.
