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| Vanessa Hudgens |
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“I haven't been to high school. I've been home-schooled since I was in seventh grade, so this whole thing I kind of got to skip.”
- Vanessa Hudgens, on high school cliques.
| Date of Birth: December 14, 1988 |
| Birthplace: Salinas, California |
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| There’s little doubt that Vanessa Hudgens is best known for her star-making performance in High School Musical (2006), the ridiculously successful Disney Channel movie that’s spawned a hit album, a top-grossing tour, and even an upcoming sequel. |
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| With her perky demeanor and show-stopping talent, Vanessa Hudgens has deftly established herself as an up-and-coming actor/singer worth watching. Unlike some of her contemporaries, Vanessa certainly has the chops to back up her increasingly high profile. |
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Vanessa Anne Hudgens was born on December 14, 1988, in Salinas, California. While still a toddler, Vanessa and her younger sister, Stella, were uprooted and moved to San Diego. Vanessa’s passion for music was borne early on, and undoubtedly stems from the presence of her grandparents, who were actively involved in the big-band scene in the 1930s.
By the time she was just 8 years old, Vanessa successfully petitioned her parents to allow her to try out for a whole host of local musicals (including The King and I, Cinderella and Evita). It quickly became evident that Vanessa had a real gift for both performing and singing, and she consequently decided (along with her parents, of course) to spend some time in London studying drama and music.
Upon her return from the United Kingdom, Vanessa decided that her best shot at forming a bona fide career in show business involved a move to Los Angeles. There’s little doubt that Vanessa would still be toiling on local stages were it not for the support of her family, who abandoned their comfortable lives in San Diego to support the burgeoning star. Vanessa immediately dove into the grueling auditioning scene, trying out for anything and everything she was allowed access to. Her hard work paid off in 2002, when she landed one-off guest spots on a pair of television shows: the sitcom Still Standing and the crime drama Robbery Homicide Division.
A year later, Vanessa found herself cast opposite fellow up-and-comers Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed in Thirteen, a drama revolving around the reckless exploits of several teenagers. She followed that up with a role in the 2004 live-action adaptation of Thunderbirds (opposite no less than Ben Kingsley), and popped up on TV shows such as The Brothers Garcia and Quintuplets. But it wasn’t until she successfully auditioned for the part of Gabriella Montez in the Disney Channel movie High School Musical that Vanessa finally began to receive the recognition she so richly deserved.
After blowing away the producers with a stirring rendition of Robbie Williams’ “Angels” during her audition, Vanessa soon found herself starring alongside folks like Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale in the smash hit High School Musical (2006). The film, along with its soundtrack, quickly became a sensation among the tweener set, propelling Vanessa to household-name status within the ranks of such viewers. Vanessa soon found herself being offered spots on commercials for high-profile companies like Old Navy and Blockbuster, and the actress even won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry with costar Zac Efron.
Buoyed by her massive High School Musical success, Vanessa decided the time was right to fulfill her lifelong dream of recording an album of her own, and consequently signed with Hollywood Records in 2006. Hoping to take advantage of the heat surrounding her, Vanessa worked day and night on the album for two months. On September 26, 2006, V was released to monstrous success. It premiered at No. 24 on the U.S. pop album charts and sold 34,000 copies. The album spawned a hit single, “Come Back to Me,” and Vanessa spent the latter part of 2006 touring in support of the disc (first as an opener for The Cheetah Girls, then as part of the High School Musical concert series).
In addition to her relentless touring schedule, Vanessa found time to make a series of appearances on the popular Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as well as a return to High School Musical territory with a starring role in the 2007 sequel. |
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© Gary Gershoff
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