Vanessa Anne Hudgens

Vanessa Anne Hudgens, (also known simply as) Vanessa Hudgens, (born December 14 1988 in Salinas, California) 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.

Early life

Vanessa Anne Hudgens was born on December 14, 1988; her younger sister, Stella Hudgens, is also an actress. She has been home-schooled since after her seventh-grade year at the Orange County High School of the Arts. Her parents are Greg Hudgens and Gina Guangco. In regards to her ethnic background, Vanessa was quoted:
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 Katharine 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 scandal

On September 6, 2007, controversy erupted after a nude photo of Hudgens surfaced online. A statement from her publicist claims that the photo was taken privately and it was "unfortunate" that it was 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."