Vanessa Anne Hudgens Biography

Vanessa Hudgens is best known for her appearances on programs broadcast on The Disney Channel, including her starring turn in the 2006 TV movie High School Musical.

Vanessa 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 (also starring Ashley Tisdale). The movie was a hit and the soundtrack reached the top of Billboard’s charts, leading to a record deal for Hudgens. She also starred in High School Musical sequels in 2007 and 2008. Her success in the musicals led to a singing career, and her debut album, 2006’s V produced the hit single “Come Back to Me.” Her second album, Identified, was released in 2008, and in 2011 she was back on the big screen in the feature film Sucker Punch.

Her celebrity status was boosted by her public romance with co-star Zac Efron (2007-2010). Her other films include Spring Breakers (2012, with James Franco), the horror comedy Freaks of Nature (2015), the holiday rom-com The Princess Switch (2018) and the violent comic book spectacular Polar (2019, with Mads Mikkelsen).