Vanessa Hudgens

Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com More Vanessa Hudgens pics

Why is She famous

There’s little doubt that Vanessa Hudgens is best known for her star-making performance in the High School Musical trilogy, if you happen to be under the age of 13. If you're a little older, you know Vanessa Hudgens best for the nude photos of her that have turned up on the web... twice. Vanessa Hudgens also released her debut album V in 2006 -- which officially sold 500,000 copies -- and a second album in '08. Her most recent big-screen endeavor is Beastly, a film about a teen who gets transformed into a hideous creature in order to find true love, in which she stars opposite Neil Patrick Harris.

Vanessa Hudgens Quote

" I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust means the world to me. I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos. I am thankful for the support of my family and friends."

86 Sex Appeal

Given Vanessa Hudgens' exotic beauty (her ancestry is Irish, Native American, Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese) there's no denying that she can cause men to salivate when she walks down the street. While she's still one of the younger rising female stars, controversial nude photos of her surfaced on the internet in September of 2007 and again in August of 2009, and attracted a more grown-up type of attention to this barely legal starlet. She's ranked No. 12 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list and made the "Maxim's Sexiest of 2009" list.

Vanessa Hudgens was attached to High School Musical costar Zac Efron since 2006, but the pair split in December 2010. Since then, she has been rumored to be romantically involved with The Kids Are All Right actor, Josh Hutcherson. But Vanessa Hudgens has denied the rumors, prompting men everywhere to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

83 Success

There’s no denying that Vanessa Hudgens has managed to cram in a lot of credits since her first professional gig in 2002. She has carved out a niche for herself in the cutthroat world of teen entertainment, and, after being nominated for and winning multiple awards, Vanessa can now rank herself among tween queens such as the Olsen twins and Hilary Duff. Among her award credentials are a Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry in High School Musical and a nomination for Best Actress at the Imagen Foundation Awards, as well as a Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie.

Vanessa Hudgens Biography

Vanessa Anne Hudgens was born on December 14, 1988, in Salinas, California. While still a toddler, Hudgens and her younger sister, Stella, were uprooted and moved to San Diego. The young actress's passion for music came 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, Hudgens 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 she 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.

Vanessa Hudgens In Still Standing

Upon her return from the United Kingdom, Vanessa Hudgens decided that her best shot at securing 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. Hudgens immediately jumped 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.

Vanessa Hudgens In Thirteen

A year later, Vanessa Hudgens 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.

Vanessa Hudgens In High School Musical

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 tween 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 (it was a good choice, as the pair became a couple).

Vanessa Hudgens went on to star in High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3.

Vanessa Hudgens Releases V

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.

Vanessa Hudgens Is Named No. 61 In 2008 And 2009 Top 99

In September 2007, a collection of nude photos of Vanessa Hudgens surfaced online, sparking a major controversy. Both she and her publicist addressed the scandal, citing that the photos were taken in privacy and that it was a shame they were leaked to the public. Despite this, Disney indicated that they intended to continue working with the young star. With more eyes on her than ever before, Vanessa successfully bounced back from the scandal, as evidenced by her position at No. 61 on AskMen's Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2008 and again in 2009.

Vanessa Hudgens Releases Identified

In April 2008, Vanessa Hudgens released the first single "Sneakernight" from her second album Identified. She also appeared in the third installment of the hit movie franchise High School Musical 3: Senior Year and, in '09, she worked on the flick Rock On with Lisa Kudrow.

Vanessa Hudgens Takes More Nude Photos And Stars In Beastly

During the filming Beastly, a film about a teen who gets transformed into a hideous creature in order to find true love, more nude photos of Vanessa Hudgens surfaced online in August of 2009. These Vanessa Hudgens nude photos -- featuring her in a variety of "come hither" poses -- were even racier than the ones from 2007. We're not saying that's a bad thing.

We're looking forward to seeing her in Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, out March 25th, where she stars alongside Emily Browning and Abbie Cornish.