You probably know Vanessa Hudgens best from Disney’s High School Musicial franchise.
But since controversy has a way of following her, you might know her from one of her scandals, including that nude leak of 2007.
But the actress is so much more than both of these things. Come learn why in this article that is full of interesting facts about her!
1. She comes from humble beginnings.
Her family sacrificed a lot to make her career happen.
“Money was a big thing. My parents drove me up to L.A., which cost a lot because of gas, and took out loans so that we could move from location to location to be close to L.A.,” she told Marie Claire .
“The family definitely struggled,” she continued.
Her mother even gave up various jobs so they could relocate for her.
“They were very supportive of me. They gave up a lot so that I could get to where I am.”
2. She got into acting to overcome her shyness.
She was only in preschool when she had her first public performance .
After her parents noticed her potential, they enrolled in her into dance and theatre classes. She ended up doing her first community theater performance at nine years old.
3. She dated Zac Efron, her celebrity crush, for five years.
Many think that the former couple, dubbed as Zanessa, first met on High School Musical . But that’s not the case.
Hudgens revealed to Tyra Banks that she actually met Zac when she was 14.
“I completely freaked out. I did to him what my fans do to me. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love you so much, can I have your autograph?'”
After working together on High School Musicial , the Disney sweethearts went on to date for five years before sadly calling it quits in 2010.
4. She’s a Broadway star.
If you’ve been wondering why the actress hasn’t appeared in many films lately (besides that Netflix princess one), it’s because she’s caught the Broadway bug !
This is perfect for her since she’s a triple threat of singing, dancing, and acting.
She made her Broadway debut in 2015.
She took on the lead role of a stage version of the 1944 novella Gigi by Colette.
Since then, she’s also starred in Grease Live and The 24 Hour Plays .
5. She dated Austin Butler for almost a decade.
She met Austin through the High School Musical world, as he starred in a spin-off movie with her co-star and friend, Ashely Tisdale.
She knew she had to have him the moment she saw him.
“I laid eyes on him and I was like, ‘He’s going to be in my life whether he likes it or not,'” she told *E! News*.
Wishes of them making it down the aisle were sadly squashed when they split at the beginning of 2020 after nine years together.
This was reportedly due to long-distance and scheduling conflicts.
6. She rides the subway.
She’s in good company with other do-good celebs like Keanu Reeves!
She once even got asked out by a fan who didn’t recognize her. This was documented in a hilarious video on TikTok.
7. She had a major nude leak in 2007.
While she was forced to apologize for the incident back then, she now finds the backlash “traumatizing.”
She told Cosmopolitan UK : “It’s really [expletive] up that people feel like they are entitled enough to share something that personal with the world.”
“As an actor, you completely lose all grip of your own privacy and it’s really sad.”
“But unfortunately if enough people are interested, they’re going to do everything they can to get to know as much about you as they can, which is flattering, I guess, but then people take it too far and end up divulging things that should be personal,” she continued.
8. She once went to prom with a fan.
Aww! The Second Act actress surprised Cesar Guerrero, who was battling cancer, at his prom.
This night to remember was made possible through the charity organization called The Art of Elysium.
9. She’s mixed race.
The actress comes from many different backgrounds, including Filipino, Chinese, Spanish, American Indian, Irish, and French.
However, this is something that caused her some difficult struggles as a teenager, she told Reuters .
“I wasn’t Latin enough, or Asian enough or Caucasian enough,” she said.
“I’m never going to be anything enough because I’m different things. The one thing I’m really blessed with is my various ethnic backgrounds. I’m a complete chameleon and can change from one look to another.”
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10. She lost her father to cancer.
This tragically took place in 2016, right before her Grease: Live performance.
“It was shocking. I knew that it was coming, but nothing can prepare you for losing a parent,” she told People .
11. She’s best friends with Ashely Tisdale.
They may have played enemies on High School Musicial , but the same can’t be said in real life.
The girls even got tattoos together when they were in New York. And during the coronavirus quarantine, they drank virtually together.
12. She never wanted to be a cookie-cutter Disney star.
“I love finding things that scare me and doing them,” she told Marie Claire about taking on edgier roles after her Disney days.
“That’s how you grow.” Some of these roles included Mimi in Rent , directed by Neil Patrick Harris, and Spring Breakers .
13. She was once accused of doing drugs at Coachella.
When the actress was spotted with a white substance at the festival in 2011, everyone thought it was cocaine. She insisted that it was white chocolate.
“I couldn’t do anything but laugh,” Vanessa told Marie Claire about the media-frenzy speculation.
