Vanessa Hudgens

Being known for the role of Gabriella Montez from High School Musical is not a bad thing in the least. The fame that has come from this role has surprised each of the stars, to include Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron. As Montez, Vanessa Hudgens sold countless concert tickets for the High School Musical Tour in 2007. That year, the tour actually had to extend dates due to the immense popularity of the show and the cast themselves.

Hudgens is no newcomer to stage performances however. Vanessa Hudgens was selling tickets from the age of eight, when she began performing in musical theater. During those early years, she appeared in performances of Carousel, The Kind and I and Cinderella near her home in Salinas, California. This was long before Vanessa Hudgens was the ticket seller she is today.

Feature films became a part of Vanessa Hudgens’ resume before 2004 when she appeared in the film Thirteen. In 2004, she starred as Tintin in the film Thunderbirds. Both films also starred Brady Corbet. After these feature films in which she played starring roles, Hudgens took on guest appearances on shows such as Still Standing, Drake and Josh and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. But this certainly didn’t signal that Vanessa Hudgens would be taking a back seat to anyone.

In early 2006, Disney Channel premiered High School Musical, the first in the franchise of hit movies. This was the most successful Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced by the studio. In September of 2006, Hudgens released her debut album “V”. While it debut at number twenty four on U.S. charts, it was later certified Gold. That same year, the High School Musical soundtrack was the best selling soundtrack in the United States. Also in 2006, the crew hit the road for the multi-city High School Musical Tour where Vanessa Hudgens was a draw for ticket buyers everywhere.

Shortly after her debut album came out, Vanessa was back at work reprising her role as Gabriella in High School Musical 2, which was released in 2007. The premier of the successful sequel drew over 17 million viewers to their television sets for a glimpse of their favorite stars. That debut put High School Musical 2 in record breaking status as the most watched basic cable telecast at the time, even earning more viewers than Monday Night Football between the Cowboys and the Giants! The popularity didn’t stop in the United States though. High School Musical 2, with Vanessa Hudgens, was widely watched in the United Kingdom and Mexico as well.

The third installment of the ever-popular series was released with Hudgens as star in October of 2008. Unlike the previous two productions, the third, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, was released into the movie theaters instead of on television. With stars like Zack Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, tickets for the movie sold out quickly. Thanks to the popularity of the stars, the movie grossed $42 million in the U.S. and $40 million overseas on opening weekend alone.

With talks of a High School Musical 4, Vanessa Hudgens’ star continues to rise.