25 Facts About Vanessa Hudgens That Fans Cannot Ignore Anymore
Isabella Floyd Quick Links
Hollywood, and the entertainment industry as a whole, has been around for 100 years, and during that time, literally hundreds upon hundreds of movies and television shows have been made, all of which cover every kind of genre imaginable. Now that they own Marvel, the Star Wars franchise, ABC, ESPN, and a bunch of other properties, Disney basically sits atop the mountain in terms of intellectual property and revenue, and they achieved this in large part thanks to their massively popular animated films, which they made sure were always marketed towards children and young adults, which later allowed them to delve into live-action film-making.
Thanks to their live-action programming, Disney was able to make stars out of several teenagers, who starred in TV shows and movies that only aired on Disney Channel, which is why those actors went on to be called 'Disney Stars'. The height of the 'Disney Star' era occurred from 2002-2012, and during that time, many teens came into the spotlight, including those who appeared in the immensely popular High School Musical movies. There are three High School Musicals, with the first two being TV movies, and the final one being released in theaters, and out of the entire cast, Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron, and Ashley Tisdale have gone on to have the most success. Vanessa is beautiful, both inside and out, and thanks to her role in the movies, she has a fanbase that absolutely adores her, but even her most hardcore fans might not know every single fact about her, which is why this article will explore 25 facts about her that are worth knowing.
She Is Still Good Friends With Ashley Tisdale
There is no doubt whatsoever that Vanessa Hudgens owes all of her fame to High School Musical, because if it was not for that role, she may have never gone on to appear in multiple feature length films. Filming those three Disney movies left Vanessa with experiences that she will never forget, but the movies did more than that, as it was thanks to them that she met Zac Efron, who was her first long term relationship, and Ashley Tisdale, who went on to have a lengthier role with Disney programming. It is true that many actors who work together do in fact get along with each other, but in the history of entertainment industry, there are also countless examples of actors not liking each other on set for certain reasons. In the movies, Vanessa and Ashley's characters butted heads quite a bit, but in real life, the two became very good friends while on set, and although their careers have taken them down different paths, their relationship continues to endure up until now. To give you an idea of how close the two actually are, when Ashley got married in 2014, she made sure to have Vanessa as one of her bridesmaids.
She Is A Feminist
Throughout the course of human history, there have been numerous political movements and ideologies that have helped shape the world, many of which have been very bad for certain societies, but there have also been many good ones. Feminism has been around since the 19th century, and although it has taken different forms over the past 100 years, it is still an incredibly important movement, one that strives to achieve economic, political, and social equality between men and women. Over the pass few years, feminism has seen a resurgence, and a lot of that is thanks to celebrities who are bringing certain issues to light, but just because someone is female does not mean that they are an automatic feminist. For a long time, Vanessa was not an advocate of feminism because she did not think that it was affecting women in the right way, as evidenced by her statement during a New York Times interview in which she said, "It gets to a certain place where it almost has the reverse effect, where it's so overpowering and so aggressive that it's like rather than just standing up for female pride and female rights, it becomes, like, 'I am the man.'" That all changed with Beyonce though, who she says helped usher in a new wave of feminism that only focuses on equal rights for women.
She Has Music In Her Blood
When it comes to the entertainment industry, it is best to use your talents as much as possible in order to increase your fame and wealth, which is why so many singers delve into acting and vice versa. Thanks to the High School Musical movies, we were able to see that Vanessa Hudgens can actually sing, and she used those films to help launch two records: V in 2006, and Identified in 2008. When it comes to her music, her first record was by far the most successful, as it sold over 500,000 copies, and obtained a gold certification a few months after release, which is part of the reason why she went on tour that same year. It is true that some people are just naturally gifted with a good voice, but in a lot of cases, people who are able to sing are able to do so because they have a parent or older relative who is capable of singing as well, but in Vanessa's case, she probably got her voice from her grandparents. In saying that, I do not mean grandparents from just one side, because both of her grandparents from both her mother's and father's side were all musicians.
She Is A Practicing Christian
Humans have been living in communities for thousands of years, and since the very beginning, people have had some kind of a belief system set in place, something meant to give everything in life some kind of meaning. Over time, those belief systems evolved, which is how we got the pantheon of gods in ancient Egypt, Greece, and China, but even those beings were pushed aside by religions that focused solely on one almighty deity. As of right now, Catholicism, Islam, and Christianity are the three dominant religions on the planet, and they all center around one God, and although more and more people are becoming agnostics and atheists, there are still billions of people who do believe in something. Vanessa Hudgens is one of these believers, but her beliefs have changed over time as well, as she was raised Catholic as a child, by a family that went to church quite often. As she grew up though, she distanced herself from the religion, until she found herself joining the Christian faith, which is why she now identifies herself as a non-denominational Christian. Vanessa lives in Los Angeles, and when she is home, she regularly attends services at the Los Angeles affiliate Hillsong Church.
She & Her Sister Are Practically Identical
No matter who you are, or how wealthy you are, every single one of us has a family that we were born into, but what tends to differ is the exact size of everyone's family, especially when it comes to siblings. When you are an only child, you benefit from being the center of attention when it comes to your parents, because all of their affection is directed towards you, but at the same time, being an only child can get lonely at times. Most families though consist of more than one child, which means that the kids are able to look out for each other while they grow up. As far as Vanessa Hudgens is concerned, she is not an only child, as she has a younger sister named Stella, who looks so much like Vanessa that it is sometimes hard to tell who is who in pictures. Like her sister, Stella can sing, and she also has acting credits, including movies roles in The Memory Thief and 16 and Missing, and she also appeared in the sitcom According to Jim. Stella's career may have not been as successful as her big sister's, but at least she has never been jealous of Vanessa's achievements.
She Cannot Whistle
We are all human beings, but just because we are all the same species does not mean that we can all do the same things, and based on your own experiences with your family and friends, you know that some people are capable of doing things that others cannot. In order to become a successful actor, your need to be able to act, which sounds like a no brainer, but everyone reading this has to admit that there are some pretty bad actors all over Hollywood. Aside from being able to actually act, actors usually have other skills/talents that they are able to boast about in order to improve their resume and their chances of getting certain roles. When it comes to Vanessa, her key additional skill comes from her ability to sing, which is actually a big advantage in Hollywood, but just because she can sing does not mean that she can produce all manner of noise. As it turns out, Vanessa is unable to whistle, not even a little bit, and although that fact has not probably cost her any roles, but considering her other skills, it is still surprising that she cannot do something that is by all accounts easier to do than singing and acting.
She Has A Celebrity Crush
As we grow up, we experience more and more things, and one of those experiences, which is completely unavoidable, is being attracted to another individual, no matter what they look like, or how old they are. A brief but intense infatuation for someone, especially someone unattainable or inappropriate: that is the definition of a crush, and in most cases, it is through a crush that we experience our first feelings of attraction. Most of us have a celebrity crush, which is not all that surprising seeing as celebrities are for the most part attractive people, which means it is only common sense that every celebrity has a crush on at least one of their colleagues/peers as well. During an interview with Tyra Banks, Vanessa admitted that she has a crush on Matt Damon, and she also said that when she got the chance to meet him when she was 14, she completely freaked out and told him how much she loved him, right before asking him for an autograph. Granted, we would probably act the exact same way if we met a celebrity that we have a crush on, but seeing as Vanessa works in Hollywood, it makes things slightly more embarrassing considering that there is always a chance that they could work together.
It Shows When She Is Stressed
Life is a beautiful thing, especially when you are able to enjoy it with people that you care about, but as beautiful as life is, it is not filled entirely with happy moments. Thanks to things like school, kids, work, money, crime, other family members, homes, and health, and a variety of other things, life can be pretty stressful as well, and if you think that you are immune to stress, than you are either a Jedi Master, or have no idea what stress really is. We may all experience stress, but we do not all experience it in the same way, because for some people, stress can be dealt with by simply breathing, but for others, the stress can be so intense that they begin to experience physical effects. Some of the most common physical effects associated with stress is hair loss and teeth grinding, but in some cases, stress can cause people to break out in hives, which is a kind of skin rash with red, raised, itchy bumps that sometimes burn or sting. You might think that celebrities do not experience much stress in their lives, but they do, and in Vanessa's case, she is one of the people who gets hives (on her neck specifically) when she feels stressed.
She Is Quite Wise
To be wise is to have experience, knowledge, and good judgement, but thanks to the era of social media and fake news, we now live in a world where being wise when it comes to life is becoming more and more rarer. Celebrities may make a lot more money than most people on the planet, but just because they make money does not mean that they are wise, because if that were the case, there would not be a bunch of celebs who find themselves in constant legal trouble, or broke after blowing away most of their money on trivial things. Vanessa Hudgens may be a millennial, but compared to other members of her generation, she has the kind of wisdom that you would normally associate with someone who has lived a somewhat lengthy life. Those who have life experience will tell you that the best thing you can do for yourself is live in the now, and Vanessa understands this very well, as she has said in an interview that, "Nothing is real except the present. If you're worrying about the future, it's completely irrelevant because it hasn't happened yet. And the past — there's no need to dwell on that, either."
She Like s Playing Darker Roles
When it comes to being entertained, people have varying tastes, which is why some people like movies and TV shows that feature superheroes, while others prefer to watch movies and shows that cover much more mature themes. When you are an actor, you mainly gravitate towards one type of role, simply because you will likely be able to play multiple characters over the course of your career, which for some people could be confusing. Vanessa Hudgens has appeared in multiple TV shows and movies, but she is still known for playing Gabriella from High School Musical, which makes people think that she only chooses roles that are kid friendly. In truth, Vanessa likes playing darker roles, and she has felt that way since she was 14, when she appeared in an episode of Robbery Homicide Division, where she played a girl who witnessed her father getting shot. The role required her to cry and freak out, which she did, and as it turns out, she enjoyed the experience because of the subject matter involved. While discussing her attraction to darker roles in an interview with Marie Claire, she was quoted saying, "'I want to play the really heavy parts. It's so far from who I am. There's complete freedom within it."
She Is A Shopaholic
Economics itself may be a somewhat complicated subject, but explaining how an economy actually works can be quite simple, because all it really entails is a business providing a product that consumers want/need to buy. Going out to shop has been a mainstay of human society for a very long time, but like everything else, it too has evolved over time, to the point that many businesses are closing their doors due to the increasing number of people who now do most of their shopping online. With that being said, there are still people who prefer going to actual physical retailers, especially when it comes to clothing and shoes, because they know that actually seeing and trying on a piece of clothing is the best way to see if it actually fits. Everyone shops, either because they want or need something, but your purchasing power determines how many things you can buy, and it also determines the quality of the item(s) as well, so it makes sense that celebrities have more purchasing power than most people. This works well for Vanessa, who has confessed in the past that she is a shopaholic, especially when it comes to shoes, and as it turns out, she has three closets full of clothing and accessories.
She Was Home Schooled
Although getting a proper education it is not as important as it once was, it is still incredibly important, because without a decent education, there is a good chance that you may not be able to properly support yourself and your family in the future. With that being said, practically every kid in North America goes to school in order to learn some basic fundamentals, like reading, writing, and simple math, but out of all those children, there is a small group of roughly 3% who are taught at home. Homeschooling is when a child stays home and gets taught by either a parent or a tutor, and although that child may develop poor social skills, they tend to score at or above the national average on standardized tests. Vanessa Hudgens is a part of that aforementioned 3%, because when she was younger, she was home schooled from the 8th grade up until she graduated from high school. She was taught from home mainly because she was trying to become an entertainer, a dream that required her and her family to move around quite a bit, and based on her current profession, it does not look as if her social skills suffered at all.
She Has More Than One Nickname
Human beings, animals, insects, plants, furniture, minerals, vehicles, and virtually everything else in the known universe, are all vastly different from each other in very distinct ways, but they all share something in common with each other: they all have a unique name. We give names to things in order to identify them, and that is part of the reason why humans are given names as well, but when it comes to us specifically, our names provide the world with proof that we once existed. Vanessa Hudgens is a celebrity, so her name will be remembered for a much longer period of time, but she, like many of us, has a secondary name that only her family calls her. That nickname is Van, and although it is not very creative, she has been called that for most of her life by those closest to her, so it makes sense that it has stuck with her all this time, but it is not the only nickname she has. Her friends actually have two nicknames for her, Nessa and V, both of which are not very creative either, but seeing as they are meant to be cute and humorous, she is probably fine with them.
Her Favorite & Most Despised Foods
Each and every one of us is unique in our own way, but just because there are more than 7 billion of us on the planet, does not mean that we do not all have certain things in common with each other. There are actually quite a few things that we all have in common, with one of them being that we all need to eat at least once a day, which is something that we cannot help seeing as hunger is a part of simple biology that affects every living thing. Even though we all have to eat, we all have our own tastes, seeing as there are people who have an affinity for spicy food, or food that is more sour or bitter. When it comes to Vanessa, she has stated that her favorite food is sushi and chocolate, and there are likely quite a few people out there who share her taste in that regard. We all have a favorite type of food, but we also all have a type of food that we absolutely hate, either because it looks or tastes disgusting to us, and when it comes to Vanessa, she hates carrots, to the extent that she feels like throwing up if she tastes the vegetable.
She Has Quite The Heritage
According to the dictionary, the definition of heritage is this: 'valued objects and qualities such as cultural traditions, unspoiled countryside, and historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations.' For some people, their heritage is not all that important to them, but for others, their heritage is near the top of their list in terms of importance and priority, as evidenced by multiple stories on the news. Many of us identify our heritage via the nationality of our parents and grandparents, and in most cases, people have a pretty straight forward heritage as people still tend to get into relationships and have children with individuals who come from the same culture. There are however many people who have multiple heritages, and Vanessa is one of those people, as her family comes from a variety of different backgrounds. Thanks to her mom, Vanessa is part Hispanic, Chinese, and Filipino, and just by looking at her, you can tell that she shares physical traits with all of those nationalities. When it comes to her father, he passed on to her his Irish and Native American heritage, which means that her heritage encompasses five different and unique cultures, which is quite extensive when compared to most people.
She Got Jealous Quite A Bit While Dating Zac Efron
Just like with food, biology forces us all to do other things, even though we do not know that we are being forced into doing them, and one of the other things that we all have in common thanks to biology, is the need to find someone to be in some kind of intimate relationship with. No matter your race, nationality, socio-economic standing, sexuality, or gender, virtually every single person on the planet gets involved in some kind of intimate relationship, and celebrities are no different in that regard. Unlike the rest of us though, their relationships tend to make headlines due to the fact that celebrities tend to get involved with other celebrities, and as we all know, Vanessa Hudgens was once in a relationship with her High School Musical co-star, Zac Efron. The two dated from 2005 to 2010, and like all relationships, there were instances in which someone became jealous, and Vanessa has admitted that she felt jealousy numerous times during her relationship with Zac. At the height of the High School Musical craze, female fans went crazy for Zac, attention that did not always sit well with Vanessa, which in fairness is completely understandable considering that Zac was essentially the late 2000s version of a young Justin Beiber.
Her Favorite High School Musical Scene
It does not matter if they are good or bad, we all have memories from high school that have stuck with us, whether they are memories involving friends, other classmates, or teachers. Since she was home schooled, Vanessa did not get to experience the kinds of things that most of us got to, which means that her memories regarding school are definitely a lot different than ours. With that being said, it is not as if she did not get to experience what high school life was like, seeing as she starred in the High School Musical movies, which pretty much depicted high school, just with a lot less spontaneous musical numbers. For nearly three years, the bulk of Vanessa's life revolved around filming those movies, which means that she spent a lot of time on a school set surrounded by young cast members who were all roughly the same age. When you make a trilogy of films like she did, there are bound to be many great memories, but even she admits that one memory stands above the rest, and that memory also happens to be her favorite scene of the entire series. That scene is in fact the final scene of the first movie, which features the entire cast singing and dancing to "We're All In This Together".
She Is Not Glued To Social Media
If you are reading this article, than in all likelihood, you are using your phone to do so, which is not all that surprising seeing as practically every single person in the world who has a phone is glued to it. In most cases, people cannot go more than ten minutes without using their phone, not because they need to talk to someone or message them, but because they need to check their social media accounts. In reality, people only really need to have one social media account, because the need to post pictures, videos, and/or comments, can become pretty obsessive, especially if you track every single post to see how many likes and comments it receives. This obsession with social media effects everyone to some degree, including celebrities, but Vanessa is not one of them, as she is not attached to social media, even though she has an Instagram account. When she leaves home, Vanessa chooses not to check her emails, and she is known for going completely dark for up to five days at a time. While discussing her ability to ignore social media with Marie Claire, she said this, "If you're always worried about being on your phone, then you really are missing out on everything that's happening in front of you."
She Considered Auditioning For American Idol
As mentioned earlier, Vanessa Hudgens has music in her veins thanks to her grandparents, and it is because of her voice and musical background that she was able to land her breakout role in the High School Musical films. In order to get the role though, she had to go in and audition, an audition in which she sang "Angels" by Robbie Williams, but as it turns out, she was more than prepared to do a vocal audition, seeing as right around the same time, she considered auditioning for a very popular TV singing competition. Despite not being the phenomenon that it once was, American Idol is now in its 16th season, and over the course of its run, the competition has produced the likes of Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Jordan Sparks, which proves that the show actually produced talent. Prior to auditioning for High School Musical, Vanessa thought about giving American Idol a shot, but when she got the role, she decided not to go through with it. This turned out to be the right move, especially since only a small handful of the show's winners have actually gone on to have notable careers in the music industry.
She Has Trained With Navy Seals
We live in a time where literally every single storytelling genre can be seen on both film and television, but when it comes to movies specifically, the action genre is by far still the most popular of them all. Due to the genre's popularity, it only makes sense that celebrities will try to appear in at least one action movie during their careers, and in Vanessa's case, her first action movie was 2011's Sucker Punch. The movie itself was basically Alice In Wonderland with martial arts and guns, and in it, Hudgens plays Blondie, one of the four dancers who participates in some of the action scenes. Normally, actors who take on these kinds of roles receive some kind of training, and Vanessa did just that, as she trained for five months alongside some Navy Seals, who are known for having one of the most intense training regiments in the world. When talking about the experience, she has said, "I was bawling my eyes out because they push you so hard. But it’s amazing what you find from it. When you go so far you find a certain Zen within that and you know you can do anything. It’s very empowering."
She Has A Variety Of Pets
Over three thousand years ago, human beings started domesticating animals, an act that was originally done in order to raise and keep an eye on our source of food, but as time passed, we started domesticating more and more animals for different reasons, like riding and hunting. Now, most people who own an animal, have them as a pet, but these animals are much more than that, as they offer both love and companionship if they are treated well, and sometimes, they can even treat you better than members of your own family. There are people who own a single cat or dog, because one animal is more than enough for them, but there are also those who own multiple animals, and Vanessa Hudgens loves every single one of hers. At one point, she owned a black poodle named Shadow, and when the poor thing passed away, she filled the void by getting another dog, a mixed breed poodle named Darla who she takes everywhere. Vanessa loves animals though, so it is not surprising that she shares her life with more than one, as evidenced by the fact that she also owns some fish, and three turtles, all of whom can be looked after while she is away from home.
She Had A Hard Time Getting Back To Reality After A Movie Role
Any actor worth their salt will do whatever it takes to delve into the character they choose to play, and Vanessa did just that for the 2013 film, Gimme Shelter, which also provided her with the darker type of role she loves. In the movie, Vanessa plays a pregnant teenage runaway who finds herself living in a shelter, and she pulled all the stops while preparing for the role. During her preparation, Vanessa went ahead and chopped off most of her hair, while also gaining 15 pounds, but what truly showed her dedication to the role is the fact that she lived in a shelter for teen moms for a full two weeks. Vanessa admits that those two weeks were a humbling experience, because she was able to see real people dealing with legitimate real-life issues, but it did take a minor toll on her. In an interview with People, she admitted that she pushed herself really hard for the role, to the extent that she had a hard time readjusting to life after filming, but she enjoyed every second of it, seeing as she told the magazine, "I had to find myself again. It was an amazing journey and an actor's dream."
Her First Role
Every single actor in the world has to start somewhere, and that does not mean starring in a commercial or getting a minor role in a small movie or TV show, because many actors get a taste of the acting bug before ever seeing a real set. In 2002, Vanessa made her acting debut on the sitcom Still Standing when she was 14, but as it turns out, her very first role came when she was much younger. As we all know, schools usually put on plays that feature students, and in Vanessa's case, her first role actually came during a preschool play, where she got to play the Virgin Mary, and it is because of how much fun she had entertaining her audience, that her parents saw that she had what it took to be an entertainer, which is why they decided to support her later on in her artistic aspirations by moving a lot and working extra jobs to help pay for her dream. This turned out to be the best decision that her parents could have done, because if it was not for their belief in their daughter, we may have never heard of Vanessa, and High School Musical would have looked a lot different.
She Had Private Photos Leaked
It is true that Vanessa does not spend an obscene amount of time on social media like the vast majority of people her age, but that does not mean that she does not use her phone at all, seeing as everyone has people they need/want to communicate with. Although phones are designed for communication, every single phone for over a decade now comes with a camera, a camera that we all use in order to take pictures and make videos. Celebrities use these cameras as well, and just like ordinary people, they sometimes use the camera to take photos of themselves that are meant to be private, but as we now know, there is a good chance that such photos can be leaked to the public. Unfortunately for Vanessa, she is one of the celebrities who has had private pictures leaked online, with the first leak coming in 2007, and the second coming in 2009. These leaked photos have managed to hinder Vanessa's career, as she has lost some movie roles.
Love Got Her In Trouble In 2016
Relationships can be very tricky things, because one minute you and your significant can be head over heels in love, and the next you can get into a huge fight for something incredibly stupid. Even though celebrities are considered to be above the rest of us, we know full well that most celebrities go through at least one high profile breakup, Vanessa included. When Vanessa and Zac broke up in 2010, it was a dark day for High School Musical Fans, as many of them thought that the two were a perfect couple, but they failed to realize that appearances can be deceiving. Since the breakup, Vanessa has entered into another long term relationship, this time with actor Austin Butler, who is best known for The Carrie Diaries and The Shanara Chronicles, and they have been together since 2011. In February of 2016, they visited Coconino National Forest in Arizona, and while there, she wrote "Austin + Vanessa" inside of a heart that she had carved into some rocks. The problem though is that she actively defaced property, and by posting the image on Instagram, she essentially promoted the act, which got her into some legal trouble, trouble that ultimately resulted in her paying a $1,000 fine.
References: sheknows.com, fame10.com, boomsbeat.com, ppcorn.com, popsugar.com, eonline.com
