Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. Hudgens rose to prominence playing
Gabriella Montez in the
High School Musical series. Hudgens has also appeared in various films and television series for the
Disney Channel. She had her feature film debut in the 2003 film
Thirteen, a teenage drama in which Hudgens had a supporting role. She had mainstream success following the release of the
High School Musical trilogy, and her relationship with co-star
Zac Efron was heavily publicized. Her appearance in the series helped make her a household name. Songs from the films also charted worldwide, with the song "
Breaking Free" peaking inside the Top 10 of the
Billboard Hot 100. This led to Hudgens releasing her debut album,
V, on September 26, 2006 which entered the
Billboard 200 at number 24, and was later
certified gold. Her second album,
Identified, was released on July 1, 2008 in the United States.