When you think about the High School Musical film series, of course you’re going to think of Vanessa Hudgens. Hudgens rose to fame after portraying one of the main characters, Gabriella Montez, in all three films. The series was a major success and the original was one of Disney’s most popular films, receiving 225 millions viewers worldwide by last year. The series developed a cult following and spawned a television series. For Hudgens, it catapulted the actress into mainstream success. The actress released two albums and went on to star in several big films.
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Although the actress doesn’t regret or resent the series, Hudgens does feel like the musical may have propelled her career in a direction that she didn’t expect.
Vanessa Hudgens reflects on High School Musical
During an interview with The Guardian, the actress looked back over her career, beginning in the HSM days. She recalled that she saw her acting going in a different direction. “High School Musical was a fantastic journey, but it completely derailed me from where I originally saw my career going,” the actress stated. Hudgens had a very specific type of character she wanted to play since she was a young child.
“I always wanted to be the indie girl; I always wanted to be in the movies where I’m playing a drug addict or a stripper or a prostitute. That was my goal since I was like, 11,” the actress continued.
After her days dancing with her classmates in the halls of East High School, Hudgens took on more provocative roles. The actress took a big risk by starring in the controversial film Spring Breakers alongside fellow Disney alum Selena Gomez.
The actress steps into her own
Regardless of what could have happened in her career, the actress has certainly come into her own. She continues to define her career on her own terms. In 2016, she starred in Grease: Live as Rizzo, and in 2019, she appeared in Rent: Live as Maureen Johnson. Vanessa Hudgens has also starred in several Netflix films.
“I said my main thing this year is to say yes and see what happens,” the actress said during the interview. Although an actor’s life is always full of twists and turns, hers in particular has she explained how the “Bohemian” style helped her deal. “Bohemian means, to me, to roll with the punches. I always say that expectation is the motherlode of all disappointment. Yes, it’s important to set goals and high hopes for yourself, but at the end of the day, you don’t know what life is going to hand you, you’ve just got to roll with it. That’s bohemian,” Hudgens expressed. Even with her days of East High School behind, the singer still has a bright future and we hope she finally finds what (role) she’s been looking for!