Entertainment

5 things you probably didn't know about Vanessa Hudgens

vanessa hudgens in september 2019
Vanessa Hudgens was born on December 14, 1988. zz/John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx
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Vanessa Hudgens rose to fame starring as Gabriella Montez in the 2006 Disney Channel movie "High School Musical." Since then, she's gone on to release two studio albums, appear on Broadway, guest-star on shows like "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," and star in films like "Spring Breakers," "The Princess Switch," and "Second Act."

Most recently, Hudgens starred in the Netflix holiday film "The Princess Switch: Switched Again."

Here are six things you probably didn't know about Hudgens. 

Her celebrity crush as a teenager was Zac Efron, who would later become her real-life boyfriend at the time.

vanessa hudgens and zac efron
Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron met while auditioning for "High School Musical." Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Hudgens revealed her crush in an interview with Huffington Post. The actress also previously named Matt Damon as another favorite.

"I was 14 years old and I met him," Hudgens said during an appearance on "The Tyra Banks Show" in 2007. "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?'"

She's a pescatarian.

vanessa hudgens june 2019
Vanessa Hudgens was born in Salinas, California. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

She's not the only celebrity who chooses to eat fish and seafood over other meat. Olivia Wilde, Cam Newton, and A$AP Rocky are also pescatarian. 

Hudgens is no stranger to live musicals.

vanessa hudgens as rizzo in grease live
The original "Grease" movie was released in 1978. FOX

She starred as Maureen Johnson in FOX's live production of "Rent," but she previously played Mimi in the Hollywood Bowl's version. Hudgens also played the titular role in the Broadway show "Gigi," which ran for a few months in 2015. 

Additionally, the actress showed off her musical skills as Rizzo in FOX's "Grease: Live," alongside Julianne Hough and Aaron Tveit.  

Her dad died from stage four cancer in 2016.

Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens starred in the 2013 movie "Spring Breakers." Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Her father died the night before her "Grease: Live" performance.

"The thing that honestly got me through it was my community that I was surrounded by," Hudgens told People.

She added: "It was shocking. I knew that it was coming, but nothing can prepare you for losing a parent."

Hot Cheetos and ramen are her go-to cheat foods.

vanessa hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens released her first album in 2006. Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Speaking to Pacific Rim Video, Hudgens said that her comfort food depends on whether or not she's on a diet. For days when she doesn't mind indulging, she opts for those popular picks.

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Olivia was a senior entertainment reporter for Business Insider. She's known for her coverage of celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith (and her hit series, "Red Table Talk"), Jennifer Aniston, Timothée Chalamet, Zac Efron, Jacob Elordi, Chris Evans, Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland, the Jonas Brothers, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jennifer Lopez, and Zendaya.Her pop culture knowledge also extends to "Twilight," "Harry Potter," "The Hunger Games," "Friends," 'How I Met Your Mother," "New Girl," "The Boys," "Gen V,"  "Euphoria," "The Sex Lives of College Girls," "The Umbrella Academy," and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Olivia graduated from Hunter College with a degree in media and a concentration in journalism. Before Insider, she was an intern for Us Weekly, Tiger Beat, and teen.com; a pop culture blogger for Her Campus; and a writer for NKD Magazine.