Blessed with exotic looks and oodles of charisma, this over-achieving triple threat sang and danced her way to fame as a brainy beauty in Disney's smash 2006 TV-movie High School Musical. Although the multiethnic Hudgens only had a handful of TV guest spots and film appearances under her belt, she was already a veteran hoofer, having performed in myriad stage musicals since childhood. Under Disney's tutelage, Hudgens became a formidable starlet, guest-starring on the station's popular teen series (Drake & Josh, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) and headlining HSM. After the film's success, she released her own album, V, which promptly landed in the top 30 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The actress Vanessa Anne Hudgens was born on December 14, 1988, in Salinas, California, but grew up in San Diego. Her film debut came in 2003 in the movie "Thirteen," and later that year she had a major part in the movie "Thunderbirds." Vanessa is most famous for her roles of Corrie on the hit children show "The Suite Life of Zack And Cody" and Gabrielle Montiz on the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical." She is of Irish and Native American descent on her father's side and of Filipino, Hispanic and Chinese descent on her Mother's side.