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The transition from Disney darling to an adult actor can often be hard. Many former child stars see their careers fizzle out. It’s even common for the pressures of such young stardom to take a negative toll on their personal lives. The risk of being typecast is a real threat to a child star’s future roles. And some begin to actively work against it. That was the case for Vanessa Hudgens, a Disney star who actively sought out “grittier” roles to help shake the risk of being seen in a narrow light.  

Vanessa Hudgens rose to fame in ‘High School Musical’

High School Musical has become a pop culture juggernaut. Premiering in 2006, the Disney movie brings together star athlete Troy Bolton (played by Zac Efron) with book-smart Gabriella Montez (portrayed by Hudgens). Some combination of the film’s obvious use of rom-com tropes, sing-along songs, and delightful cast caused an explosion in popularity. Followed by two sequels and, later, a TV series, High School Musical has staying power. 

Playing Gabriella was a breakout role for Hudgens. The star had begun acting as a teen with one-off gigs on TV series like Still Standing and The Brothers Garcia in the early 2000’s. By 2004, she had landed a role in Thunderbirds, a film starring Bill Paxton and Ben Kingsley. 

Starring in High School Musical shot the young actor into overnight superstardom. But that kind of meteoric fame is a double-edged sword. While Hudgens enjoyed an immediate boost to her name recognition and star power, she also risked being perpetually linked to her squeaky-clean singing teen character. 

Vanessa Hudgens pushed for ‘grittier’ roles

Hudgens was acutely aware of the need to pivot carefully in order to protect her future career. Speaking with Untitled Magazine in 2012, she revealed just how calculated her next career moves were. “High School Musical was incredible and it was so fun and it gave me so many fans which I’m very, very thankful for, but it also closed people’s minds up as to which characters I could portray,” Hudgens said (via Daily Mail). She added she “was kind of struggling and fighting for [other kinds of] roles.”

Hudgens did manage to secure what she was after. However, “crossing over and being able to tackle these grittier parts was a challenge.” After starring in High School Musical 2 (2007) and being a face for Neutrogena (another role that focused on her clean, youthful appearance), she went on to Sucker Punch (2011) and Beastly (2011), roles that definitely had more edge. 

By the time she starred in 2014’s Spring Breakers, there could be no doubt that she had shed the good-girl image. The film stars James Franco as a “rapper” who takes a group of girls on spring break through a drug- and sex-fueled crime spree. It represents a clear inversion of Hudgens’ previous innocent associations. 

What has Vanessa Hudgens done lately?

vanessa hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens is seen, outside the Giambattista Valli show, during Paris Fashion Week – Womenswear F/W 2022-2023, on March 07, 2022 in Paris, France. | Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
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So where did Hudgens — juggling two very distinct versions of herself — land? It’s a little of both. 

Films like The Knight Before Christmas (2019) rely heavily on Hudgens’ sparkly romantic comedy vibes. But 2021 saw her as a revenge-seeking gang member in Asking for It. She’s continued to play double (and triple) duty for sequels of her Netflix holiday rom-com The Princess Switch. However, she’s also taken time to star in a horror short from Eli Roth. Additionally, Hudgens has developed her skills as a red-carpet host at various industry events.

It appears that Hudgens’ hard work to make sure she had options paid off.

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