From a freaky genius girl to a homeless, pregnant teenager, Vanessa Hudgens has had a diverse career. Her movies have ranged from drama to action to independent. Because of the vast differences, it was a great time to take a look at her best ten films.
Vanessa’s first role was a guest starring role on Still Standing. Her first movie role was in Thirteen. She had a small role as Noel. Since being in Thirteen, most of her films have been in movies rather than television. She did have a recurring guest starring role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. She played Corrie, someone obsessed with London Tipton (Brenda Song).
Other than being on TV and in films, she was in the Hollywood Bowl production of Rent in 2010, playing the role of Mimi Marquez. Rosario Dawson originally played Mimi in the film and stage version of Rent.
Vanessa really made a name for herself in the television film, High School Musical. It was released on the Disney Channel and was so popular that there was a second and third film. The third was even released in theaters. The second HSM film is the most watched Disney Channel Original Movie of all time.
After being in HSM, Vanessa had a short music career. She released two albums, V and Identified. Within those two albums there were a few hits. There was “Come Back to Me” (clip below) and a few others. She released a music video of her song “Say Ok” that starred then-boyfriend Zac Efron.
Between an action star and an outsider, here are Vanessa Hudgens’ top 10 best films.
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10. Thunderbirds, 2004
Character name: Tin-Tin
Plot: A criminal mastermind (Ben Kingsley) gets into the top secret island to steal special vehicles and use them for himself. The Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) and his five sons are part of the organization trying to stop him.
Why she’s so great in it: This was her first role. While it is minor, it established her as an actress, which led to all of the other great movies on the list.
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9. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, 2012
Character name: Kailani
Plot: Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and his stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), head to a mysterious island to save his grandfather (Michael Caine). They are lead around by a pilot (Luis Guzman) and his daughter, Kailani (Hudgens).
Why she’s so great in it: She was perfect for the kids’ movie. She was just young enough and had chemistry with Huterson.
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8. Beastly, 2011
Character name: Lindy Taylor
Plot: It is a revamped version of Beauty and the Beast, based on the book of the same name. Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is a jerk. After a witch (Mary-Kate Olsen) casts a spell on him to turn him ugly, he must find someone to love him for who he is. He forces Lindy (Hudgens) to move in with him and they slowly fall in love.
Why she’s so great in it: Beastly really wasn’t a very good movie, however, Hudgens did well being plain. Unlike most of her other movies, Hudgens wasn’t supposed to look beautiful. She did well with that transition.
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7. Machete Kills, 2013
Character name: Cereza Desdemona
Plot: Machete (Danny Trejo) is back to stop an arms deal (Mel Gibson) and save the world.
Why she’s so great in it: It is only a short cameo- about four minutes long. Within those four minutes, she makes an impression and creates a large plot point.
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6. Sucker Punch, 2011
Character name: Blondie
Plot: Babydoll (Emily Browning) is sent to an asylum by her abusive step father. She slips into a fantasy world in order to find her way out. Hudgens, along with Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone and Jamie Chung play other girls in the fantasy world.
Why she’s so great in it: It is action packed and she pulls off shooting people and the fighting. While the film doesn’t have much emotion, Hudgens pulls through when needed.
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5. Gimme Shelter, 2014
Character name: Apple
Plot: Apple is a pregnant teenager who goes on a search to find her father after leaving her drug addicted mother (Rosario Dawson). After being turned away by her father, she finds shelter with Father McCarthy (James Earl Jones) and Kathy (Ann Dowd).
Number of episodes: Four
Why she’s so great in it: Hudgens cut her hair for the role. She lived in a homeless shelter to understand her character’s actions. She got into the role and it paid off.
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4. The Frozen Ground, 2013
Character name: Cindy Paulson
Plot: A serial killer is after prositutes in Alaska. He kidnaps them then hunts them. Cindy (Hudgens) is the one that got away. She says that Robert Hansen (John Cusack) is the one that did it but no one believes her. A cop, Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) is the police officer on the case and they work together to solve the case and save her life because Robert comes after her again.
Why she’s so great in it: It is an incredibly gritty role that Hudgens pulls off. It is dark and she is able to convey the pure fear very well.
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3. Spring Breakers, 2012
Character name: Candy
Plot: Four girls, Candy, Faith (Selena Gomez), Cotty (Rachel Korine) and Brittany (Ashley Benson) want an exciting spring break. When they meet Alien (James Franco), they divulge into a week of drugs and violence.
Why she’s so great in it: Spring Breakers is a movie that you’ll either love or hate. It is a movie that takes thought to understand. It is a huge jump from being in young adult movies to being in this. Hudgens pulled it off.
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2. Bandslam, 2009
Character name: Sa5m (the five is silent)
Plot: Will (Gaelan Connell) is new to town and just wants to start over. He meets Sa5m and they fall for each other. Meanwhile, Will is tapped to manage a band and get them to the big Bandslam music competition.
Why she’s so great in it: Sa5m was a refreshed version of Wednesday Adams. She was a mix of dark and sarcastic. The innocent love between Will and Sa5m was incredibly fun to watch. Not to mention, the film included one of the funniest first kiss scenes that I’ve ever seen.
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1. High School Musical trilogy, 2006, 2007, 2008
Character name: Gabriella Montez is a “freaky genius girl” who moves to East High at the beginning of the series and starts a relationship with high school basketball star, Troy Bolton (Zac Efron)
Plot: There are three HSM films. The first follows Gabriella as she moves to New Mexico with her mother. She falls for basketball star Troy and they both have a secret urge to sing in the musical but that doesn’t fit all of the groups. The second film follows Troy and Gabriella in their summer jobs. The third follows the two in their senior year with difficult choices.
Why she’s so great in it: The High School Musical trilogy is great period. The songs are catchy and all of the characters seem to slip in their roles. It is clear that Hudgens is the better singer between the two leads and is the memorable and relatable character. Throughout the series, Gabriella grows from being shy in the first film, to being sassy in the second film to being a mature, adult in the final film.