Vanessa Hudgens celebrate her 22nd birthday: It could be a bittersweet celebration for her, but Vanessa Hudgens shouldn't let anything stop her from celebrating her birthday today. The actress and singer is now 22 years old, and though she has plenty to celebrate, her relationship with "High School Musical" co-star Zac Efron just ended (though sources noted there was no real animosity and the pair will remain friends).
Besides her new singlehood, Hudgens has plenty to celebrate on her birthday. She has two upcoming films that promise to raise her profile profoundly and help her make the transition from Disney Channel staple to proper Hollywood leading lady (much in the same way that ex-boyfriend Efron did last year). In March, "Beastly" will finally hit theaters after a bit of a delay (it was originally supposed to hit in the summer — ironically on the same day as Efron's "Charlie St. Cloud" ended up dropping). "Beastly" tells a skewed version of the "Beauty and the Beast" story and co-stars Alex Pettyfer, Mary Kate Olsen and Neil Patrick Harris. Hudgens' other big release in 2011 is "Sucker Punch," an ensemble action film that also stars Emily Browning ("Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"), Jena Malone ("Donnie Darko"), Abbie Cornish ("Bright Star") and Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"). It promises to be an eye-popping fiasco that should elevate Hudgens' profile and establish her as a go-to femme fatale.
With all the film work coming her way, Hudgens hasn't had much time to devote to her music career. That's a shame, because both of her albums — 2006's V and 2008's Identified — are strong collections of pop tunes. "Come Back to Me" is an excellent example of her work, and it's a great soundtrack to celebrate a 22nd birthday.