Vanessa Hudgens was 17 years old when she filmed and starred in the first High School Musical , which premiered in January 2006, since she was born on December 14, 1988.

Quick Scoop: Age in High School Musical

  • Date of birth: December 14, 1988.
  • High School Musical release: January 2006 on Disney Channel.
  • That makes her 17 at the time of release, playing high school student Gabriella Montez.

So while Gabriella is written as a high school teen, Vanessa herself was a late teen, which is very typical casting for Disney-style teen musicals.

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