2008

Vanessa Hudgens

February

Hudgens Breaks Her Silence

Hudgens appears on the cover of Seventeen, where she opens up about her nude photo scandal. "Truthfully I don't like talking about it," she tells the magazine. "It was very traumatic, and I am extremely upset it happened. I hope all my fans can learn from my mistake and make smart decisions." Surprisingly, though, she reveals that her mom was "just so cute. She was like, 'Well, everyone can be naked if they want to.'"

Vanessa Hudgens

May

Vanessa's Beautiful Territory

After returning to the Utah set of HSM 3: Senior Year and filming her non-Disney effort, Will, Hudgens lands on PEOPLE's Most Beautiful list – without a stitch of makeup. "Just recently I've learned to be okay with myself without wearing makeup," the Neutrogena spokesmodel tells PEOPLE. "I think it was a special someone telling me that I didn't need it."

Vanessa Hudgens

July

Identified

Hudgens releases her more grown-up sophomore album, Identified, which she tells EW is "definitely sophisticated. But it's also funky and fun – something that I would, like, actually listen to." Her first single, "Sneakernight," "is a fun song about hanging out with girlfriends and wearing sneakers," the singer-actress explains.

Vanessa Hudgens

Fall

Last Song

Hudgens and her HSM costars cover PEOPLE's HSM3: Senior Year special issue. "We spent three years together," Hudgens tells PEOPLE. "I got to go to prom. I wore a cap and gown. HSM was my version of high school." And as for the future? "No one says it's the last time." When the film opens in October, it takes the No. 1 spot, making $42 million in its first week.

2009

Vanessa Hudgens

August 14

A Major Slam!

Hudgens channels her inner rock star for her new musical flick Bandslam, where she plays Sa5m, a student with untapped musical talents. "It was awkward for me," she says of the role. "I don't do rock ... that's not my thing." But nothing could be more awkward than comedian Dane Cook telling Hudgens at the Teen Choice Awards to keep her clothes on, after a second round of nude photos surfaced online.

Photo Credits

BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Gregg DeGuire/WireImage; amazon.com; Van Redin/Summit Entertainment

Edited by Janet Mock