Former High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens is 30 today - and she's planning to celebrate in cosplay style with a Lord of The Rings birthday party.
As Hudgens told talk show host Jimmy Fallon: "I had this fantasy of having a Lord of The Rings party where I’m Galadriel with the white hair and I’m floating into my birthday party and there’s a harpist playing and there’s elves everywhere."
Fallon suggested she put a call out on air to Elijah Wood to come in costume to her party - the ultimate commitment to a theme.
Hudgens is currently promoting her role in new J-Lo movie Second Act and rehearsing for a Broadway production of Rent: Live in 2019.
She'll be playing Maureen Johnson, though she previously appeared as Mimi in a 2010 Hollywood Bowl production of the musical.
The actress was born in Salinas, California, and moved around with her family, living in Oregon, and eventually in SoCal. She has a younger sister, Stella Hudgens, who celebrated her 23rd birthday last month with the family in West Hollywood.
In the days before High School Musical, Hudgens was limited to local performances, appearing in The Wizard of Oz, The King and I, and Cinderella. Soon after, she left the stage behind for TV commercials. After landing her first one, her whole family moved to Los Angeles.
Hudgens first debuted in the controversial film Thirteen in 2003 - but her acting career truly took off when she was cast in High School Musical in 2005, alongside Zac Efron. While she might be known more for her acting than her vocals now, she got her post-HSM start with a Hollywood Records deal, releasing two studio albums.
Vanessa Hudgens' post-teen star path to stardom wasn't as easy. She starred in a string of flops, including the much-maligned Beauty and the Beast remake Beastly, before breaking out of the Disney Channel mold with her rebellious turn in Spring Breakers.
Her romantic life has made the headlines over the years too. She had a well documented 5-year relationship with her High School Musical co-star Zac Efron that began in 2005. She was then was rumored to be dating Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson.
But since 2011, she's been with fellow former child star Austin Butler. Could there be wedding bells on the horizon?
Possibly, but for this birthday at least Hudgens appears to be more interested in asking another kind of Ringbearer to her party.
