Actor Vanessa Hudgens reunites with her High School Musical best friend Monique Coleman 15 years after the trilogy’s release. Premiering on the Disney Channel in 2006, Kenny Ortega’s musical-comedy became one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons of the 2000s. Hudgens starred as Gabriella, the nerdy new girl at East High, who falls for star athlete Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) as they prepare to audition for the high school’s spring musical together. Coleman portrayed Gabriella’s best friend, Taylor McKessie, captain of the Scholastic Decathlon Team, who was determined to stick to the status quo.
Now, 15 years after High School Musical 3: Senior Year was released, the on-screen and off-screen best friends reunite to celebrate the launch of Hudgens’ new business adventure. Check out the nostalgic reunion pictures Hudgens posted to Instagram below:
Vanessa Hudgens and Monique Coleman pose together as the pair reunites for the launch of Hudgens’ new beverage line. The friends have been very supportive of each other’s careers since their days on the set of High School Musical.
What Hudgens and Coleman Have Been Up To Since HSM
The High School Musical franchise was lucrative for Hudgens and Coleman as it earned $4 billion worldwide over its first 5-year run. However, the pair have taken slightly different paths in Hollywood following the record-breaking success of High School Musical. While both pursued acting, Hudgens separated herself from Disney’s clean image with more mature roles in movies, such as Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers (2012), which also starred former Disney star Selena Gomez. Hudgens also prioritized more gritty films, such as Gimme Shelter (2013) and Sucker Punch (2011). However, she returned to her musical roots in her role as Rizzo in Grease Live! in 2016. Her more recent acting credits include Netflix’s The Princess Switch (2018) franchise.
Coleman embraced her Disney roots with movies such as A Christmas Dance Reunion, where she starred alongside her former High School Musical love interest actor Corbin Bleu. The Lifetime movie reunited the real-life best friends on-screen in a romantic holiday movie. Coleman officially returned to the High School Musical franchise in the Disney+ show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She made her first appearance in the fourth and final season of the spin-off series.
Unfortunately, Hudgens did not return to the East High in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series finale. However, she returned to the actual filming location of High School Musical last year while in Salt Lake, where the real-life school is located. She shared her nostalgia in an Instagram post, which saw the star in the signature jumping pose in front of the school. Although Hudgens and Coleman may never reunite on-screen as their respective characters, it’s clear the pair will be forever friends thanks to the iconic franchise.
