Vanessa Hudgens has her head in the award show game!
As one of the stars in tick, tick…BOOM!, the actress is preparing for a busy season full of celebration and nominations.
But while appearing on E!'s Live From the Red Carpet before the 2022 SAG Awards, Vanessa had to give credit to director Lin-Manuel Miranda for all his work behind the scenes.
"It was such an interesting time because we were trying to figure out how to film a movie during COVID," she exclusively told E! News' Yvette Nicole Brown. "It was really hard because I didn't get to have those moments that I really wanted to have like all of us in between takes jamming out together and singing musical theater songs because we are all such musical theater nerds, but he has a genuine kindness and genuinely sees everyone."
Vanessa added, "He's sees everyone the same and I'm like, ‘You are a kind human being' and I love that. It's the most important."
Many fans first remember meeting Vanessa in 2006 when she played Gabrielle Montez in Disney's High School Musical franchise. Since then, she has appeared in Grease Live! And Rent: Live while also expanding her music career.
But when asked for her reaction to High School Musical still living on through High School Musical: The Musical—The Series, Vanessa couldn't help but cheer on the cast including Olivia Rodrigo.
"It is wild. I literally saw an Instagram post the other day that said Gabriella Montez and it was not me and I was like, ‘I'm sorry?'" she joked. "But she's incredible and I am such a fan of hers. I love her music and it's amazing seeing it continue to live on."
As for what Vanessa would love to do next, she wouldn't mind being part of another iconic musical in Hollywood.
"I'm very excited because Nicole Kidman is here tonight and I feel like she was my first big girl crush in Moulin Rouge!" she shared. "Those songs and those stories. I'm such a hopeless romantic and that was it for me."
During the 2022 SAG Awards, Vanessa shined in an Atelier Versace gown styled by Jason Bolden. See more red carpet looks here.