Fil-Am actors Darren Criss, Vanessa Hudgens star in new projects

2017 is off to a good start for these Fil-Ams in entertainment.

An American Crime tragedy, a DC-universe superhero comedy, and a crowdfunded origin story of a beloved fandom character are some of the latest projects featuring talented Pinoys in Hollywood.

Yong Chavez talks to the Fil-Am actors on Showbiz Tonight.

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Fil-Am Vanessa Hudgens earns kudos for 'Grease: Live'

HOLLYWOOD – "The show must go on” is a popular showbiz saying that hit home to Vanessa Hudgens who pulled out a performance after a family tragedy.

Displaying a powerful voice and an emotional performance, critics and audiences are calling Hudgens the big revelation in "Grease: Live."

Hudgens played the iconic bad-girl Rizzo.

The Fil-Am actress bravely performed a day after losing her father, Greg, to cancer.

In an online post, she thanked her fans and friends for their outpouring of sympathy and support.

"Grease: Live" dedicated the show to Hudgens' dad in its end credits.

The live musical, aired last Sunday on Fox, was seen by more than 12 million viewers.

For three hours, the cast performed hit songs from "Grease" and its exciting format drew even Hollywood celebrities to tweet about the special presentation.

The cast was led by Julianne Hough who played Sandy, and Aaron Tveit as Danny.

The show was not only a hit with viewers but it also earned critical praises.

It boasted of an all-star cast including Carly Rae Jepsen, Keke Palmer, and special guests Mario Lopez, and Boyz II Men.

Fox is airing its next sing-and-dance project "The Passion," a biblical themed musical this March.

Hudgens, meanwhile, can look forward to more offers to do more musicals after her standout performance in "Grease: Live".

She recently reunited with her fellow “High School Musical” alums for a Disney Channel Special.

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Vanessa Hudgens sizzles with co-stars in 'Grease: Live' promo

HOLLYWOOD – For many, "Grease," popularized by the classic film starring Olivia Newton John and John Travolta, is the ultimate American musical.

This January 31, Fox is airing its very first live presentation and recently released its initial promo clip.

The story of summer romance told in songs by hopelessly devoted teenage characters is being touted as the network’s must-see Sunday night event.

Playing "Rizzo," the tough leader of the pink ladies, is Fil-Am actress Vanessa Hudgens.

The character is a departure from the sweet role that Hudgens became famous for in Disney’s "High School Musical" series.

The 26-year-old-actress is no stranger to the pressure of performing live as she was also one of the stars of "Rent at the Hollywood Bowl."

Meanwhile, singer-dancer-actress Julianne Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" is "Sandy."

Broadway alum and "Graceland" star Aaron Tveit who also showcased his vocal prowess in the movie "Les Miserables," is playing "Danny."

The musical was directed by Neil Patrick Harris and was staged back in 2010.

"Grease: Live" also stars Carly Rae Jepsen, Keke Palmer, and Carlos Pena Vega.

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Second apparent leak of hacked celebrity nude pictures: US media

LOS ANGELES - More nude celebrity photos, purportedly including reality star Kim Kardashian, circulated social media Saturday, in what appeared to be the second massive hacking-related leak in less than a month, US media reported.

The pictures, which also included nude shots of actress Vanessa Hudgens and US soccer star Hope Solo, appeared briefly on 4chan and Reddit, before being removed, celebrity gossip site TMZ reported.

BuzzFeed said that personal videos and photos belonging to actresses Aubrey Plaza, Mary-Kate Olsen, Hayden Panettiere and Leelee Sobieski were posted, in addition to previously unseen pictures of Jennifer Lawrence.

Hackers first released a trove of nude starlets' photos on September 1, after snatching them from Apple's iCloud in what the tech giant has called a "targeted attack."

The company has denied its cloud storage system was breached, suggesting that the celebrities had their accounts hacked by using easy-to-guess passwords, or by giving up their personal data to cybercriminals posing as Apple, a technique known as "phishing."

In addition to Lawrence, celebrities whose pictures were allegedly stolen and posted online in early September included model Kate Upton, singer Avril Lavigne and actress Gabrielle Union.

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