It was the day before her live television debut on Grease: Live, but instead of running through final rehearsals, Vanessa Hudgens had a more personal matter to attend to.
On the day of the broadcast, Hudgens took to Twitter to confirm that her father, Greg had passed away from stage 4 cancer.
“I am so sad to say that last night my daddy, Greg passed away from stage 4 cancer,” she tweeted.
“Thank you to everyone who kept him in your prayers.”
Ever the consummate professional, Hudgens chose to forge ahead.
“Tonight, I do the show in his honor.”
Hudgens recently spoke to People about how she and her mother, Gina are coping in the wake of Greg’s death.
“There are highs and there are lows,” Hudgens admitted. “It sucks, but death happens. It never makes it easier but it happens to all of us.
“It’s just something we have to get through until we all meet again in heaven.”
Hudgens relies on her mother, whose strength she credits for leading the actress through this difficult time.
“She has this lightheartedness and this light that just beams out of her very being and it’s so special,” Hudgens said.
“Life is about perspective. The way you choose to see your life is the way your life is going to become.
“My mom looks out through such beautiful eyes,” she said. “I’ve learned to follow her lead.”
Hudgens performance as Rizzo was nothing if not dazzling.
Go Fug Yourself‘s recap of the show summed it up best:
“That is a massive emotional blow to be dealt right before your show must go on, and she earned the hell out of my lifelong respect. Not just for keeping it together and doing her job, but for doing it beautifully. Sometimes, the only choice you’re given in life is how you deal with the the bitchy unilateral decisions it makes for you.
The universe took something away from her on a night when she probably did not have the option to back out, even if she desperately wanted to, and the choice she made was to perform like he was still watching.”
