Vanessa Hudgens has admitted she used to give “death stares” to the legions of screaming teenage fans who ran after her former boyfriend Zac Efron.

The High School Musical stars were a couple on and off screen in the hit Disney movies between 2005 and 2010, and the 26-year-old actress has told the New York Times she struggled at first to share her boyfriend with his adoring public.

Vanessa and Zac in 2010 (Matt Sayles/AP)
Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron in 2010 (Matt Sayles/AP)

Vanessa revealed: “I went through a phase when I was really mean because I was so fed up.

“Girls were running after him, and I was giving them death stares. Then I realised that’s not what that’s about. ‘Spread the love, be a good person, they support you, be nice’.”

Vanessa has been dating Arrow star Austin Butler since 2011.