Vanessa Hudgens thinks "a lot of girls" look up to Bad Boys.

The 22-year-old actress - who recently split from her 'High School Musical' co-star boyfriend Zac Efron after five years of dating - explained her 'Beastly' alter-ego falls in love with Alex Pettyfer's character because of his bad boy attitude.

She told MTV News: "I feel like a lot of girls think it's easier to go under the radar, to not really stand up and let their true selves be known.

"And I feel like when that happens, a lot of girls look up to guys who embody that, who are just truly out there and, of course, my character falls for that, as a lot of other girls would."

Vanessa - who plays the part of Lindy in the modern day adaptation of classic fairytale 'Beauty and the Beast' - recently admitted the unusual look of Alex Pettyfer as the Beast shocked her when she first saw it.

She said: "It was odd. It was really, really weird. They kept it a secret from me, as long as they could.

"I was literally in shock. I didn't know what to say or do, and he was just looking up at me and not saying a word. It was really haunting, but fascinating, at the same time.