Vanessa Hudgens Admires Pole Dancers

In preparation for her upcoming role in "The Frozen Ground," Vanessa Hudgens did a lot more than just talk to the woman she was portraying.

"The Frozen Ground" depicts a 17-year-old prostitute who prompts a manhunt for a serial killer who held her hostage. Hudgens says the story may ring a little too true for her character's inspiration.

But Hudgens wanted to understand the role, so she went to a place where she could really dive into it: a strip club.

On E!'s special "Vanessa & Ashley: Inner Circle," Hudgens talks to Ashley Tisdale about how much respect she has for pole dancers.

"I have mad respect for the amazing pole dancers 'cause it takes a lot of work and...they're like athletes, honestly. What they do is crazy," she said.

But what Hudgens does in the movie isn't exactly as glamorous as what she saw.

"I just swing around a little bit. My character just took a hit of, like, crack basically before she does the pole dancing, so it wasn't supposed to be beautiful, glamorous, sensual. It was supposed to be a little messed up," she said.

"The Frozen Ground" is set for release Aug. 23.