RESPECT JENNIFER HUDSON

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

Jennifer Hudson rose to fame as a finalist on the third season of American Idol in 2004. Although she shockingly only came in seventh place, she managed to create a name for herself after leaving the singing competition. After American Idol, Hudson branched into acting, a choice that would prove fruitful for the multi-talented performer. In 2006, Hudson made her film debut in Dreamgirls. In it, Hudson played Effie White, a member of the R&B musical trio The Dreamettes. When an ambitious manager (Jamie Foxx) decides to represent the group, Effie finds herself pitted against one of the other members (Beyoncé). Hudson was praised for her performance as Effie and wowed everyone with her rendition of the showstopper “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”. She went on to win both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her Dreamgirls role.

After Dreamgirls’ success, Hudson continued to act and was cast in the Sex and the City movie and The Secret Life of Bees. She also maintained her music career and released her debut single, “Spotlight,” in 2008. The song reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. A few months later, her debut studio album got positive reviews. Three Grammy nominations, and one win, came from her debut album.

Now, Hudson is taking on another musical role. According to reports, Hudson was personally selected by music legend Aretha Franklin to play her in the upcoming musical biopic, Respect. The movie, directed by Liesl Tommy and written by Tracey Scott Wilson, will chart Franklin’s life and career. It begins with her as a young girl singing in her father’s church choir, to finding international fame as a superstar. In addition to Hudson, Respect stars Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Skye Dakota Turner, Tate Donovan and Mary J. Blige. Respect is scheduled for a limited release on December 25, 2020, to be followed by a wide release on January 15, 2020.