Jennifer Hudson Wishes She Kept Louise’s Bag from ‘Sex and the City’
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Welcome to Look Back At It, a column where some of the most iconic Black actresses in Hollywood reminisce and reflect on the roles that made them stars. In this installment, Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson breaks down her career—from Dreamgirls and Respect to her daytime talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, which will premiere its third season on Monday, September 16.
“I have an award wall at my home in Chicago,” says Jennifer Hudson when I ask where she keeps her Oscar, “and it’s right in the center.” She was keeping the wall a secret and didn’t feel comfortable revealing it until she reached a particular milestone—which she accomplished in 2022. “I didn’t want anyone to see it until the EGOT was complete. And now it is.”
Her road to EGOT [Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards] began in 2006 when Hudson made her acting debut in Dreamgirls, which earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Two years later, she won a Grammy for her self-titled album, which features her most popular song to date, “Spotlight.” The Emmy came in 2021 for her work in the animated program Baba Yaga, and she rounded it out with a Tony win for producing the Broadway musical A Strange Loop a year later.
“Who would’ve thought I’d have a 20-year career?” she asks as she reflects on her journey. “I’m proud to still be here. And I didn’t realize I did all of these films!” Below, she shares her favorite memories behind some of her most iconic roles.
Effie in Dreamgirls (2006)
“Everything comes to mind when I think of Dreamgirls because that’s where it all started. I had several auditions over a six month time span. I completely messed up my first one, but thank God the director Bill Condon called me back for a screen test, which was an all-day event. I recall them saying that the majority of people’s voices gave out by the time they got to the end of the screen test, and they were so blown away that I was still singing. And now people love to come up to me and recite different lines from the movie. My favorite scene is when Effie tells Curtis that she’s gonna win.”
Louise in Sex and the City (2008)
“This was a huge franchise shot in New York in the streets. I remember shooting scenes with Louise coming out of the train and them having to block off the street and people were waving and watching and cheering. I didn’t know if I should speak or stay in character. And I know people love to talk about the bag [that Carrie gifts Louise]. I should’ve kept it. But you know what I did get? Carrie inspired me to get my own dream closet. It has a couch and it’s like my own mini boutique.”
Rosaleen in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
“It was so good to work with Queen [Latifah], Alicia [Keys], Sophie Okonedo, and, of course, Dakota [Fanning]. I enjoyed playing Rosaleen, but I remember my nephew being upset to watch the scene where she gets hit in the film. That’s what comes to mind when I think of this. And Gina [Prince-Bythewood, the director] would stage different exercises. Before we started filming, Dakota and I walked into a store and they accused me of stealing. She wanted to show me what it was like to exist [as a Black woman in the South] during those times.”
Winnie in Winnie Mandela (2011)
“Winnie Mandela had a tough life, but I loved being able to tell her story. People needed to know what she experienced and how much of the movement was because of her. I was in South Africa for about four months. It was cool because we got to go all over—to Johannesburg and Cape Town. I remember shooting a scene in the same cell that either she or Nelson [Mandela] was held in. It was definitely an experience.”
Naima in Black Nativity (2013)
“I love the music in this. Raphael Saadiq [the film’s music producer] did an excellent job. We filmed in New York and I remember how freezing it was when I had to sing Silent Night outside. We shot in residential areas and they’d have me shooting scenes in the middle of the night in people’s neighborhoods. I was like, ‘They’re gonna put us out of here!’ But I loved working with Angela [Bassett] and Forest [Whitaker] who are the greatest, ever. It was a lot of fun.”
Grizabella in Cats (2019)
“This film is a unique piece. I think that if people knew all of the hard work that went into it, they’d have a much deeper respect for it. I mean, I get why it was misunderstood and it’s not for everyone, but I’m still very proud and honored that I got to be Grizabella. And I actually got a cat named Macavity because of this movie, and recently got another new kitty named Cotton Candy.”
Aretha Franklin in Respect (2021)
“I was chosen by Aretha Franklin to play her. To be able to honor her legacy in that way still blows my mind. I’ve sung a lot of songs and done a lot of things, but when I sang [the song] “Respect” in the film, I was like, ‘Hold on. I need a moment.’ And I always have a keepsake from every film, so for this, I kept the B-3 Hammond organ that I play in the church scene. It has the lyrics to one of her songs engraved on it.”
The Jennifer Hudson Show (2022-present)
“The staff and the crew come to mind when I think about The Jennifer Hudson Show. For God to bless me and trust me enough to be able to lead and work with a flock of people in this way… I don’t take it lightly. They’re so dedicated and inspiring and we’re seeing that hard work acknowledged with our Emmy nominations and the NAACP wins, too. And this is a whole new world for me. Every time I come out of those double doors that say ‘Jennifer Hudson,’ I’m like, ‘What?’ I feel like I’m in a dream.”
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