Has any actress lived through a more dramatic rags-to-revenge scenario than Jennifer Hudson? Booted off American Idol in 2004, Hudson, 25, went low-profile. Around May 2005, she had her first audition for Dreamgirls' Effie, belt-it-out lead singer in a Supremes-style trio who gets kicked out when she proves too zaftig, too fractious, and too ethnic-looking. Twice, Hudson says, she was told she was out of the running, but in November 2005, she got called for a screen test. A week later, she was cast. ''I celebrated for about 10 minutes, and then it hit me,'' she says. ''I needed to focus.'' Now she's celebrating again, with a Golden Globe and great reviews, especially for showstopper, ''And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.'' No, Simon Cowell, she's not. — Steve Daly
Image Credit: James Patrick Cooper/Retna Ltd.
Secondary Roles, First-Rate Performances
Take a closer look at Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, Cate Blanchett, and the other nominees for Best Supporting Actor/Actress
Movie Calendar
- May 3
- May 10
- May 17
- May 24
- May 31
- June 7
- June 14
- June 21
- June 28
- July 5
- July 12
- July 19
- July 25
- July 26
- July 31
- August 2
- August 9
- August 16
- August 23
- August 30
- * Dates subject to change
People
-
- Dancing with the Stars: Which Couple Deserved to Win?
- The Daily Treat: What Would You Call Mariah Carey's Puppies?
- Val Chmerkovskiy Took Stitches 'Like a Champ,' Says His Plastic Surgeon
- Amy Poehler, Michelle Obama, Stephen Colbert & More Commencement Speeches
- Robert Pattinson in 'Really Good Mood' After Kristen Stewart Split
- Is Justin Timberlake the Best Dressed Man at Cannes?
- More from People.com
More EW.com
