Jennifer Hudson
ActingJennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, placing seventh. She made her film debut as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls (2006), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the youngest African-American to win in a competitive acting category. After signing to Arista Records, Hudson released her self-titled debut studio album in 2008, which was certified Gold in the US and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Hudson's subsequent studio albums, I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), both charted within the top ten of the Billboard 200, with the former also being certified Gold in the US. Meanwhile, her other acting roles include the films Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Winnie Mandela (2011), Black Nativity (2013), Sing (2016), Cats (2019) and Respect (2021), the television shows Smash (2012), Empire (2015) and Confirmation (2016), and her Broadway debut with the musical The Color Purple. Hudson also contributed as a coach on the UK and the US version of The Voice from 2017 up to 2019, becoming the first female coach to win the former.
Known For
Filmography — Acting
GOAT
Louise Harris (voice)
Sing
Young Nana (voice)
Sex and the City
Louise
Cats
Grizabella
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie
(voice)
Dreamgirls
Effie White
The Three Stooges
Sister Rosemary
Respect
Aretha Franklin
Breathe
Maya
The Secret Life of Bees
Rosaleen Daise
Winged Creatures
Kathy Archenault
Sandy Wexler
Courtney Clarke
Monster
Mrs. Harmon
Chi-Raq
Irene
The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl
Self
Tell It Like a Woman
Pepcy / Kim
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
Self
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
Confirmation
Angela Wright
One World: Together at Home
Self
2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
Hairspray Live!
Motormouth Maybelle
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
Maggie
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self - Interviewee
Black Nativity
Naima
Roll Up Your Sleeves
Self
Lullaby
Nurse Carrie
Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk
Ophelia the owl (voice)
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete
Gloria
The Concert for Valor
Self - Performer
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Self
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special
Self
The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II
Self
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Self
Winnie Mandela
Winnie Mandela
Elmo's Christmas Countdown
Self
Christmas with Andrea Bocelli & Friends: A Grammy Holiday Special
In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover
Jennifer Hudson
Michael Jackson Memorial
Self
American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special
Self
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Self
Baba Yaga
Forest (voice)
Grace for the World
Self
VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul
Self
Christmas at Graceland
Self
Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade
Self
Diane Warren: Relentless
Self
VH1 Divas 2009
Self
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Jewel
92nd Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center
Self
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Self
Global Goal: Unite for Our Future | The Concert
Self
Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul
Self
Happy Hour with Olly Murs
Self
DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70
Self (archive footage)
Always Whitney Houston
Self
A Very Pentatonix Christmas
Self
Josh Groban & Friends: Home for the Holidays
Self
Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas
Self