2008 Woodie Awards
Jennifer Hudson: From American Idol to Possible Oscar Winner??
Amaris Horton
Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Oscar-nominated actress and singer Jennifer Hudson got her start as a contestant on "American Idol," but her big break isn't exactly a fond memory. In fact, the breakout star of "Dreamgirls" reveals being put through the "Idol" wringer was a traumatic experience that made her feel "abused."
"On 'American Idol,' you go through this mental thing; you've got to get yourself back together," Jennifer explains in the new issue of Essence, on the cover of which she looks radiant. "You've been abused, misled and brainwashed to believe whatever they want you to think. You become a character."
But she didn't let the show pigeonhole her or leave her feeling like a failure: "I just knew I had to sing my way out of it. I don't believe in looking back, and I didn't look back."
Obviously, her strategy paid off big time. Even before "Dreamgirls" premiered last month, there were rumors that Beyonce was jealous of all the attention her co-star Jennifer Hudson was getting.??Hudson went on to win a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for her breakout role as Effie in the film and is the frontrunner to win again at the Academy Awards next month.??But, Hudson vehemently denies there's been any diva drama.??"We're just happy to see the movie being recognized and acknowledged," she said on Tuesday's "Oprah" show. "And (Beyonce) still supports me the same way she did from day one."??"And she is Beyonce," Winfrey said, pointing out the singer's superstar status.??"Yes, she's Beyonce!" laughed Hudson.??Oprah observed that women are more often portrayed as rivals.??"People never say that if they're two guys," she said.??Hudson is looking forward to the Oscars, and said that her mother, Darnell, will be her date for the awards.??In March, Hudson will begin working on an album helmed by music mogul Clive Davis. Good Luck Jennifer!!
"On 'American Idol,' you go through this mental thing; you've got to get yourself back together," Jennifer explains in the new issue of Essence, on the cover of which she looks radiant. "You've been abused, misled and brainwashed to believe whatever they want you to think. You become a character."
But she didn't let the show pigeonhole her or leave her feeling like a failure: "I just knew I had to sing my way out of it. I don't believe in looking back, and I didn't look back."
Obviously, her strategy paid off big time. Even before "Dreamgirls" premiered last month, there were rumors that Beyonce was jealous of all the attention her co-star Jennifer Hudson was getting.??Hudson went on to win a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for her breakout role as Effie in the film and is the frontrunner to win again at the Academy Awards next month.??But, Hudson vehemently denies there's been any diva drama.??"We're just happy to see the movie being recognized and acknowledged," she said on Tuesday's "Oprah" show. "And (Beyonce) still supports me the same way she did from day one."??"And she is Beyonce," Winfrey said, pointing out the singer's superstar status.??"Yes, she's Beyonce!" laughed Hudson.??Oprah observed that women are more often portrayed as rivals.??"People never say that if they're two guys," she said.??Hudson is looking forward to the Oscars, and said that her mother, Darnell, will be her date for the awards.??In March, Hudson will begin working on an album helmed by music mogul Clive Davis. Good Luck Jennifer!!
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