Jennifer Hudson
- Acting
- September 12, 1981 · Chicago, Illinois, USA
Biography
Jennifer 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
- Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk · Ophelia the Owl (Voice)
- PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie · Lilian Ledes (Voice)
- AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy · Self
- GOAT · Louise Harris (Voice)
- 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony · Self
- Grace for the World · Self
- The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl · Self
- Diane Warren: Relentless · Self
- 92nd Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center · Self
- Josh Groban & Friends: Home for the Holidays · Self
- American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special · Self
- Breathe · Maya
- The Color Purple · Songs
- Christmas at Graceland · Self
- Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur · Mane (Voice)
- Tell It Like a Woman · Pepcy / Kim
- The Jennifer Hudson Show · Self, Executive producer
- Sherri · Self
- 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony · Self
- Respect · Aretha Franklin, Executive producer
- Monster · Mrs. Harmon
- Roll Up Your Sleeves · Self
- Baba Yaga · Forest (Voice), Executive producer
- Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special · Self
- In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover · Jennifer Hudson
- Global Goal: Unite for Our Future | The Concert · Self
- The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II · Self
- One World: Together at Home · Self
- Cats · Grizabella
- The Kelly Clarkson Show · Self
- Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" · Self
- HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé · Self
- Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul · Self
- Happy Hour with Olly Murs · Self
- Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones · Self
- American Idol · Self
- A Very Pentatonix Christmas · Self
- Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives · Self
- Sandy Wexler · Courtney Clarke
- Hairspray Live! · Motormouth Maybelle, Songs
- Sing · Young Nana (Voice)
- Confirmation · Angela Wright
- Forensic Justice · Self
- Chi-Raq · Irene
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert · Self
- Celebrity Family Feud · Self
- The Late Late Show with James Corden · Self
- Empire · Michelle White
- The Concert for Valor · Self
- Lullaby · Nurse Carrie
- Late Night with Seth Meyers · Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon · Self
- And the Oscar Goes To... · Self
- Black Nativity · Naima
- The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete · Gloria
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film · Maggie
- Steve Harvey · Self
- Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You · Self
- The Voice · Jennifer Hudson
- The Three Stooges · Sister Rosemary
- The Voice UK · Self
- Smash · Veronica Moore
- Always Whitney Houston · Self
- Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade · Self
- VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul · Self
- Winnie Mandela · Winnie Mandela
- The Jonathan Ross Show · Self
- The Voice · Self
- Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas · Self
- VH1 Divas 2009 · Self
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen · Self
- Winged Creatures · Kathy Archenault
- Michael Jackson Memorial · Self
- DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70 · Self
- The Secret Life of Bees · Rosaleen Daise
- Live from the Red Carpet: Sex and the City · Self
- Sex and the City · Louise
- Elmo's Christmas Countdown · Self
- The Graham Norton Show · Self
- Dreamgirls · Effie White