Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and spokesperson who gained fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, finishing seventh. She made her film debut as Effie White in Dreamgirls (2006), earning worldwide acclaim and winning the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress. Hudson has also appeared in Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Black Nativity (2013), and made television appearances on Smash, Empire, and Inside Amy Schumer. In 2015, she debuted on Broadway as Shug Avery in The Color Purple revival.
As a singer, Hudson has released three studio albums. Her 2008 debut, Jennifer Hudson, reached number two on the Billboard 200, was certified gold by the RIAA, and won the 2009 Grammy for Best R&B Album. Her second album, I Remember Me (2011), also debuted at number two and was certified gold. Her third album, JHUD, peaked in the top ten and included the Grammy-nominated track "It's Your World." After the 2008 shooting that killed her mother, brother, and nephew, Hudson took a three-month break from the public eye before resuming high-profile performances in 2009. She performed at events such as Super Bowl XLIII, the Grammy Awards, and the White House. In 2013, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
United States
