Jennifer Hudson burst onto the pop culture scene two decades ago as a contestant on the singing competition show “American Idol.” Despite being eliminated early in the Top 7 of Season 3, she quickly transcended her reality show roots and became one of Hollywood’s most prolific stars.
By 2009, Hudson had won an Academy Award for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls and a Grammy for her debut album of the same name. She won a Daytime Emmy in 2021 (as executive producer on Baba Yaga) and the following year won a Tony Award for Best Music for A Strange Loop (she produced). Along the way, Hudson has lent her voice to some of the most important events in American culture, performing at the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, two Super Bowls, Michael Jackson’s memorial service, and Pope Francis’ first visit to America.
So far, Jennifer Hudson's talk show, “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” has earned 10 Emmy nominations since its launch in 2022. In anticipation of the talk show's third season, which premieres on September 16, Hudson sat down with Variety to discuss her upcoming Christmas album, her dream guests, and what to expect for season three.
September 12th is not only your birthday, but also the premiere of “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” What are some things you are thinking about as we celebrate this date?
It's so funny that you say that. It made me realize that I debuted on my birthday. We were in the middle of preparing for the show and I forgot that my birthday was coming up. I feel like I'm home now, and I love that feeling. I'm learning more and more as I go along. I feel like I have everything under control. Now that I've said that, I feel like I can relax and enjoy my birthday. When I think back, I can't believe I'm in season three now. [Season 1] That was three years ago, because I was 40 then, and now I'm 43 in two days.
Do you have any special plans to celebrate your 43rd birthday? Are you taking a vacation this time?
I will, and it's rare. But I don't mind working on my birthday. Why? Because if I wasn't doing what I love, that's what I would be wishing for on my birthday candles, wishing I could do this. So I don't mind working on my birthday, but this is my forty-third. It's not a big birthday, like my fortieth or fiftieth or twenty-fifth. So I just want to have dinner and be with my family. And then I love animals, so I want to go horseback riding or something.
One of the achievements you're celebrating is your 20th year on “American Idol.” In your book, you mention that when you were in the top three, you were hoping to get off the show. Why?
When you were preparing for the show, you had to think about the possibility of being eliminated. I accepted that. I remember thinking, if I go, I want to go in seventh place because that’s my favorite number, God’s perfect number. But also, you want to go out where you feel like you’ve best represented your art. When I got eliminated that weekend in New England, I said, “This is who I am as an artist and if that means I have to go, I’m okay with that.” You know what I mean? I like to do things for the experience, and I said I was going on “American Idol” for the experience. That’s why, look at all the things I’ve had the privilege of experiencing since then.
When you first announced The Jennifer Hudson Show, there was a lot of skepticism given how crowded the talk show space was at the time. What are your thoughts on that now that you're gearing up for season three?
Well, I’m always willing to try. Nobody can blame you for that. I love having the opportunity, and I’m going to focus on that and let the work do the talking. There’s a saying my grandmother used to say, “You’ll understand it better as time goes on,” you know? If I was basing what I can do on other people’s ideas and fears and comments, I wouldn’t be sitting here. What I like to say is, “Nobody knows your potential the way you do.” So it’s just outside noise. That’s what I call it. What does that have to do with me and my way of thinking and what the parameters are? I’m going to create my own path.
One of the most amazing things about The Jennifer Hudson Show is how much fun everyone has. You do a great job of engaging your audience and creating a space where everyone feels involved in the production. What is the key to fostering that environment?
I don't know any other way to be. I come from a big family, and everything we've done has been within the family. So I don't care when I meet a stranger on the street or someone's uncle or their mother or their sister or their brother, all I see is my family, and that's how I see everyone. This experience of the show is for all of us. It's not me, then the audience, then the guests. No, we're all here together. That's how I deal with the sets, that's how I deal with the cast and now the show. Whatever environment I'm in, that's how my mother raised me.
Some of the best moments on the show come from the children you interview. Is working with young guests a challenge?
They're kids, and letting them be kids, knowing that they're kids, and maybe they're stressed out, that's okay. Notice when they come on the show, I'm like, “No, put the toys here. Don't leave a cup there.” That's a kid, you know? I let them be. As a parent, I'm sensitive to that stuff and I think kids can sense that you're hanging out with Mama Hud, and we're going to have some fun. The thing I do is when you come to my party, or my kid's party, or if I'm hosting a kids' party, if you don't pass out, and we don't have to carry you out by the time we're done, then I haven't done my job. All the kids want to come home, whether it's through the talk show or my actual home.
Do you have any dream guests that you haven't gotten to meet yet? I'm surprised Elton John has never been on your show.
Thank you! We got the opportunity to have Sir Elton John on the show. You know who else I want? Tom Jones. I would love to have Tom Jones on. I love legends and icons and game changers. Stevie Wonder, I would love to have him on the show. One of my biggest dreams is to have Michael Jordan on. I really want Michael Jordan. It's a big dream, but I'm a dreamer. Oh, you know who else I want? I would love to have the Obamas on too.
How do you plan guests and segments for the season? Is there a specific theme you try to stick to each season?
What we have to realize is that life is happening while the show is on, and I am very present in life. A lot of it is a response to how I feel in that moment. The theme of this season is “Choose Joy.” That’s the space that I live in. I feel like that’s why God allows a lot of things to happen to me, because I want to share it with someone, I want to reach someone, I want to help someone. So this gives me a bigger platform and a tool to do that. With that being said, the show is going to be a reflection of where I am in life, and what I want to share, which is most things.
You recently signed with Interscope Records, what inspired you to get back into music after all this time?
I don’t feel like I’ve ever left it. I go from industry to industry to industry and music is the foundation of it all. No matter where I go, just because I said I’m going to do a talk show doesn’t mean I’m going to stop singing. Or if I go into acting, the music is still there. As a creative, you always feel the need to create, and a Christmas album is something I’ve always wanted to do. I can’t think of a better time than now to do that and express my art. Now I have a talk show with families and a platform and an audience that I can share it with. When I was growing up, I used to remix “Oh Holy Night.” I would remix it and give it to my family every year as a Christmas gift. Now, I can share that with the world.
Can we expect more music after the Christmas album?
At this moment, [I’m focusing on] This is a Christmas album, but there's other music coming out after that. I like to start with Christmas music because it stimulates my creativity. I love the holidays, so it's like a Christmas gift to me.
Your goal on American Idol was to hear Simon Cowell say you were the best singer he'd ever heard. As someone who seems to have it all figured out with an EGOT and your own show, what are some of your future goals?
Well, I want to make a mark on all of those things and then I want to win my second EGOT. That's my goal. I'm just curious to see what's out there right now because I'm blessed to do everything I love to do. I want to do more production and I have a lot of productions under JHud Productions. So producing is a huge thing that I'm interested in, and directing is probably the last thing on my list, to be honest. But more music, more acting, more producing.
