Despite rejection (she was famously voted off American Idol) and personal tragedy, Jennifer Hudson’s courage, dignity and sheer bloody-mindedness have turned her into Hollywood’s most inspirational star. As the newly svelte actress and singer explains to Alan Jackson, people relate to her underdog spirit: ‘You’ve seen my journey right before your eyes, so you feel part of it’
On her weight loss, Jennifer says: 'So many more opportunities open up when you're on the other side, as I am now. I'd no idea what I was missing out on'
Jennifer Hudson, 29, steps out of towering heels and bends to rub her calves. ‘My feet really deserve a break right now – but please do not say that I took off my fancy shoes,’ she instructs, mock-stern, sinking into a chair in the penthouse suite of her hotel in Mayfair, London. ‘Unless it’s to say that I changed straight into an even higher, fancier pair, OK?’ The smile that then lights up her face makes one thing clear. She may look a million dollars, but she’s perfectly capable of sending up her diva self.
When, back in 2004, she finished seventh in series three of American Idol, the Chicago-born former cruise-ship entertainer seemed destined to vanish back into obscurity. Yet Jennifer confounded expectations by beating 700 other hopefuls to the role of Effie in a film adaptation of the stage musical Dreamgirls, based on the career of the Supremes, going on to win 2007’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance alongside Beyoncé and Jamie Foxx. Now she is arguably the biggest star the US version of Idol has produced.
Except that, physically at least, she’s a lot less big than she used to be…by six stone, having shrunk from a UK size 20 to a ten via a rigorous post-pregnancy diet-and-exercise regime (she and her fiancé, Harvard law graduate turned professional wrestler David Otunga, have a son, David Jr, who will be two in August). So, first things first, would she agree that the odds are against plus-size women in the entertainment industry?
‘No, because I was doing OK before,’ Jennifer says. ‘But the truth is, so many more opportunities open up when you’re on the other side, as I am now. I’d no idea what I was missing out on. It’s like a whole other world. Suddenly every designer wants to dress you. It’s like, “You look amazing! Please, choose a dress. Have a bag. And what about shoes?” I mean, wow!’
Is all the flattery, not to mention the freebies, hard to resist? She gives an emphatic shake of the head. ‘My look is led by what I feel good in. If I’m not comfortable in something, I won’t wear it – no matter whose name is on the label.’
ON TOP Jennifer with her Oscar, 2007; and singing at the Grammys in 2009'
With fellow Dreamgirls Anika Noni Rose, and Beyoncé; playing Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife in Winnie'
 |
| MAMA NA MWANA!! |
Jennifer with her late mother Darnelle at the premiere of Dreamgirls, 2006; with ‘the two Davids’ last year"
That said, she acknowledges that the reality of slimmed-down stardom is more exciting than she ever imagined. ‘To be able to sing at this level is a blessing in itself, and I got publicity for what I was doing before I dieted. But never to this extent. Now, whenever I open a magazine, I seem to see myself there. And I get to dress up every day and have someone take photos of it all. For someone who loves fashion, it’s like living the dream. Of course there are those mornings when I think, “Please don’t look at me right now!” But you just have to pull yourself together, get out there and do your job. I mean, how lucky am I to be in this position?’
Not that Jennifer is fixated on looking perfect at all times. ‘When it’s mommy time at home, the supermodel me – black Barbie, as I call her – is definitely not in the house. I don’t want to be all glammed-up in big hair and full make-up. I need to relax, to breathe and to concentrate on my son.’
That mix of happy-at-home mum and glamorous, newly svelte diva is central to Jennifer’s appeal. She’s easy to relate to, and, of course, we love it when the underdog comes through. ‘That’s definitely something not all celebrities have going for them,’ she admits. ‘You’ve seen my career journey right before your eyes, so you feel part of it.’
Further fuelling the public’s warmth is the courage and dignity she has shown in responding to personal tragedy – the shooting dead in October 2008 of her 57-year-old mother Darnelle, her brother Jason, 29, and nephew Julian, seven. Her sister’s estranged husband has been charged with the murders and is awaiting trial. The subject is too painful for Jennifer to discuss in any detail. ‘You have no choice but to keep going,’ she says quietly. ‘What else are you going to do? It’s called life and you’ve got to be prepared to deal with whatever it brings your way.’
Her Christian faith has given her strength, as has a determination to make her late mother proud. And in the sleeve notes to her recently released second album, I Remember Me, she writes of David Jr, ‘You saved my life!’ Yet she professes not to be exceptional in any way.
‘I’ve never heard the word “inspiration” as often as I have this past year. I get stopped in the street, in airports, everywhere, by people saying, “You’re my inspiration,” and I don’t begin to know how to respond. What did I do to deserve it and what do I say? Like with the weight loss… I’d no idea so many people were watching me or that they cared.’
Her fearless, go-getting attitude to her career is forged from past disappointments. ‘“Don’t block your blessings. Don’t let doubt stop you from getting where you want to be.” Those were the lessons that I took from American Idol,’ says Jennifer. ‘“OK, from now on I refuse to let anyone interrupt the vision I have for myself.” Sometimes I think we hurt ourselves by being too aware of the challenges. It can be better not to know. With Dreamgirls, I had absolutely no idea what I was letting myself in for until I was out there on the set.’
Still, she refused to let nerves get in her way. ‘I was like, “Beyoncé, I’m your biggest fan. You’ve no idea how much I love you. And Jamie, I love you too. But right now, it’s my turn. I’ve got to get on and do my job here.” We’re all just people at the end of the day. They had to start somewhere and Dreamgirls was my start. You bet I grabbed the opportunity.’ And she shone as the talented but temperamental Effie, who loses her position as lead singer in the group to the prettier Deena (Beyoncé’s character, based on Diana Ross).
When Jennifer bought the first of her three pomeranian dogs as a Christmas present to herself back in 2008, she named it Oscar – then, just months later, she actually won one. ‘Which got me to thinking, “Maybe I should get another and name it Grammy…” So I did and then I won a Grammy. Then Oscar and Grammy had a baby and I called it Dreamgirl. Right now I’m thinking about getting two more dogs and naming them Tony and Emmy!’
Do the dogs, currently back home in Chicago, go out on the road with her? ‘Oscar’s very grumpy these days and Grammy’s nervous, so doesn’t like too much going on around her. Dream’s the best behaved, so I took her on tour with me last time and she was totally into it. She loved the fans, and posing for pictures. I’d love to take all three of them with me, though; it’s all about family, after all.’
Speaking of which, what about David Jr? Jennifer waves a hand in front of her face, as if to suggest that she melts just at the thought of him. ‘He’s very much his own person, a little performer who loves to sing and dance,’ she says. ‘He’s so charming, too. Yes, I’m biased, but I’ve never seen a child with such presence. He says “hi” or “bye bye” to everyone when he comes in or out of a room, and goes round blowing kisses to everyone. My phone is completely backed up from videoing everything he does, because he surprises me constantly.
‘When I found out I was pregnant and went for the scan, he was so very little. To have that memory fresh in my mind and yet to now have this boy with me, dancing and laughing…’
Asked if she sees much of herself in him, she laughs out loud. Clearly, the answer is yes. ‘When I was little I used to itch at night, so my mom would scratch me [Jennifer runs her fingertips up and down an imaginary body] and he’s just the same. It’s our little ritual. Every night he goes, “Itch! Itch!” It’s like seeing myself all over again.’
In the aftermath of her family tragedy, she and her two Davids left Illinois for Florida and the promise of a new life, but have recently returned to Chicago’s Gold Coast and a condominium on the shores of Lake Michigan. ‘We were away for two years so it’s not like we didn’t give it a go. But I have family and friends and love the sense of familiarity that comes with that, whereas in Florida it was just me, Big David and the baby, and anyone who wanted to see us had to fly in. It felt so confining and there was nothing much to do.
‘Now that we’ve moved back again, there aren’t enough hours in the day. I’m constantly running here, there and everywhere, seeing people. And I need that, you know? I love to feel connected. For me, home is all about comfort, so the guest bedroom has been turned into a pillow room. I especially love the colour purple, so it’s full of purple pillows that I’ve bought on my travels. I must have at least 400 at this point. I call the room Purple Heaven, because you can go in there and just collapse.’
Inevitably though, her career means extended periods away from home. Her latest film involved travelling to Africa, where she took the lead role in Winnie, a biopic based on the life of the politician, activist and former wife of Nelson Mandela.
‘When I signed up for the project I wasn’t even pregnant, and when it came time to go, David Jr was too young to travel with me,’ she says. ‘I was away for four months, which made it the hardest thing I’ve ever done. All I could do was try to channel the feeling of missing him into my character, because Winnie was stripped from her family too, so I was able to understand how she felt.’
Even before shooting began, the film attracted controversy. Unions in South Africa objected to an American being cast in the title role and Mrs Mandela threatened legal action, claiming she had not been consulted about its making. Yet Jennifer remains adamant that she is proud of the project. ‘This is someone who’s been a hugely important figure in a country where, generally speaking, women’s voices aren’t heard. Everyone knows Nelson’s story but far fewer of us know Winnie’s.’
She acknowledges that Mrs Mandela is a divisive figure. ‘When I arrived in South Africa, I was intimidated. Half the people think of her as a saint, the other half as Satan. I think the film is even-handed. It doesn’t shy away from those parts of her story that have made her a controversial figure, but it leaves the viewer to make up their own mind.’
Filming was an experience Jennifer will never forget. ‘When people said Africa would change me, I didn’t understand what they meant. To see the poverty in the townships, for instance, is overwhelming. I found it heart-wrenching to see young children walking barefoot and hungry in the dirt. I’m the kind of person who wants to change the world right here and now, so I got frustrated.’
Luckily, Jennifer is now in a position to draw attention to such injustices. She may find it hard to accept that she is a role model to others, but it’s something she takes very seriously. ‘My message to young people is to stay positive and not to doubt their dreams,’ she says. ‘There are things we long to do in life but think we’re not good enough or clever enough to make happen. Just go for it! Dreams do come true. If anyone’s proof of that, it’s me.’
Jennifer’s single ‘No One Gonna Love You’, taken from her album I Remember Me, is out now
No comments:
Post a Comment