This bright and booming talent is a perfect example of how NOT winning the title of American Idol can actually be a boon to your career and not necessarily the end of a childhood dream.

Born Jennifer Kate Hudson on September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois, she earned minor attention as one of the twelve finalists (she came in an underwhelming sixth runner-up) on the third season of the amazingly popular FOX reality/talent-search TV series in 2004. Prior to this Hudson grew up singing in gospel choirs. Her relative inexperience included acting in community theater productions, singing on cruise lines and touring for Disney in "Hercules: The Musical". With no formal musical training to speak of, her naturally gospel-tinged belt initially pleased the panel of judges on "Idol". Admittedly, the songs that tested her on the FOX talent show were frequently ill-advised but evidence of her greatness certainly peeked through from time to time. She, along with the other two African-American powerhouse singers, Fantasia Barrino and La Toya London, were promoted as the show's own version of the Dreamgirls and were expected to be the final three standing in the competition when Jennifer was unceremoniously whittled out of the pack. Perhaps her plus size, her lack of viewer popularity, and/or distinct musical style were out of sync with the "American Idol" image. No matter, a brilliant Fantasia won the competition...and, it seemed, all the glory and the fame.

Fast forward: Hudson played out the "American Idol" summer tour and held on to her "15 minutes" of fame as long as possible by performing on the road in concerts for the next two years. What seemed like an eventual road back to obscurity, she found her way into the auditioning room for the coveted role of Effie Melody White, the cast-off member of a popular 60s Supremes-like girl group in the long-awaited film version of the esteemed Broadway musical "Dreamgirls". Among Jennifer's competition of over 750 hopefuls was Fantasia herself. This time Jennifer was the winner...and she was even ordered to gain weight for the role. With the insurmountable task of taking over a role so indelibly identified with the original Effie on Broadway, the Tony-winning legend Jennifer Holliday, the making of Dreamgirls for Jennifer Hudson could only have been described as daunting, surreal and thrilling -- with the word "daunting" certainly an understatement.

In a make-or-break role of a lifetime, Hudson no longer has to play second fiddle to anyone. Her film bow in Dreamgirls has got to be one of the most triumphant musical film debuts since Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl. In no way is her performance a shallow, wannabe imitation of the great Holliday. Hudson not only makes the role her own in both acting and musical intensity, but she delivers the same heart-breaking, gut-wrenching one-two punch that made Holliday the toast of Broadway in 1981. Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" has spurred out-of-the-seat standing ovations, a rarity in film houses. To outshine Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy is no easy task but Hudson, with all due respect to the phenomenal other talents involved in this prize-worthy film (including Murphy's major comeback turn), is THE heart and soul of the movie. She copped the National Board of Review (for "Breakthrough Performance"), New York Film Critics Award, Phoenix Film Critic's Society Award, Golden Satellite Award, Golden Globe Award, the British Film Award and, finally, the coveted Oscar itself to complete the fairy tale ending. While some may quibble about her placement in the "Supporting Actress" category, no one can deny the deserving of such accolades. In the future there will no doubt be recording work, concerts and Broadway...and, hopefully, more films. Her real-life Cinderella story has just begun. The late, tragic Supreme Florence Ballard, on whom the Effie character is so obviously based, would be very inspired indeed to see Jennifer Hudson's meteoric rise from reality-show underachiever to full-fledged musical star.


Jennifer was going to perform Over the Rainbow for movie night but was informed that she'd have to perform it Kimberley Locke's way and decided to sing I Have Nothing instead. Beat out 782 actresses for her role in Dreamgirls (2006). The first contestant from "American Idol: The Search for a Superstar" (2002) to be nominated and win an Academy Award. One of a very few actors to receive an Oscar for their debut performance. Worked at Burger King before becoming a contestant on "American Idol: The Search for a Superstar" (2002) and winning the role of her Academy-Award winning performance in Dreamgirls (2006). She cites Whitney Houston as her musical/movie influence, and has also said recently that her biggest wish is to collaborate on her debut album with Houston. Is one of the 15 actors to win an Oscar for their film debut. The others are: Shirley Booth for Come Back, Little Sheba (1952), Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins (1964), Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl (1968) and Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God (1986) (all for Best Actress in a Leading Role), followed by Katina Paxinou for For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Mercedes McCambridge for All the King's Men (1949), Eva Marie Saint for On the Waterfront (1954), Jo Van Fleet for East of Eden (1955), Goldie Hawn for Cactus Flower (1969), Tatum O'Neal for Paper Moon (1973) and Anna Paquin for The Piano (1993) (all for Best Actress in a Supporting Role). The three male actors are Harold Russell for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Timothy Hutton for Ordinary People (1980), and Haing S. Ngor for The Killing Fields (1984) (all for Best Actor in a Supporting Role). Out of these 15 actors, only Mercedes McCambridge, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand and Goldie Hawn have been nominated since their win. Packed on 20 pounds to play the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls (2006). Managed to eke out a thanks to the original stage Effie, Jennifer Holliday, as the orchestra music began to unceremoniously drown out Jennifer's emotional Oscar acceptance speech. Both Holliday and Sheryl Lee Ralph (the theater's first Deena) had expressed hurt and dismay earlier at being snubbed during the mounting publicity for the "Dreamgirls" film. The third original Dreamgirl on stage, Loretta Devine, received a singing cameo in the film version. The other two were not offered or even approached to appear in the film. Jennifer attributes her vocal talents to her late grandmother Julia Kate Hudson, who was a former choir mistress in Chicago. Her best supporting actress Oscar for Dreamgirls (2006) stands on the mantel of her Chicago apartment. Her favourite types of music are R&B and pop. Began singing when she was 7-years-old. As a child, Jennifer performed as part of a choir at her local church in Chicago. Was cast in the film Meet the Browns (2008), but was replaced shortly before filming began. Was not in attendance at the 2007 BAFTA Awards ceremony when she was won the award as Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls (2006). Actor and fellow BAFTA-nominee Daniel Craig accepted the award on her behalf. Claims that Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) is her favorite film. Sheryl Lee Ralph, who appears in that film, was in the original Dreamgirls Broadway cast. The song All Dressed In Love was written for the Sex and the City (2008) soundtrack. Confessed that before making the film Sex and the City (2008), she had never seen the "Sex and the City" (1998) television series. After reading the film script she went out and bought all of the DVDs on the TV series and became completely addicted to them. Mentioned by Lil Mama in the remix of Avril Lavigne's song Girlfriend: "I'm telling you like Jennifer Hudson". Became engaged to David Otunga on her 27th birthday when he proposed with a Neil Lane diamond ring on September 12, 2008. Has a half-sister named Dinah Simpson. Has three Pomeranian dogs called Oscar, Grammy and Dreamgirl. Gave birth to her son David Daniel Otunga Jr, fathered by her fiancé David Otunga, on 10 August 2009, weighing in at 7lbs 14oz, via Caesarean section.