Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson mini-bio: 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. Perhaps her plus size, lack of viewer popularity and her overly gospel style were out of sync with the "American Idol" image. 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". 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. 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 exceedingly popular Broadway musical "Dreamgirls". Among Jennifer's competition they were over 750 hopefuls. 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 Holiday, the making of Dreamgirls (2006) 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, as she won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for this role.

She has since then starred in 3 movies, Winged Creatures, Sex and the City and The Secret Life of Bees. Jennifer also debuted her first album entitled "Jennifer Hudson" on September 30, 2008. In late 2008, Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew were murdered. Hudson went into seclusion mourning the loss of her family. In 2009, Hudson re-entered the spotlight. She has since performed at the SuperBowl, the Grammy Awards, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In August 2009, Hudson gave birth to her first child with fiancee David Otunga; a boy named David Daniel Otunga Jr.

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