Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson covers the January issue of ESSENCE Magazine (for the third or fourth time) in a shaggy winter look. She reflects on the challenging silver screen characters she portrayed in 2013, and she reveals how she built up her confidence. More inside....
While we're pretty sure that 2014 will mark Jennifer Hudson's return to the music charts (we're actually digging her single "I Can't Describe"), in the January issue of ESSENCE, the Golden Globe-winner superstars reflects on the major moves she made on the silver screen. With Winnie, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete and Black Nativity, Jen recounted how each film brought forth their own set of challenges that built her confidence.
Namely, having to jet to South Africa when her baby boy was still just a baby:
"I was like, 'Oh, my God—You want me to leave my baby and my man?"
Here are the highlights:
On why she loves her man:
“I just love being with him. We have so much fun. We’ve shared so many special moments, like when we flew down to Key West last summer for a friend’s wedding. I’m on the road so much for work that I didn’t even want to go…but David persuaded me to go and it was just the two of us. We’re usually surrounded by so many people that it’s tough to have privacy. But on this trip we could party with our friends, then just disappear for hours…it was so freaking fun.”
On Winnie:
I was so nervous about doing a good job that I started working on the accent a couple of months before I even got there. So much was done to suppress Winnie's voice, to keep her quiet. Winnie's story needed to be told."
On The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete:
"It was a huge stretch for me to play Gloria. The drugs, the tattoos, the prostitution—her life is so different from my own."
Black Nativity director Kasi Lemmons on Jen's casting:
"I wrote the role for her. She has such a unique combination of fragility and strength. She really exceeded my expectations."
Jen on finding herself:
"I spent my twenties figuring out what I wanted to do, and trying everything. But by 30, my foundation was set. I became confident and clear about the path I wanted to take...Now I've really settled into myself. And I'm stronger than I've ever been."
Watch Jennifer's BTS chat here:
Jen's ESSENCE cover hits stands on December 6th.
