← Back
Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson

Known for: Acting

Born 12/09/1981
Place of birth Chicago, Illinois, USA

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, placing seventh. She made her film debut as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls (2006), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the youngest African-American to win in a competitive acting category. After signing to Arista Records, Hudson released her self-titled debut studio album in 2008, which was certified Gold in the US and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Hudson's subsequent studio albums, I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), both charted within the top ten of the Billboard 200, with the former also being certified Gold in the US. Meanwhile, her other acting roles include the films Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Winnie Mandela (2011), Black Nativity (2013), Sing (2016), Cats (2019) and Respect (2021), the television shows Smash (2012), Empire (2015) and Confirmation (2016), and her Broadway debut with the musical The Color Purple. Hudson also contributed as a coach on the UK and the US version of The Voice from 2017 up to 2019, becoming the first female coach to win the former.

Filmography

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Series ★ 5,0

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Self - Guest

2009

Sherri Series ★ 2,6

Sherri

Self - Guest

2022

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series ★ 6,1

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Self

2015

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series ★ 6,1

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series ★ 6,1

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Self - Guest

2015

Late Night with Seth Meyers Series ★ 5,1

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Self

2014

Late Night with Seth Meyers Series ★ 5,1

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Self - Guest

2014

The Kelly Clarkson Show Series ★ 6,3

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Self

2019

The Voice Series ★ 5,9

The Voice

Self - Coach

2011

The Voice Series ★ 5,9

The Voice

Self - Mentor

2011

The Graham Norton Show Series ★ 7,2

The Graham Norton Show

Self

2007

The Jennifer Hudson Show Series ★ 5,6

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Self - Host

2022

The Late Late Show with James Corden Series ★ 5,1

The Late Late Show with James Corden

Self

2015

Project Runway Series ★ 6,3

Project Runway

Self - Guest Judge

2004

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Series ★ 5,3

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Self

2003

The View Series ★ 4,3

The View

Self

1997

The View Series ★ 4,3

The View

Self - Guest

1997

LIVE with Kelly and Mark Series ★ 5,6

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Self - Guest

1988

Golden Globe Awards Series ★ 7,0

Golden Globe Awards

Self - Presenter

1944

American Idol Series ★ 5,0

American Idol

Self

2002

American Idol Series ★ 5,0

American Idol

Self - Musical Guest

2002

American Idol Series ★ 5,0

American Idol

Self - Contestant

2002

American Idol Series ★ 5,0

American Idol

Self - Performer

2002

GOAT Film ★ 8,1

GOAT

Louise Harris (voice)

2026

PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie Film ★ 7,4

PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie

Lilian Ledes (voice)

2026

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Series ★ 5,4

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1992

Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Series ★ 7,5

Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Mane (voice)

2023

Empire Series ★ 7,1

Empire

Michelle White

2015

Smash Series ★ 6,4

Smash

Veronica Moore

2012

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Series ★ 5,6

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Self

2003

WIRED's Autocomplete Interviews Series ★ 1,0

WIRED's Autocomplete Interviews

Self - Guest

2016

The Voice Series ★ 5,6

The Voice

Jennifer Hudson

2012

MTV Video Music Awards Series ★ 7,8

MTV Video Music Awards

Self

1984

Celebrity Family Feud Series ★ 7,6

Celebrity Family Feud

Self - Contestant

2015

American Idol Series ★ 6,7

American Idol

Self - Guest Judge

2018

The Jonathan Ross Show Series ★ 5,2

The Jonathan Ross Show

Self

2011

Steve Harvey Series ★ 7,0

Steve Harvey

Self - Musical Guest

2012

Sing Film ★ 7,1

Sing

Young Nana (voice)

2016

The Oscars Series ★ 7,0

The Oscars

Self

1953

The Voice UK Series ★ 6,1

The Voice UK

Self - Coach

2012

Sex and the City Film ★ 6,5

Sex and the City

Louise

2008

Today Series ★ 5,6

Today

Self

1952

Live from E! Series ★ 3,7

Live from E!

Self

2002

Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special Film ★ 6,2

Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special

Self

2020

Forensic Justice Series

Forensic Justice

Self (archive footage)

2016

Entertainment Tonight Series ★ 4,3

Entertainment Tonight

Self

1981

Cats Film ★ 4,1

Cats

Grizabella

2019

The Three Stooges Film ★ 5,8

The Three Stooges

Sister Rosemary

2012

The American Film Institute Salute to ... Series ★ 6,3

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

Self - Musical Guest

1973

The Secret Life of Bees Film ★ 7,5

The Secret Life of Bees

Rosaleen Daise

2008

Dreamgirls Film ★ 6,7

Dreamgirls

Effie White

2006

Respect Film ★ 6,8

Respect

Aretha Franklin

2021

Breathe Film ★ 5,6

Breathe

Maya

2024

Winged Creatures Film ★ 5,9

Winged Creatures

Kathy Archenault

2009

Sandy Wexler Film ★ 5,5

Sandy Wexler

Courtney Clarke

2017

The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl Film ★ 7,3

The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl

Self

2025

The Early Show Series ★ 6,3

The Early Show

Self

1999

Monster Film ★ 6,4

Monster

Mrs. Harmon

2021

HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé Film ★ 8,0

HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé

Self

2019

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film Film ★ 7,0

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Maggie

2013

One World: Together at Home Film ★ 7,1

One World: Together at Home

Self

2020

2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Film ★ 4,0

2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Self

2021

The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II Film ★ 6,9

The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II

Self

2020

Black Nativity Film ★ 5,2

Black Nativity

Naima

2013

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete Film ★ 7,2

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

Gloria

2013

Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk Film

Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk

Ophelia the Owl (voice)

2027

Elmo's Christmas Countdown Film ★ 6,2

Elmo's Christmas Countdown

Self

2007

2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Film ★ 4,8

2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Self

2025

AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy Film ★ 5,3

AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy

Self

2026

Lullaby Film ★ 6,2

Lullaby

Nurse Carrie

2014

Chi-Raq Film ★ 5,7

Chi-Raq

Irene

2015

Hairspray Live! Film ★ 7,3

Hairspray Live!

Motormouth Maybelle

2016

Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives Film ★ 6,7

Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives

Self

2017

Tell It Like a Woman Film ★ 4,2

Tell It Like a Woman

Pepcy / Kim

2022

Confirmation Film ★ 6,9

Confirmation

Angela Wright

2016

Winnie Mandela Film ★ 5,8

Winnie Mandela

Winnie Mandela

2011

And the Oscar Goes To... Film ★ 6,8

And the Oscar Goes To...

Self - Interviewee

2014

The Concert for Valor Film ★ 8,6

The Concert for Valor

Self - Performer

2014

The Making of 'Sex and the City' Film

The Making of 'Sex and the City'

Self

Diane Warren: Relentless Film ★ 5,4

Diane Warren: Relentless

Self

2025

Roll Up Your Sleeves Film ★ 7,5

Roll Up Your Sleeves

Self

2021

Michael Jackson Memorial Film ★ 8,0

Michael Jackson Memorial

Self

2009

Film ★ 6,0

DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70

Self (archive footage)

2009

Baba Yaga Film

Baba Yaga

Forest (voice)

2021

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Film

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Jewel

2006

Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade Film ★ 6,0

Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade

Self

2011

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You Film ★ 7,5

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

Self

2012

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" Film ★ 6,6

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"

Self

2019

Live from the Red Carpet: Sex and the City Film

Live from the Red Carpet: Sex and the City

Self

2008

In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover Film ★ 7,1

In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover

Jennifer Hudson

2020

Global Goal: Unite for Our Future | The Concert Film

Global Goal: Unite for Our Future | The Concert

Self

2020

Christmas at Graceland Film ★ 5,5

Christmas at Graceland

Self

2023

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones Film ★ 7,0

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones

Self

2018

Grace for the World Film

Grace for the World

Self

2025

A Very Pentatonix Christmas Film ★ 4,8

A Very Pentatonix Christmas

Self

2017

Film

American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special

Self

2024

VH1 Divas 2009 Film

VH1 Divas 2009

Self

2009

The Grammys Series ★ 8,6

The Grammys

Self

1959

92nd Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center Film ★ 10,0

92nd Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center

Self

2024

VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul Film

VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul

Self

2011

Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul Film ★ 4,0

Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul

Self

2019

Always Whitney Houston Film ★ 9,0

Always Whitney Houston

Self

2012

Josh Groban & Friends: Home for the Holidays Film

Josh Groban & Friends: Home for the Holidays

Self

2024

Happy Hour with Olly Murs Film

Happy Hour with Olly Murs

Self

2018

Film

Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas

Self

2009

Christmas with Andrea Bocelli & Friends: A Grammy Holiday Special Film

Christmas with Andrea Bocelli & Friends: A Grammy Holiday Special

2024