Jennifer Hudson is the latest recruit to sign on to the cast of NBC’s musical drama series, Smash.
The Oscar winning actress is set to appear in a multi-episode arc in Season 2 of the show.
Her stint on the show will begin with the season premier, where she will play Veronica Moore, a Tony Award-winning Broadway star who significantly impacts the lives of Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty).
Hudson and her talent is a welcomed and needed addition to Smash after producers axed a number of actors in a cast shakeup, due to slipping ratings in the latter part of Season 1. Even NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt had a thing or two to say about the singer/actress coming aboard.
“We’re thrilled to have Jennifer Hudson coming to Smash, said the chairman.” “This series is a showcase for some of the best musical talent in the business and that’s a fitting description for Jennifer Hudson. Her character will represent someone who reached their Broadway dream but also paid a price for it.”
Steven Spielberg, whose company DreamWorks also worked with Hudson in Dreamgirls weighed in on the show’s newest cast member saying, “First Dreamgirls, now Smash! I have no doubt Jennifer will continue to deliver even more inspiration to the audience responsible for giving us a second season on NBC.”
Hudson, who smashed onto the scene following her run on American Idol, will be joining fellow Idol alum, Katherine McPhee on the show. McPhee was a finalist in Season 5, while Hudson wowed with her voice on the third season of the singing competition series.
Jennifer Hudson also joins Tony Award-nominee, Jeremy Jordan, who plays a self-destructive, Brooklyn-born singer.
