Jennifer Hudson took Hollywood by surprise when she transformed into Effie Melody White in the 2006 film Dreamgirls. Not many expected the young Chicago native to rise up from a premature exit on Fox’s American Idol to snag a Golden Globe and an Oscar in her debut role. Hudson would later win a Grammy, making her the first R&B musician to hold the three prestigious awards. More than six years later, Hudson is still going strong with several films in post-production and her third studio alum slated for an early 2014 release.
Yesterday in Los Angeles, Hudson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“I knew I would get emotional,” she said. “And I’m sure my mom is in heaven like, ‘Jenny, stop crying!’ But now is the time to cry, mama. It is. I don’t know where to start because this is an amazing honor as we all know and I did not see it coming. I’m so honored to be here with so many that I love and I feel as though we’re all a family. Even all of you guys. It’s about — I love you, too! It’s one thing to be in this type of position but it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t make a difference in the world to someone. I always say that anytime we go out. We make sure we treat everyone like family so with that being said, I’m so honored that all of my family is here with me today.”
Later when interviewed about the honor, Hudson added:
“[This star] means everything. It inspires me to just wanna continue to say, ‘Wow.’ My new goal — I’ve been blessed to achieve everything I’ve dreamt about — so my new goal is like, okay, I want to have longevity. I want to be a staple in Hollywood, and this is a sign that I can be. It’s like, ‘Wow!’ It makes me want to dream up bigger dreams.”
On the topic of reality TV stars not being eligible for the Walk of Fame, Hudson replied:
“I hope winning an Oscar cancels that out. I’m a firm believer that if you keep at it, it has no choice but to give in. When I was eliminated from a reality show I said, ‘You know what? That’s okay because I’m walking away with a prize and that’s my talent.’ My gift and whatever it is I want, as long as I keep at it and work for it, it will have no choice but to give in and here I am.”
