Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American singer, actress and spokesperson. She rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, coming in seventh place.
As an actress, she made her film debut portraying Effie White in Dreamgirls, for which she gained worldwide acclaim and won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also appeared in such films as Sex and the City, The Secret Life of Bees and Black Nativity. She has made numerous television appearances, including guest roles on Smash, Empire and Inside Amy Schumer. In 2015 she made her Broadway debut in the role of Shug Avery in the 2015 revival of The Color Purple.