Jennifer Hudson is shocked by her success

NEW YORK - Jennifer Hudson might find all the attention she’s been getting since her film debut in “Dreamgirls” a tad unnerving, but the doe-eyed diva with the little extra meat on her bones isn’t showing it.

“I’m having a blast,” she said during a recent interview to promote the highly anticipated  musical that hits theaters on Dec. 15.

But Hudson, best known as an “American Idol” reject before taking on the role of Effie Washington, broke into giggles and blushed when asked how she feels about all of the praise critics, as well as her costars Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Anika Noni Rose and Eddie Murphy have been heaping upon her since the film premiered at Cannes last spring.

“She steals this movie,” Foxx said adamantly.

“She does more than break through in this movie, she breaks out,” added Beyoncé, who denied any rift with Hudson who has undoubtedly become the star of the film. “I don’t know where that voice comes from. Natural — God’s gift. I just know from being around her that she’s naturally gifted.”

Hudson’s performance is so stellar that all of the folks attending last week’s premiere in New York City literally rose to their feet in the middle of the movie after her rendition of the show-stopping torch song “And I am Telling You.” Heck, even Simon Cowell, who told her she’d never be good enough when she was on “AI” had to eat crow on “Oprah” after seeing her belt that one out. On top of that, critics from coast to coast are predicting that she’ll be one of five Oscar nominees for best supporting actress when the contenders are announced next month.

‘I can’t even grasp it all’
Hudson, however, thought she’d collecting Grammys instead of golden boys.

“I can’t believe it!” she said excitedly when asked about all of the Oscar buzz. “I’m like are they serious? People are really serious, they’re not joking! I feel very honored because that’s such a high accolade to receive and to think back to last year when I just got the part, it never crossed my mind. So, to be here today and hear that, I can’t even grasp it all.”

The Chicago-born Hudson, 25, beat out more than 300 other women — including her “AI” competitor Fantasia Barrino to play the role that Jennifer Holliday originated in the Tony Award-winning Broadway play that chronicles the rise and fall of a top girl group.

“Dreamgirls” is purportedly the story of The Supremes, the Motown hit machine that morphed into Diana Ross and The Supremes after Berry Gordy decided that Ross, the weakest singer in the trio, had more crossover appeal than Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson and put her front and center. The move caused dissention in the group — and was particularly unsettling for Ballard, who was fired in 1967. She died bitter and broke in 1976. The film chronicles the rise and fall of the group and all the internal struggles that led to Effie’s firing.

Ross has never endorsed the story, but Hudson, who wasn’t even born when the play came out in 1981, thinks that there are some elements of truth to it.

“I think a great deal of it is [true],” Hudson said. “The storyline of the industry in the movie is very parallel to what goes on it reality in the music industry. I think it’s the story of a lot of different artists, including me.”

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To prepare for role Hudson watched archival footage of The Supremes, listened to their music, read books and studied Ballard, whom Effie is based on. She didn’t, however, speak to Holliday and knew very little about the play before getting the part two years ago.

“I only knew ‘And I Am Telling You’ and I did sing it, but I thought it was original material by Jennifer Holliday. That’s how much I knew. And, for a few years up until ‘Dreamgirls’ (the movie), I thought the character was Jennifer Holliday. I used to say I want to play Jennifer Holliday on Broadway. I didn’t even know it was Effie White.”

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