- Hi, I'm Jennifer Hudson,
and this is the "Wired Autocomplete Interview."
[upbeat music]
Ooh, have I ever Googled myself before?
You want me to answer that?
What is Jennifer Hudson?
What does that mean, what is Jennifer Hudson?
What is Jennifer Hudson's vocal range?
My vocal range is first soprano.
That is my vocal range.
That's as far as I know, but yes.
But I could sing you alto, tenor, bass,
and I call that the Hudsonettes, okay?
So whatever you need me to sing,
I can hold down a whole soprano section, the church choir.
What you need?
Next line.
What was Jennifer Hudson?
My nails are long, give me a second.
First song!
Ooh, I wonder what Google got to say about that.
Jennifer Hudson's first song would be "Spotlight".
Jennifer Hudson, the actress, first song would be,
"And I'm Telling You"/"I Love You, I Do,"
but "I Love You, I Do" is my very first original song.
What did Jennifer Hudson win an Oscar for?
I won an Oscar for "Dream Girls", my first film,
as Effie White in "Dream Girls", the musical.
And I was also, or my song, Jennifer Hudson's first song,
was nominated for an Oscar, which was, "I Love You, I Do."
But for "Dream Girls".
What did Jennifer Hudson, hold on, hold on.
Name her dog?
Okay guys, y'all know I had two dogs.
I got to give you the story real quick.
Y'all got time?
Okay.
I got a dog that Christmas before I won the Oscar
and I named the dog Oscar.
And then I won the Oscar, so then I said,
"Child, Oscar need a girlfriend".
So I got a dog that summer, and I named her Grammy
and guess what?
Child, I won a Grammy that winter that rolled around.
And then Oscar and Grammy had a baby,
and guess what we named it?
Dream Girl.
She's still here, but Oscar and Grammy have gone on.
I miss them dearly.
So that means I need a new Oscar and I need a new Grammy.
What is Jennifer Hudson pandemic hobby?
Ooh.
Ooh, I got so many pandemic hobbies.
If you did not know, I am a two way artist,
so I also draw as well as sing.
The singing comes from my grandmother
and the drawing comes from my mother.
I spray paint, draw on everything I can.
I done spray painted the toilets, to the bikes,
my Bentley and everything.
Purple is my favorite color.
One of my toilets is pink and purple.
I'm having a bike specially spray painted
by a professional this time to get it right,
'cause I just, oh I spray painted the piano too.
They like, "Jennifer, please stop spray painting things".
But it's like, it's my house,
I can do what I want, and my stuff.
♪ I work hard for my money ♪
Okay, what does Jennifer Hudson?
Tom Jones is the love of my life.
I love Tom Jones.
To be able to sit with him,
sit next to him and then sing with him?
And then to listen to his stories.
He knew every legend, from Frank Sinatra to Aretha,
and then to fast forward and I get to sit with him
and I get to sing with him?
Y'all know he the original one, right?
What we got here?
All right.
What?
Oh, oh, who is Jennifer?
Who is Jennifer Hudson playing Aretha Franklin?
Yes, I'm playing the queen of soul, Ms. Aretha Franklin,
which was a dream of mine
and also her request for me to play her,
which is a dream come true
but yet it's the scariest thing ever.
It's like Aretha has taken over my life
and I just want to make her proud as best as I can.
To know someone as powerful as Aretha Franklin,
who's known for her voice,
had to find her own personal voice, her own expression,
her own way, and that inspired me.
I know we all have a respect for Aretha,
but by the time they get to the end of the film,
I wanted them to have a newfound respect for Ms. Franklin,
which I do as well.
You see my necklace?
♪ What you want ♪
All right.
Who is Jennifer Hudson, hold on, these nails.
Y'all trying to tell me I'm playing Hercules?
♪ Hercules ♪
Y'all listen close.
All my "Dream Girls" cast members, this is a fun fact,
have been in Disney films.
Anika, Beyonce, Jamie, Eddie has done everything.
Where's my Disney role?
But I was Calliope, the head muse, on a Disney cruise ship,
so that means I'm ready for my part.
"We are the muses,
"goddesses of the arts and proclaimers of heroes".
♪ Who put the glad in gladiators ♪
♪ Hercules ♪
That was me, Calliope.
So I'm ready, just roll the camera.
You ain't even got to send a script, I don't need the music.
I'm ready to shoot.
So I'll just wait for your call, thank you.
Okay, who is Jennifer?
Oh, and also a fun fact.
They took, as an acting credit,
my experience on the cruise ship
for me to be in "Dream Girls".
Who is Jennifer Hudson's dad in "Sandy Wexler"?
I definitely don't know who...
These are the questions y'all ask?
Okay.
Who is Jennifer Hudson's character in "Dream Girls"?
My character in "Dream Girls" is Effie White.
♪ 'Cause ♪
No, let me get my key right.
♪ 'Cause ♪
I ain't sang this in so long.
♪ 'Cause this time ♪
That's not right, because I was so high.
♪ 'Cause this time ♪
♪ Effie White's ♪
♪ Gonna ♪
[Jennifer laughs]
♪ Win ♪
Oh, who is the character,
I didn't even read the rest of the question.
Who is Jennifer Hudson character in "Dream Girls" based on?
I think the film is loosely based on the Supremes.
Florence Ballard.
At least that's who I studied for Effie in "Dream Girls".
How Jennifer Hudson?
Is using these nails.
How is, how is Jennifer Hudson?
How is Jennifer Hudson?
How am I doing?
I am doing so good.
I am blessed, I am grateful.
I'm happy to be here.
You know what?
This, to me, I would've thought
would have been the number one question,
because this is the number one thing I get everywhere I go.
The first thing people say is,
"I had no idea you were that tall."
Fun fact, I am the tallest Dream Girl.
I'm the youngest Dream Girl, but the tallest Dream Girl.
I am 5'10 without a heel.
Supermodel with the heel.
Okay, write it down.
Also, that is why, in "Dream Girls", Effie is in flats
because I would have towered Jamie in heels.
Jamie Foxx, that is.
One of my absolute favorites.
How to sing, how to sing like Jennifer?
Jennifer don't even know.
I don't think there's an answer to that.
Sing from the heart, sing with joy,
sing because you want to,
because most of all, it's an expression.
Because it's your joy, it's your expression,
it's your feeling, and as long as you go from there,
it can never be wrong.
Sing from your heart.
As Aretha would say, "Feel it."
And I will be there to cheer you on, don't you worry.
How many Grammys do I have?
This is fun because most don't know.
I have a Grammy for my first album
and then I have a Grammy for "Color Purple",
but I also have an honorary Grammy as well.
So would that be two and a half or three?
You tell me.
Okay.
Oh, and see, I ain't finished the question.
Oh yeah, well how many Grammys do I have?
Okay, can Jennifer Hudson.
Can Jennifer Hudson,
I knew that was what that was gonna say.
Okay, listen.
I can hear by ear a little bit.
Everybody in my family can.
My son can, he gets up, plays the piano.
A host of cousins.
A little bit, I can hear by ear.
We were born that way.
But I also took piano lessons
to channel Aretha Franklin that much more as an actor.
I felt it was important to do that
if I was gonna embody a character like Aretha,
who piano playing was a huge part of.
So I felt it was my duty, so yes.
I mean, I ain't no Aretha.
Don't, don't, don't you think that for one second.
But I could peck, she played.
Can Jennifer Hudson sing whistle notes?
Okay, ooh, this is another good one!
When I was in high school, I could do the entire piano,
the whole piano and the kids just be like,
"She's still going".
But when I went away to college,
the climate and the weather,
I couldn't even speak by the time I came back,
which is why I left college.
And then I was able to gain my voice back
and I changed my singing approach.
So most notes, I hit full voice, versus head tone,
which reshapes the instrument.
I say I whistle.
I could whistle for you.
[Jennifer whistles]
Right?
And then, but everyone says my whistle sounds like singing,
so they consider it that I do whistle notes,
but according to the J Hud production standards,
no, I do not do whistles, but I can sing
probably the highest notes on the piano in full voice.
Go find somebody who could do that and then we can talk.
Okay, can Jennifer Hudson, hold on, get this off?
Can I dance?
If you pay me enough, yes.
I danced on the Disney cruise ship
'cause Calliope is nothing but choreography.
The muses is all choreography all day.
If I have to choose between singing and dancing,
baby I ain't got time for no steps.
I need to sing you this song.
I got to use my superpower.
And I just move my knee and my shoulder.
So when y'all see that, that's all you're gonna get.
Is Jennifer Hudson a vegan?
I'ma tell you, all I eat is chicken, turkey and fish.
Now you tell me what I am.
Is Jennifer Hudson an EGOT?
According to the J Hud production standard,
no, I do not.
I have Grammys obviously, the Oscar.
But I have a ring that says EGO.
So when I get an Emmy, I'll have an EGO,
which stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar.
Although, fun fact, I have been a part
of so many different things that has won Emmys,
but I personally don't consider it as my own
or a legitimate win
because it's not according to my standards.
But one day, it'll come.
Until then, I'll be content with my, what I got?
GO.
Grammy and Oscar.
Okay?
Is Jennifer Hudson?
Is Jennifer Hudson the best singer?
How you gonna ask Jennifer Hudson if she's the best singer?
Y'all trying to set me up.
Nope, that's a trick question.
But if you think I am, thank you so much.
I truly appreciate it.
Is Jennifer Hudson, am I left-handed?
No, I'm right-handed.
I guess that's the only answer to that.
Is Jennifer Hudson...
Is Jennifer Hudson and Whitney Houston related?
I love this question.
Child, I don't know.
What is funny is when I go out,
people easily call me Jennifer Houston or Holiday,
which is totally fine with me.
We're in the same family, I guess you could say.
See this hair?
♪ Oh, I wanna dance with somebody ♪
If you pay me enough money, remember that.
Has Jennifer Hudson...
You know, Jennifer get on my nerves.
Google that.
I'll be like, "Oh my God".
Jennifer been on Broadway?
Yes, I have been on Broadway.
I was on Broadway doing "Color Purple",
that was my Broadway debut.
Will I go back?
I don't know about that.
Okay.
Does Jennifer Hudson sing,
does Jennifer Hudson sing "Respect"?
Yes I do, and I sing live in "Respect".
Almost every song, other than the radio records
that's in the film, those are recorded like radio records.
But anything that was done live in her life,
I did live right there in the film,
so I'm literally acting and singing at the same time.
Does Jennifer Hudson live in the UK?
I love the UK.
That is like my second home.
Oh my God, I miss it so much.
I can't wait to return.
Do I currently live there?
No.
But will I be back?
Yes I will, because I love the UK and my UK family.
I miss y'all, but I had to come home and do this.
Does Jennifer Hudson?
Do I have a kid?
[Jennifer gasps]
Little David.
He is the sweetest little baby in the whole wide world.
Yes, I do.
My little munchkin.
He'll kill me if I call him munchkin,
so I'ma call him what he wants to be called, DOJ.
He's now 11, almost 12 years old
and it's coming up and he was actually with me
the last time I heard from Ms. Franklin.
He said, "Mama, is that Aretha Franklin on the phone?"
I was like, "Yes it is."
And the last thing we did was talk about him cooking,
and I sent her videos of him cooking
'cause she loves cooking and he did, he does as well.
Okay, my nails don't wanna let me do this.
Okay, why does Jennifer Hudson throw shoes?
Guys.
It is the biggest compliment, okay?
If I throw a shoe at you, you must have touched my soul.
It is a compliment.
As Will.I.Am say, "It's the soul."
Get it?
The sole on the shoe?
So I guess that's where it comes from.
But music moves me in a special way
and it moves my shoes off my feet that you may catch.
And I've had people throw shoes at me.
Actually it was the Barry Manilow audition.
I auditioned for him and the judges who were auditioning me,
by the time I finished,
they threw everything they had off the table at me,
and I was like, "Oh".
So it's an expression of love.
Thank you so much.
I think you guys had some interesting questions.
I didn't know you wanted to know those things about me.
[producer talking]
Did I talk too much 'cause I have two more cards left.