The 'Respect' actress recalls her first meeting with the late Queen of Soul, revealing she was offered to open for the iconic musician after she's eliminated from 'American Idol'.
- Aug 15, 2021
AceShowbiz - Jennifer Hudson has "American Idol" to thank for her role as Aretha Franklin because the talent show landed her a spot onstage with the Queen of Soul.
The late singer was a fan of the show and was shocked when Jennifer was eliminated.
To cheer her up, Aretha offered her the opening slot at her show in Indiana.
"The first time I met Aretha Franklin, I was eliminated from American Idol and I got to open up for her in Marysville," Hudson, who portrays Aretha in new biopic "Respect", tells Buzzfeed. "I was the opening act and I also got to watch her sing from the backstage view. All of my family came out."
"I remember giving her flowers. I remember taking photos with her. Aretha was very quiet. She didn't say much back then. I thanked her for allowing me to sing."
A friendship grew from there and Aretha eventually picked Jennifer to play her in a film, planned before her death.
The movie hits cinemas on Friday (13Aug21).
The songstress previously revealed how she immersed herself in her role while on the movie set.
"If you were around her, it was like, 'What do you do? How do you be? How do you exist? How does she feel about me?' " she said. "It wasn't a bad feeling, but you knew you were in the presence of royalty."
"I used to tell the cast members, 'If I don't make you feel like that, if I don't make you feel uncomfortable, then I'm not doing my job.' I wanted to create that presence."
