Jennifer Hudson Loves Her Talk Show

Jennifer Hudson has explained why being a talk show host is the perfect job for her. In September 2022, the singer and actress launched her own talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show. In a recent conversation with actress Viola Davis for Interview magazine, Hudson explained that her decision to become a talk show host was inspired by her lifelong passion for conversation.

“It has double meaning for me, at least for my celebrity and artistry and my person,” she told Davis. “I come from a family, baby, if we ain’t singing you down, we are talking you down. Don’t none of us shut up. Okay? So, it’s just my nature.” Hudson, 43, added that before her talk show, people didn’t know the real her. “What I mean by my celebrity and my artistry is that throughout my career, people have only gotten to know me through singing songs or playing characters,” she shared. “I felt like the talk show gave me space and a place to be just Jennifer, Jenny Kate from the South Side of Chicago. Or Darnell’s daughter, the human and the person.”

The Dreamgirls star also noted that she likes to listen to people. “And people love to confide in me,” she said. “I’m a listener, and I’m also inspired by hearing other people’s stories and perspectives. There’s a lot of things I don’t know about, but I get to learn it through my guests, so I’m inspired by all of that.” Since launching her show, Hudson has interviewed several A-list stars, including Cynthia Erivo, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Samuel L. Jackson, Glen Powell, and Penn Badgley.