If you had leaned out your window at just the right moment on February 25, 2007, you’d have heard the collective shriek from a thousand gay Oscar-viewing parties as Jennifer Hudson was named Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls. The film turned her into an instant gay icon, and the gold statuette was icing on the cake for anyone with “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” on his iPod. (She also won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a SAG Award, and two BET Awards—an enormous wealth of accolades for a debut actress.)
Now queer fans of Sex and the City have a little something extra to look forward to as Hudson, 26, joins the cast as Louise, Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant, in the upcoming feature film, now in production in New York.
Add to that an upcoming album—her first—and 2007 was most definitely the Year of Jennifer. The album is scheduled to be released in early 2008 and Hudson is holding the details close—even the title. “I don’t know if I can give it away—can I do that? I want to name it Old Soul, because people say I sing with soul, and people call me an old soul. If it’s up to me, that’ll be the name.”