Long before Jennifer Hudson became an Oscar-winning actress and Grammy-winning singer, she took a job aboard a Disney cruise ship to see whether she was ready for a music career.
The “Dreamgirls” star recently recalled the experience on Keke Palmer’s podcast, “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,” explaining that the job was more than an opportunity to perform; it was a personal challenge she set for herself before auditioning for “American Idol.”
Jennifer Hudson Reveals Why She Worked on a Cruise Ship Before ‘American Idol’
During the conversation, released Tuesday, October 20, Keke asked Jennifer whether she had envisioned a professional singing career while performing aboard the ship.
For Jennifer, who grew up singing in church and loved being close to her family, leaving home felt intimidating.
The 45-year-old “One Night Only” singer explained that she had always wanted to become a singer, but she needed to know whether she could handle the demands of working away from home. “The ship was my test,” she told the “Nope” actress.
Jennifer explained that completing the job would give her the confidence to audition for “American Idol.” If she couldn’t manage the experience, she would reconsider her plans.
The singer admitted that being away from her family was particularly difficult.
“I’m a homebody. I’m a mama’s baby,” she said.
Working on the ship was one of her first extended periods away from home, something she found frightening.
Jennifer Hudson Recalls Powerful Moment Aboard Disney Cruise Ship
Jennifer also shared a deeply personal memory from the day she boarded the ship.
The EGOT winner recalled believing God spoke to her as she stepped aboard, telling her her life would never return to what it had been.
She said she took the moment as a sign that her future would involve traveling and pursuing opportunities away from home.
Jennifer previously worked aboard the Disney Wonder, performing in productions including “Hercules” and singing “Circle of Life.”, something she has previously spoken about on her daytime talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show.
She reflected on what it meant to return to the competition after performing “Circle of Life” aboard the Disney Wonder. The experience eventually gave her the confidence to pursue the television competition.
Jennifer Hudson Says Her Family Had Never Heard Her Sing Secular Music
The conversation also revealed something surprising about Jennifer’s musical upbringing. The singer explained that her family had mostly heard her sing gospel because she grew up singing in church.
Her cruise ship performances and subsequent appearance on “American Idol” introduced her relatives to another side of her talent.
Jennifer said her family was surprised to hear her sing secular music, which hadn’t been part of their shared musical experiences.
Despite that unfamiliar territory, Jennifer said she had known from childhood that she wanted to sing.
She recalled declaring at age 7 that she would become a singer and achieve fame and financial success.
According to Jennifer, one of her teachers even told her mother that she already knew exactly what she wanted to become.
How Jennifer Hudson’s ‘American Idol’ Journey Changed Her Career
Jennifer auditioned for Season 3 of “American Idol” in 2004 after completing her cruise ship contract.
Although she finished seventh, her elimination didn’t end her ambitions.
She went on to win an Academy Award for her performance in the 2006 film “Dreamgirls” and later earned Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards, becoming an EGOT winner, according to the BBC.
Earlier this year, Jennifer returned to “American Idol” as a guest judge and mentor, more than two decades after her original appearance, per ABC News.
Comments
Jennifer Hudson Reveals the Surprising Job She Took at 21 Before Her Life-Changing ‘American Idol’ Audition