Jennifer Hudson on Reviving Dreamgirls, Booking Tom Cruise, and New Music
Jennifer Hudson is entering a "next chapter" in her career. The EGOT winner discusses reviving "Dreamgirls," aiming to book Tom Cruise for her talk show, and creating original music again, all marking a significant transformation.
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Sep 18, 2026 8:00am PT
‘It’s Time for My Voice’: Jennifer Hudson on Reviving ‘Dreamgirls,’ Booking Tom Cruise for Her Talk Show and Writing Original Music Again
By
Angelique Jackson
Photographs by Ramona Rosales
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Jennifer Hudson is changing.
Her transformation might not be as dramatic as the one Effie White sings about in the second act of “Dreamgirls,” but the EGOT winner is beginning what she describes as her “next chapter.”
It all started in Salt Lake City, on the final stop of her 16-city summer tour with Josh Groban. During her set, Hudson would let fans vote on a song for her to perform. Selections ranged from her “Dreamgirls” showstopper “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and her R&B hit “Spotlight” to her renditions of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” But as Hudson sat backstage on that July 3 evening, she decided to buck tradition. “I was like, ‘Can I sing this one for me?’” Hudson asked her team.
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_Originally reported by [Variety Music](https://variety.com/2026/music/features/jennifer-hudson-dreamgirls-tom-cruise-interview-new-music-1236860402/)._
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