Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist - Jennifer Hudson

Episode Date: December 15, 2019

Jennifer Hudson’s big, unmistakable voice has carried her from the pews of a church in Chicago to stardom on “American Idol,” then to an Oscar and a pair of Grammy Awards. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the singer and actress about that journey from reality show to Academy Award, her role in the highly-anticipated new “Cats” movie, and how she moved forward after unthinkable tragedy in her life. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit Down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Today, I've got another good one for you. Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe winner Jennifer Hudson, she originally of American Idol fame, who then leapt into the movies, much to her surprise as you'll hear in the interview when she was cast in the movie Dreamgirls in 2006 and won an Oscar for that role. Her first on-screen role, she won an Oscar. She started to record her music again, won two Grammys for her work there. I think what you'll hear over the course of this interview is a fascinating person with a fascinating life story, who's had tragedy at the center of her life, has picked herself up, has had big success and has worked really hard for it,

beginning on a Disney cruise ship, her first working gig. Now, Jennifer is starring in the highly anticipated new Cats movie, where she plays Grizzabella, the Glamour Cat, that you may remember if you've seen the musical. Taylor Swift is in the movie. Judy Dentch is in the movie. Idris Elba, James Corden, Jason Derulo, amazing cast, a lot of music. And Jennifer sings the big number from that musical.

And now in this movie, Memory. We talk about all of it right now with the great Jennifer Hudson on the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Jennifer, thank you for doing this. Thank you for having me. I know how busy you are right now. We're here to talk about cats, but you're also right in the middle of another incredible.

I am. I know you can't say too much about it, but how's it going so far filling the shoes of Aretha Franklin? Those are huge shoes to fill, but I am just taking it one step at a time, one day at a time. All I want to do is pay tribute to her and meet her request. You know, like, okay, Aretha said do this, yes ma'am. What did she tell you?

What were her request? Well, you know, we were in talks a long time about me playing her. And so I just see, I hope I make a proud to adjust this. Again, it's huge shoes to feel. It must be a crazy thing to have someone be your hero. Yes. And grow up even to get to know your hero, let alone have her ask you to play her in the movie about her. Even hearing you saying it is like, what?

Yes. Everything you just said. Thank you for taking the time. I know you're in the middle of a lot going on. Thank you for having. Including here comes cats. I mean, people are excited about this one. Yeah, you know.

Because you're in it, you've got the All-Star lineup. You're singing the big number in the movie. What did you think when you first got that phone call that, hey, we're going to make cats into a movie, and we want you to play one of the lead goals. Oh, goodness. Oh, you're testing my memory. But I can feel it, just hearing it.

I remember meeting Tom Hooper in London, actually. I remember the date. It was April 7th. And he wanted to meet with me and he brought like the whole projection of the idea. And he said and explained it to me. He's like, you know cats.

And I was like, not really. You know memory. And I said, I'm not sure. Then he played it. I'm like, everyone knows memory. You want me to sing that? Oh, my God. And that was the start of the whole journey.

And then before we knew it, we were literally making the film. Yeah. Well, you were just talking, you were born within months of it premiering on the West End in London. So you hadn't seen the show. So what was your knowledge of Katz other than you'd heard of it? Well, obviously, Katz is like one of the hugest musicals of all time. That, of course.

And then the song, memory. Although when he mentioned it, I was like, I'm not too familiar with it. But instantly, when I heard it, everyone knows memory. And that was a connection. The music is always the connection for me. Like, I may not know the story of seeing the actual play, but somehow the music always gets to me. So I was familiar with the song. Well, the story is going to reach a new generation with the movie for people who didn't see it on Broadway

because it's been off Broadway for a while now. So for a young person or anybody who's thinking about going to see it, what is Cats about, beyond the title? What's it a story about? I feel like Cats is a story for us all. You know, each cat has his own story and his own journey, just like Every Cat's. Every human, every man does. And in it, it's everyone wants that ninth life, you know. They're all vying for it to get to the angelical ball

and to receive that life throughout there, earned the right to be able to stand in front of Deuteronomy and things like that. Yeah, and so that's pretty much the jest of the story. And then there's Grizabella. Now who is Grizabella? She's the glamour cat. We know that.

Yes. But how do you describe her as a character? Grizzabella, well, as you said, Grisabella is a glamor cat, at least in the heights of her life. But then, obviously, like anyone else, she goes through a downcline, and she becomes dejected from the other cats, and she wants to be included again.

She's outcast. But to me, in the story, she carries the heart and the weight of the story. She brings the reality into the story. but it's quick. So that was the challenge for me, portraying her, is to be able to tell that story and make you feel for her in a split of a second or so.

There's also the challenge of acting in a way. I don't think you've ever acted before, which is, I mean, first of all, you're miniature on a giant set like Alice in Wonderland. And also, you're going to be transformed by CGI after the fact. So how do you approach that as an actor?

How do you begin to get into that? That was the question for us, like, okay, my first thought was, like, they said cat school. And I was like, cat school? And how does a human become a cat? Which is, and I remember telling Tom Hooper, I said, I was like, now this is real movie making right here. I've never experienced that way.

Or hearing him tell us about, like, what it was going to be like once we made it to the set or him giving me the tour of the set and seeing everything being magnified from a cat's perspective, now I have to use my human mind to, okay, become a cat in that way, which was a journey all on its own. It's so many things that made it the most unique film experience for myself, from one being a cat and then two. And not having lines, but everything done through music, which meant like, okay, I would have to be in the moment to deliver any of it. So it was more of an emotional, mental preparation than saying, okay, let me pull out my lines and learn my lines. Let me learn his choreography.

It's like you can't approach it like that. Wow. So it made it a really, really unique experience in something where you really had to be able to trust yourself even more because it wasn't like, okay, I'm going to practice this right now today. No, it's like, okay, the emotion was just have to show up in that moment to tell this story or going to cat school. Am I moving like a cat cat? What does that mean? I want to know more about cat school. What happens at cat school?

Well, we started out learning about cats. Fortunately for me, I grew up having cats as pets, so I was able to pull from some of my animals in my childhood. You could skip ahead in the class. Skip ahead a bit, knowing the characteristics of a cat, the main rhythms, their nature, stuff like that. We started out with that learning how they sense things, how they interact socially, things like that. That's what we started. And then we would sniff around. Literally.

Because a cat, they go by their sense of smell, whereas humans we leap with our eyes. So little things like that, you know, and closing our eyes and trusting our other senses. And things like that, which made you more like cat-like. I'm just picturing you a group of some of the most famous people on earth, closing your eyes in a room and just sniffing around. Yes, that was part of the exercise.

And everybody did it? Yeah. Really? I think it was most helpful with the dancers involved, Because obviously they specialize and move in their bodies like cats, so you will mirror each other. And then it really helped. You should try it if you close eyes. Okay.

And what just snip like a cat? And let your nose be the least. See, okay, all right. I got cats growing up too, so I get to skip the other class too. And you adopted cats. Yes. It was that part of the process for you or you just wanted to pick up a couple more animals? I recently just got cats, which I named McCavity and Chrysabella.

And now I can understand cats that much more because of cat school. Get it? There you go. So I totally understand them like, oh, they're needing. That means, you know, they're like feeding. Or the way they just rub up against you, you know, things like that. It's like, oh, or did you know when they put their paw on your face? They're laying they scent on you.

Really? When they do that right there? Yeah. That means they love you. Really? See? That's saying I love you. That's why you need to go cat school.

I'm getting cat school right now. I don't need to go. You're the teacher. Is that a strange thing to act that way, though, where it's going to become something different than it is while you're doing it? And you've probably seen the trailer and some of that and gone, wow, I didn't know I was going to end up looking like that. Yes.

Yes. It was interesting to see myself in the trailer as Grizzabella because while we were filming, I didn't get to see it at all. I had to use my imagination. So it was cool to see it all come together and know that, oh, I guess I embodied a cat or to see myself in cat form, to see myself in cat form. Yeah. And the cast is unbelievable.

I mean, talk about going to an all-star game. There's obviously Taylor Swift and Idris Elba and Judy Dench and Jason Derulo. The list goes on. Ian McKellon. Ian McKellon. Exactly. And also, people don't realize the dancers. Yes.

Some of the best dancers in the world, hip-hop, ballet, all genres of dance. Was that cool to sort of be playing in an all-star game? It was very cool to work with everyone and everyone is. like a specialist in what they do and then just like we got to sing for Judy Dinch um in between takes or sitting next to her i'm like wow Judy Dinch is in this film you know and Taylor Swift um even Jason Terillo was awesome he was really amazing and Zcrizabella got to creep in yeah kind of like my character because I didn't get to be in all the things but I wanted to see them all work you know and then I think it helped inspire each other by watching the other you know yeah

What was the group like off the set? Did you get to spend a bunch of time together? Not a lot of time. And mostly while we all were working, you know, that's when we got to see each other. Or in cat school or, you know, in the rehearsals of it. But I found it to be really inspiring, like watching everyone become their own cat. Yeah. It was really cool to see.

Yeah. What is it like because you've done this with Dream Girls? to step into something that people know and love and have some expectation of and are waiting to see what you do with it. Well, along with it being like the biggest dream for me, it's also scary at the same time because it's, when you're doing the classic project like Dream Girls and singing song, like, and I'm telling you, and then memory and cats,

like when I found out, I was like, yes, I got the part. And I was like, from the next moment on, I was like, oh my God, I have to sing, like, no, you know, you're like, no, you're. You want me to sing memory? Okay, okay. But I don't take it lightly. It's something that I know it's precious, and I just want to be able to treat it the way it should be treated.

You know what I mean? Like, because I know how dear it is to everyone, but it's not easy to be in that position. Sure. You know, it can be, like I understand it. But it's such an honor to sing it. It really is. And that song, did you want to do anything a little different with it

or just honor the original? So songs like that you don't touch. But at the same time, it's like, okay, well, it left me feeling so much like when I had to do, and I'm telling you after Jennifer Holliday did it. I'm like, what am I supposed to do, stand on my head and sing it? So coming back around like, oh my God, okay, now, oh, wait,

I made it through, and I'm telling you, now you want me to do memory? Okay, this is exactly how I really felt like, okay, so how can I approach this, keeping it true, to its original context, but reinventing it. But I feel as though, I felt my resolve was to add my heart to it. Let the notes be the same, but let the emotion do the speaking. And whatever that is, that would be the film memory.

And just because it's you, it's going to have a little view in it. We know it's you. It'll have my heart in it. Yeah, your heart's in it. Thank you. That's well said. Hey, guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Jennifer Hudson after the break.

Welcome back to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Now more of my conversation with Jennifer Hudson. This feels like, again, like Dreamgirl is one of those perfect moments for you where you get to show off your Academy Award-winning acting spin. No, thank you. And your Grammy-winning music skills and put those both together in a performance. So I'm curious going back to your childhood when you knew you had that gift with your voice. What was the first moment? That's a good question.

Or do you remember the first time you performed or when you said, oh, I like this. And I'm getting a reaction from it. That's a good question. Was it in church? Definitely in church. Yeah. I mean, that's all, you know, I started out singing. Church is where I was introduced to music at.

Church is, for me, is the context of it all. Because even when I hear a song like a memory, and I'm telling you, I hear the spiritual aspects of it. And I try to pull that out of a song. And that helps me fill it and become the song versus singing notes. My cousin taught me a long time ago, she said, don't sing at the song. Sing the song.

What does that mean to you? Exactly. And I was like, whoa, what does that mean? Well, singing at the song is like just singing. notes, it's just the sound. But if you're singing the song, you become the song. And so growing up in church, when I first got my first solos, I would ask like, okay, what am I trying to get across?

What's the purpose of this and why are they saying that? And I would look up the scriptures or where if it came from, so I can interpret it because if you can't feel the song, how do you expect someone else too? That's probably a little deeper than most young singers go, right? Do you think they just sing what's on the page? Yeah, depending on where you come from, yeah. Why are you saying? So at some point you're so good in church

that somebody says to you, this could be a thing for you, right? Yeah, so if you can get me from the church pews to the Disney Cruise when your career started. Wow, that is where my career started. Like what was that leap to, oh, I can do this for a living? Oh, you know what? I would have to say, well, definitely seeing the reaction to those who will hear me saying, and I feel like church

started me in it, but when I started started singing in school and to see the liking that my teachers and my principal, everybody or people would come to school like, okay, you need to hear this girl sing. And my classmates or choir members would be like, don't nobody support us, like the way they support you. And I'm like, oh, so it was more of them seeing it in me or seeing the reaction to it. Or when I was 11 or 12 and people were like, she sound like a grown woman. They don't sound like a little girl, you know.

I think those are the things that made me realize it was different. And what else can I say? Do you think you're born with that gift, or did you have to cultivate? Well, in my family, we were born singers. Like, born that way, they say I started singing as a lap baby. I was like about maybe not even two on my grandmother's lap, or my godmother's lap in the choir stand. And they hit the note for the sopranos to hit,

and I hit the note, and they said, this baby's gonna sing. Two years old? Yeah, really young. But I come from a singing background. Like, my grandmother led over 100 solos in the church choir. And that's what they say I got my voice from. And she would line us all up as kids and have us singing, but I loved it, you know. And my mother would put us in everything like ballet and I did ballet, my sister did tap dance,

my brother did piano. That's the thing I regret that I didn't stick with piano. Still time. Yes, I know that now. But once I fell in love with music, I was like, and that was at seven years old, I said, no, this is who I am, this is what I'm going to do. Interesting. How did you get on the boat? How did they get on the boat?

How did they get on the boat? Well, a friend of mine, would, a friend of mine was determined for the world to hear me saying, Walter Williams, and we grew up together. And when we graduated eighth grade, he, by the time he was like 16 in high school, no, somewhere in there. He said, I'm going to be your manager. And I was like, whatever. He was serious about it.

And he went and got this, it was an ad in the newspaper. that Disney was looking for singers. And I was like, okay, I haven't sang in a while. It was two days after my birthday. So I said, you know what, I'll do it. And I went and I sang, and they literally hired me on the spot. I didn't know what ship I was going to. Later, I found out they was going to send me to the ship in Japan.

I'm so glad they didn't. And I ended up at Port Canaveral on the Disney Wonder Cruise ship. And it was because of that experience that they took it as an acting credit for Dreamgirls. Because right after, that was the only acting experience I had. Right. Yeah. And so you were still in high school at that point? I was in, no, I wasn't in high school.

Coming out of high school. I was, well, see, let me go a little further back. My first real professional job was at Marriott Lincolnshire Theater. I was 19 years old. So that was fresh out of high school. Then I went away to college and I lost my voice. I couldn't even speak. And I left because I was like, no, my voice.

first and I went back home and I had to work to get my voice back. Wow. Yes. And right after that is when I got the Disney cruise ship job. And I learned then that, you know, you have to lunch into the deep. If you want something, you can't just sit there. You have to go for it. And it wasn't until I left Chicago and worked on this ship. That's when everything started. Two days after I got off the ship, I auditioned for American Idol. Two days? Two days. I didn't know. It was that close. Yes. So you were the star of the ship, obviously. Yes, I was. That's what I've heard anyway. So you auditioned for American Idol two days later.

And actually Randy referenced the cruise show on your audition. And you got on the show, obviously. You did well. What was that experience like for you? Because people forget, at that era of American Idol, it was the show. Like everybody watched it. Everybody knew who you were. And your life changed kind of overnight.

What are you now looking back on that experience? What did it mean to you? I have this one thought because the story. ship was my test to see. I said, if I can get through the ship, then that means I'm cut out to do an American Idol. But if I can't get through the ship, Jennifer don't even bother to go. So I made it through that. So by the time I got to the idol audition, I said, I want to do this for the experience. And because of that experience, look at all the things that I've gotten to experience from that one thing. I feel like I got on an American Idol roller coaster and I

and got off of his sins. Yes. And right after that, you come off that American Idol tour, and the phone rings again. Wow. And this time it's a casting agent, and they say, Dream Girls, to which you think what? You know what?

I remember that time because it was so many, like, little, it was blogs and little, like, articles saying, Chun for Hudson for F.E. White. And I was like, who is this F.E. White? Who is that? I knew, and I'm telling you, and I'm changing, because I used to sing all of those songs. Right.

And the talent shows we would do, but I didn't know the story. And I'm like, who is this Effie White? And even when Barry Menlo came to the show when I did Weekend, New England, I apparently reminded him of Jennifer Holliday. And so he structured Weekend and New England like, and I am telling you. Wow. So for the longest time, everyone thought I did, and I'm telling you, on American Idol, I'm like, that was Weekend and New England.

So even he saw it. And so that was kind of, I want to say, like an audition for it. in a way yeah but there were a lot of people who wanted that job 7802 others I would never forget it 782 it was like a world search so did you go into that thinking oh there's no chance 782 people want this job or did you go and think and I'm getting this job and it's faith not arrogance it's faith I said no I believe so much that this is my part they can go cast somebody else but they still going to have to come back and get me and I was like this is my role because I was They had told me at the last, probably audition phase,

they was like, sorry, you didn't get the part. And the only person I told was my mom. And she was like, you know, you did good. Don't worry about it, everything, whatever. You know how parents do. And then I said, God, I still believe. I believe it's so much my part that they're going to have to come back and get me.

And they called and was like, Jennifer Hudson, you're at Effie White. And it was Bill Cundon who called me. Wow. You'll never forget that phone call. Never. Oh my God. How could I?

Right. And then not only do you win the part, you win the Oscar for the part, and you win a golden globe for the part. So you go in thinking you're a singer, maybe American Idol gets me a music career. Next thing you know, you're a star in Hollywood standing on stage with an Oscar. What do you remember about that night? How surreal was that experience? Wow. It's still surreal.

To this day, like, am I dreaming? Is this real? Every now I didn't I walk past it. Like, so I really want it. on an Oscar. That's real, you know. You go check on it, make sure it's still there. Yeah, every blue moon, because it's very surreal. And it happens so many leaps and bounds that just happens like that, or did happen.

What did you say? You asked me something. I was just asking what it was like to stand on that stage with an Oscar in your hand. Do you even remember it? It's almost like the blur of when you have a baby. It's like a, who, who, who, yeah. Wait, what's happening? Everything is hazy and, okay, this isn't Oscar.

You know, the only thing I really remember was when a category came up. And me giving myself the little pep talk, you know, Jennifer, you did good, making it this far. If you don't win, it's all right. And then it was like Jennifer Hudson. I said, don't get up because ain't nobody hear that but you. And then I looked over and everybody was looking at me. I'm like, oh, that's me. Let me get up.

That's all I honestly remember. That's humility though. You didn't think it possibly could be you. I mean, for real, for me making it that far coming from everything we just talked about I came from. Yeah. I could, I mean, I was grateful for just, I'm sitting here. Yeah.

What? Huh? Yeah. Like to be, being in the room is enough or and then being nominated. That is the Oscar to me. Wait, I won. Yeah. Okay, thank you.

Okay, I'll take it. Take it and go. I mean, yeah, yeah. So then did that change, Jennifer? Did you think, like, okay, maybe I'm an actor now and put the music to the side? I mean, clearly I'm established. I'm going to get offers now. Did you start thinking of yourself differently?

You know what? I still wonder that because so often, because I do go into like a bit of every industry, but I love that. Having that, like, when I get over the music, you know what? back to the film, I'm not going to do that right now. You know what I mean? So to be able to go in between the two, because I feel like I've done every form of a stage there is, even on the sea. The only place ain't business to the out of space.

And I'm going to get that one day too, okay? No, I'm just kidding. Don't send me out of space, y'all. I've watched that. Live at the International Space Station, Jennifer Hudson. I would be the fool to try it, though. Okay, let me go back. Wait, Ben, what did you say?

Just talking about how you didn't, you became an actor, an acclaimed actor, didn't you decide, hey, I'm going to start doing that more than I am the music? I always say, I hope I never have to choose between the suit because I love them both. And someone once told me, because I couldn't figure out, I'm like, I'm a singer. And now I win an Oscar before a Grammy, I'm not complaining, but okay. But it was a fan that once told me and he said, God gave you acting as a reward for honoring your gift of singing, of music. and I was like, wow, that put it into perspective. Now, to answer the question, I get told a lot,

like, you're an actor that sings. But then all the singers say, you're a singer that acts, you know? But I don't know. I mean, again, I know. I feel like music is the underlying to everything I do. If I'm shooting the scene, okay, what's the emotion? If I'm in a photo shoot, all right, what do I need to feel? I can find that song or that music that puts me in that play.

So, you know, music is the first, I guess it's first nature to me, although a film somehow is too, you know, but I love them both. And they're both my babies like McCavity and Grizzabella. I don't want to ever have to choose. And if you think about it, the biggest movies you've been in have incorporated music, right? Dreamgirls, cats. That's true. And then, but what I love is a lot of people probably would have put you on that acting. path and then you just came right back, put out your first album and won a Grammy for it.

I mean, there's a theme, the first thing you do, first time acting, you want an Oscar, first album you put out Grammy. Wow. First time you're on Broadway, color purple. It wins the Tony for Best Revival. Wow. Do you allow yourself to stop and think, like, this is a crazy ride I've been on from that church pew in Chicago to standing here with all these trophies and being in the biggest

movie in the world around Christmas? Yeah. You see my face right now? Like, wow. Do you have those moments, though, or are you moving too fast? I feel like it moves too fast sometimes to really see. But when I have those moments, I have those moments where it's like, no, this. Am I, wait, I play Effie?

Now I'm Grizzavela and not, wait, what? You know, have those, yeah, yeah. But again, I love it all. I'm just happy to do what I do. And it's not even for the accolades. I do it because I love it. And that was the whole purpose and point of it all. Like, I sing anywhere.

If you ask me to act anywhere, well, apparently I'm doing that anywhere too. So it's like, I really, if I commit myself to something, I'm committed. My heart is in it, I'm in it. So it's always going to come from an honest place. And, you know, your gifts make room for you, you know. Stick around to hear more from Jennifer Hudson on the Sunday, Sit Down podcast, including why she plans on singing well into her golden years. Welcome back to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Now more of my conversation with Jennifer Hudson.

You've done Broadway and movies and music. You've got a lot of road ahead of you in this life. Have you thought about what else you want to do? Well, again, I'm grateful for what I have. Yeah. More of it. I want to have longevity. I want to be 90-some years old. I'm a hoo-hoo, who, who, who, who, who. I don't like, you know, living under your, I want to have a memory. And what's the words telling you? I want to be around for as long as I can just doing what I love. Yeah, I'm just, what more could I ask for? I'm grateful.

Yeah, and to be able to do this again, like, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What lessons do you take with you on this crazy ride from your family? You talked about your mother. Do you think about her?

You know what? Today is my mother's birthday. Oh, wow. And I would just sit and be like, you know what? She used to write me letters when I was away. and my favorite thing is she said all these things you've done my favorite part is the person you are

and that you are good to everyone and your character. So that is the thing that no matter people like don't change and I'm like I don't know no other way to be you know what I mean? Like I've seen the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows

and everything in between. Yes you have. Yes, you have. And how did you have the strength get out of those lows? How did you do it? Because I think there are people watching this who are feeling the way

you probably felt. How did you climb out of that? Well, we have no choice but to go on, you know? And it's been so much loss in our country, throughout the world. And it's like the best way to keep going is to honor their memories and to live in the way they wanted you to live. I was thinking like, today's my mom's birthday. And I'm like, I wonder what would she say about me right now? You know, and I was thinking like, we're all right, we're good, you know? And so knowing that you are living in a way that makes your loved ones whom you've lost proud,

they wouldn't be pleased if you're not living. You've been blessed with life. So live it. There's no question. She's proud. Thank you. Thank you for the time, Jennifer. That was great.

Congratulations on the movie. Thank you. My big thanks to Jennifer Hudson for a great conversation and for opening up there on something that obviously is so painful and at the center of her life. You can catch the highly anticipated Katz movie in theater. on December 20th. Joining me now, the producer of this fine podcast, Maggie Law. Hello, Maggie.

Hi, Willie. And the producer of the Jennifer Hudson interview for Sunday today, Brittany Mania. Hi, Britt. Hey. So a lot to talk about with Jennifer Hudson. What a career. But I want to start at the end there when she talked about her late mother. A lot of people remember the awful tragedy more than a decade ago in her life.

And the fact that she was willing to talk about it, was so grateful for and the fact that she mentioned, which I didn't know that the day we did the interview was her mother's birthday, literally sent chills up my spine. Yeah, that was a detail we found out in the moment there, which was insane. You know, it's been 11 years since her, the passing of her family members. It's clear that she's had a lot of time to think about it, meditate on it, pray about it. And I love what she said at the end about, you know, this is your life, so you've got to live it. And it's clear she's doing that. Yeah.

I mean, I think it took her a while to get to that. She said, like, I have to keep going. And, boy, she kept going. I mean, Katz, is the latest in her run. But when you think about the ride she's been on, I also, thanks to your research, found out about the Disney cruise ship years. Yeah. Wow. That's a great place to start.

But to jump from a cruise ship to American Idol to Dreamgirls and an Oscar in the space of just a couple of years is unbelievable rise. Yeah. She seems like someone who just goes. was for it. She, like, you know, has a vision. She just jumps into it, just care about, you know. What I love most, too, about the interview was she still seemed, like, shocked that she had achieved all that. Like, everything you said, she was like, wow. Even just hearing you say that, like, I, that's amazing that I did all that. I know, Brittany. You and I laughed about that afterward. It was like I was informing her that she won an Oscar.

And she was kind of leaned in. If you're just listening, we're sitting around this table in a really cool restaurant in New York called La Grenwe, this beautiful restaurant. It's gorgeous. And she was sort of leaned in as I was asking question, go, wow, wow. As though she were hearing about somebody else, she can't believe her own life. Yeah. It's clear she's stayed humble through it all, which is incredible. I just say it made me like her even more.

Yeah. And obviously, as she talked about, she was born into music in the church when she was a baby, like literally a baby. But then sort of took this diversion into acting that she didn't see coming. She wouldn't be a singer. That's why she's on American Idol. and then Hollywood notices her and says, boy, she's got a great voice, but she's also has charisma and might be great on screen in this part.

And all of a sudden, she's walking down a red carpet and then standing on stage, holding an Oscar in her hand. She's got a lot of hardware that Jennifer Hudson. She does. All right, let's talk about the Cats movie. Yes. Your level of excitement, Maggie Law, for the Cats movie.

So I did not see Cats on Broadway. I feel like the excitement is around the buildup that the movie has had in the past few months, these trailers that are coming. out that are getting a lot of buzz. Are you referring to the digital fur technology? Digital fur technology, correct. It's a little confusing why the cats are human, like, there's just a lot going on, but I'm excited to see it out in full force.

That first trailer, people are like, wait, what's going on here? Is that Taylor Sweat? Oh, that is Taylor Swift? Is that Jennifer Hudson? It is. Yeah. But I feel like when you see the whole movie in its proper context, it's good. It's going to work.

That's my position. Yeah. Yeah. I'm more on the side of intrigue. I will see it for that. Exactly. I think a lot of people will. Maybe it's a good job that they're doing in terms of that.

You're right. It's a good marketing technique. It's also what a mix of people where you have like Jason Derulo in a scene with Dame Judy Deutch. She's fantastic. We got to talk about cat school. Yeah. Because that was another one I didn't really fully grasp until Jennifer was kind enough to hold my hand and walk me through the process. I did. I did kind of go to cat school. I was going to say it doesn't really come across in the podcast, but in the TV interview. I believe we see you sniffing the air. Yeah. When Jennifer Hudson says, do it with me, you do it with her. You got to do it. Yeah. And did you feel like a cat after that? I didn't. No, I didn't really feel like a cat. I think that was the abbreviated cat school. If I'd gone taking a full semester of cat school, surely I would have had the instincts of a cat. Yeah. Well, you said you got to skip ahead because you had cats as a kid. I did. So, I mean, I

I've observed cats. I've never tried to act like a cat. You've never been a cat. I've never been a cat. Right. But yeah, the way she, I mean, you heard it in the interview. The way she explained it was like her and Judy Tenge and Taylor Swift just kind of crawling around a floor or somewhere on a sound stage just sniffing around. Yeah.

Yeah. That footage is not available to us, but I would love to have seen that. Any like still photographs or anything, any evidence of cat school? I'm sure they don't want those to be released. I think we need to dig hard. Yeah. They're definitely out there. If we get them, we will post them.

That's our pledge to you on the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Well, you can see the Cats film, as I mentioned. It's in theaters December 20th. And I think intrigue is the right word. Can't wait to see what they do with all that cat school training. Brittany, Maggie, thank you both very much. And thank all of you for listening again to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. If you want to hear more of the full-length conversations with my guests every week,

be sure to click subscribe so you never miss an episode. Don't forget to tune in to Sunday today to see me attending Cat School. That's every weekend on NBC. I don't go to Cat School every weekend, just this weekend. But you can see it if you tune in on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit Down podcast.