Jennifer Hudson on learning from addiction consultants for ‘Mister & Pete’

Jennifer Hudson’s new film, “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete” features the actress offering up a different type of character than one might have associated with her in the past. Here, she plays a down-on-her-luck mother with a serious drug problem.
Our first couple of questions to her then when we sat down to talk about the film were clear and they essentially amounted to how she used her addiction consultants to ensure a level of authenticity in her performance.  Hudson told us that the consultants informed every aspect of her portrayal and that “without them I would not have made it.”
The movie is in not a musical and Hudson also told us that she is trying to do more work that doesn’t involve her singing, not because she doesn’t like that side of things, but rather because, as she put it, “I don’t like to be boxed in.” She went on to say that she saw this as “a platform to be able to display other things.”
Fans of her music ought not fear however, Hudson is still on track to have a new album out next year and is currently in the studio working on it. As for what we should expect from it, she told us “I think this one is completely different in every way from my other two albums, and it’s definitely, by far, more of me involved.” She also said that the new album tries to be uplifting and to help people feel good.
Finally, as for that Funny or Die sketch, not to worry, Hudson isn’t going to become a super-political celebrity, she did want to make sure people were aware of the healthcare changes, but she also really wanted to be Olivia Pope.
“The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete” arrives in theaters this Friday, October 11th.
×