<Tr> <Th> Associated acts </Th> <Td> Ne - Yo </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> jenniferhudson.com </Td> </Tr> <P> Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American singer, actress and spokesperson . She rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, coming in seventh place . </P> <P> As an actress, she made her film debut portraying Effie White in Dreamgirls, for which she gained worldwide acclaim and won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress . She has also appeared in such films as Sex and the City, The Secret Life of Bees and Black Nativity . She has made numerous television appearances, including guest roles on Smash, Empire and Inside Amy Schumer . In 2015, she made her Broadway debut in the role of Shug Avery in the revival of The Color Purple . </P>

Jennifer hudson when she was on american idol