"Respect" finally opens in theaters Thursday night. Hosea Sanders talked to Chicago's own Dreamgirl about a role that could give her a chance for a second Oscar!
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HUDSON: Think of what she represents herself, and I'm a fan so I understand just what that means, and it's like we're singing the songs, these are classics. You don't want to touch that, right?
SANDERS: What is it about growing up here in Chicago that has really kept you grounded?
HUDSON: I always say I like to come back to Chicago because it allows my feet to touch the ground. The realness of the people and it's home so I don't forget where I come from - and it's very fresh in my mind, so it keeps me, I think sane, balanced. I live in Chicago, so during the pandemic I worked with a lot of her musicians, and I was like, Aretha loved everything from Chicago, even down to me playing her!
SANDERS: You've had some really tough times in your life yourself, were you able to tap into that in going to these places with Miss Franklin?
HUDSON: I don't think I would have been able to tell this with so much depth and from such an honest place without my own life experiences.
SANDERS: How do you feel about the whole experience and your portrayal?
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HUDSON: While you're in it, I remember being on set and they were like, you don't seem nervous and I was like, 'Honey, I'm focused right now,' It's like Dreamgirls, oh my God, that's Beyonce, that's Eddie, different ones and I was like, hold on I gotta focus because I have a job to do.
SANDERS: There's a lot of Oscar buzz, I remember Miss Franklin said you both were gonna come out winners on this one.
HUDSON: That was the very first thing she said to me when we had our meeting. She said, 'You're gonna win an Oscar for playing me, right?' And I was like, I couldn't say much, I don't know. Just playing her is like, what more can you ask for?
SANDERS: We consider you our Chicago Dreamgirl. Did you ever dream it would be like this?
HUDSON: I always say, God gives you more than what you asked for, I didn't dream this big, but I guess I couldn't see all of this, you know.