'I wanted to try a role that had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight,' explains the former 'American Idol' finalist on why she turned down offers to star in the Oscar-winning drama.
- December 27, 2011
AceShowbiz -
Jennifer Hudson has just revealed that she got the offers to take on the lead role in 2009's Oscar-winning drama, "Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire". Unveiling the reason why she turned them down, the "American Idol" alum blamed it on the requirement for her to gain pounds.
"I had done that with Effie....," the 30-year-old songstress told Uptown Magazine, citing her experience with 2006's "Dreamgirls", which brought her to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She further elaborated, "I wanted to try a role that had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight."
Back in 2009, director Lee Daniels admitted that he had difficulties in finding the right actress to star in "Precious". He at the time told The Guardian, "We were weeks away from the shoot but I still hadn't found Precious. Do you know how difficult it is to find a 300 pound black girl to be great in a movie? They don't exist in Hollywood."
Shortly after rejecting the "Precious" role, Hudson decided to take part in the first "Sex and the City" film, playing the assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw. The role offered to her eventually went to Gabourey Sidibe, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for it.
"Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire" was released on November 6, 2009. It revolves around Claireece "Precious" Jones, an overweight, illiterate girl who is abused by her mother, raped by her father and pregnant for the second time. Refusing to succumb to the situation, she tries to break from the chains of ignorance by digging deep into her own resources.
