Jennifer Hudson Claims Turning Down 'Precious' Role Had Nothing To Do With Weight

Jennifer Hudson now says she did not turn down the role of 'Precious' because of her weight.

At a New York City party for her new book, "I Got This: How I Changed My Ways And Lost What Weighed Me Down," the singer/actress told The Huffington Post that, despite what she may have said in her book and on "Dateline" earlier this week, weight had nothing to do with her decision not to take the lead role in 2009's "Precious." The part eventually went to actress Gabourey Sidibe, who was nominated for an Academy Award.

"I'm totally fine with my decision. I got my Oscar," said Hudson, whose performance as Effie White in 2006's "Dreamgirls" earned her the award for Best Supporting Actress. "I'm a firm believer that what is meant for you is meant for you, and that was clearly meant for Gabourey Sidibe. I adore her, she did an amazing job, and again I did not turn the role down because of the weight situation. I just felt the character was doing things, at least in my script that I got, that were places I did not want to go and not where I needed to go."

The singer/actress, who has dropped 80 pounds since rising to fame on the third season of "American Idol" in 2004, described her decision to turn down the role differently in the new book. "As much as I was moved by this film, I wanted to try a role that had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight," she wrote.

Since passing on "Precious," Hudson has played Sarah Jessica Parker's assistant in 2009's "Sex And The City" and Winnie Mandela in a biopic of the former South African First Lady. She'll play Sister Rosemary in the Farrelly Brothers' take on "The Three Stooges," out this April.

Comments

[Jake P Hall Jr]

09:45 AM on 01/13/2012

What people will do for money and fame... Weight is a private matter that shouldn't be used to line one's pocket with cash. She has access to personal trainers, private chefs, cosmetic surgery and things the 99% cannot afford, but please join weight watchers, buy the book, and keep the cash rolling in her direction.

[molly2you]

11:48 AM on 01/13/2012

I once know a boy who had dreams of publishing a book. I once knew a boy who dreamed of making it big and being in the spotlight. The above comment seems a bit hypocritical coming from you “Mr. Hall”. On another note- Jennifer is a beautiful, young, well deserving human being. She turned down a roll that she wasn’t comfortable with and I am sure she missed out on a hefty payday as well. I admire her for that. Precious is a phenomenal movie yet highly disturbing emotionally. As far as being a spokes person for Weight Watchers goes, I applaud her. Weight Watchers is an excellent program. It is not only more affordable than a monthly contracted gym membership, it is educational and effective! Weight is a personal matter- but one that requires support from family, friends and educators alike. She may be the 1%-but she doesn’t deserve to be berated by you or anyone else for that matter.

[oxjr]

04:38 AM on 01/13/2012

The right person got the role. Bawled my eyes out reading the book and watching the film

[Urfubar12]

10:34 AM on 01/13/2012

Very true. I actually just rewatched the movie the other day. The right actor got that role, for sure.

[Rozanna]

12:49 AM on 01/13/2012

She is a pretty young woman, but I thought she was pretty when she was overweight also. I wish her continued success in her career.

[PoliSci2008]

05:19 PM on 01/12/2012

Not that it's important, but her playing Precious, who has an over the top, adversary and hostile relationship with an envious, vindicative mother, may have been emotionally too much for Jennifer, after loosing her own mother, brother & nephew so tragically.

[Urfubar12]

10:35 AM on 01/13/2012

True.

[ebsrule55]

04:25 PM on 01/12/2012

"I'm totally fine with my decision. I got my Oscar."

Actors don't take on roles for awards. She's lame.

[kalima1]

03:47 AM on 01/12/2012

neither fat or skinny jennifer would have been suited to play the role of precious. that would be like halle berry playing aretha. plus, who cares? the movie is done an over with.

[Rozanna]

12:51 AM on 01/13/2012

The right person got the role in Precious. And I agree, it is no longer worthy of discussion.

[lovbug]

02:53 AM on 01/12/2012

who cares. It's 2012! a new year! I want to see new people, new things, new events. America 300 plus million people deep, so why do we keep recycling the same people in the media? This country is just old and weary.

[Tayneshia Jefferson]

12:53 AM on 01/12/2012

J-Hud can explain it however she likes, or she can chose to offer no explanation at all. The reality of the situation is that she is a BRILLIANT vocalist and a very average actor. Her singing is what earned her the Oscar for Dreamgirls. The only thing that made you not notice the average quality of her acting is that Beyonce is a BELOW average actress and anyone sharing the screen with her looks better in comparison. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Beyonce's vocals, but I find her film performances almost painful to watch.

Gabourey Sidibe was the perfect choice for Precious. Jennifer Hudson couldn't have done that role justice in a million years.

[WestOfTheMoon]

09:02 AM on 01/12/2012

By what criteria is Hudson a "brilliant" vocalist? She is a clumsy singer with a big church voice that got a lucky break. Her voice or something close to it can be found in many black churches all across this nation. Nothing showed just how average her singing and musical intelligence is better than her attempted tribute to Aretha Franklin (who was in her a prime a bona fide brilliant vocalist) a few years ago. She is a decent actress who snagged the right role at the right time and hasn't shown anything extraordinary on screen since. I do commend her on overcoming overwhelming personal devastation with the murders of her loved ones and her struggle with weight. She looks great. No Beyonce isn't a very good actress at all, but she is a very savvy and smart Pop artist with solid singing technique and control (though she's no Whitney Houston).

[Brew50]

04:58 PM on 01/12/2012

Wow. Hate much?

[listentome]

11:37 PM on 01/11/2012

The role of Precious was as much about a look as the acting. The role was meant for Gabby, not Jennifer. If Gabby never opened her mouth in the movie the end result would have been the same.
It would have taken makeup and added parts for Jennifer or any other actress to achieve physically what Gabby possessed naturally to make the role of Precious believable.

Jennifer shouldn't have to defend her reasons and as a new actress her talent doesn't have to be debased to satisfy people who are not fans of hers anyway. As an actress, like many before her, she is work in progress. She can join a list of other greats whose acting abilities were questioned, such as Clint Eastwood in the beginning.

[makemesmile]

09:52 PM on 01/11/2012

When Jennifer did the Dateline interview recently she said that she and David have set their wedding date.

[jmoser1973]

02:48 AM on 01/12/2012

And some people say dumb things.

[Shaun Mccall]

07:28 PM on 01/11/2012

If Gabby Sidibie (sp) joined Wieght Watchers, would it overshadow the publicity Jennifer Hudson for losing a lot of wieght. I wonder what Gabby would look like if she were jennifer hudson's size

[makemesmile]

09:45 PM on 01/11/2012

It wouldn't hurt Gabby to join Weight Watchers and do some exercises to reduce her bulk. Gabby's weight isn't attractive at all, but I do think she has talent.

[Pennsylvanianne]

10:06 PM on 01/11/2012

I agree, Gabby is very talented. I'd like to see her lose at least some of her excess weight to enable her to maintain her health and her career. If she choses to lose enough to make her more attractive, fine (see what it did for Jennifer Hudson!), but her health is paramount.

[veritas88]

06:40 PM on 01/11/2012

I like Jennifer Hudson and think she is a GREAT singer, but she is not a good actress. She won the Oscar because she sang the role of Effie very well and the role is like 80% singing. When Hudson acts (and doesn't sing), it's like watching a mediocre student actor in a school play.

[sheikwil4]

07:10 PM on 01/11/2012

Well I disagree, she was great in the movie the Secret lives of Bees with Queen Latifah. She is a great singer, but I've seen her act a lot better than some of these biotches that they pay a lot of money to do in these all white movies.

[veritas88]

07:42 PM on 01/11/2012

I think she was just okay in The Secret Lives of Bees, but yes she is the same quality of actress as a lot of white actresses in films: just average.

[free nel]

09:02 PM on 01/11/2012

I agree that she's a good actress and I was in support of you till you had to add in 'bitches' and race. I think that's very judgemental and close minded of you.

[makemesmile]

05:59 PM on 01/11/2012

Well, she's making lots of money for her weight watcher commercials.

[bushwickfreddy]

05:53 PM on 01/11/2012

It would have involved actually having to ACT. When she wasn't singing in "Dreamgirls", she had the range of a 6th grader reading aloud in class