Jennifer Hudson Says It’s Always Been Her Dream To Play Aretha Franklin Amidst Upcoming Biopic

Jennifer Hudson may have accepted the biggest role of her career — portraying the life and career of #ArethaFranklin in a biopic. 

Hudson appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and shared her feelings about playing the Queen of Soul. 

“It’s always been my dream to play Aretha, and it’s actually happening,” the American Idol finalist told Ellen. She also spilled that the film is already in early production. 

“It blows my mind,” Hudson continued. “I’ve always looked up to Aretha and to portray her—I cannot even speak about it because it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s a huge task.’”

Aretha personally requested Hudson for the role, Clive Davis confirmed back in January. Though Halle Berry was originally considered, her lack of vocal training made Hudson the ultimate choice.

JHud says she’s aware of the challenge it will be to condense Franklin’s career into a single film, but she says she’s ready. The 18-time Grammy award winner began singing as a child in her father’s Baptist church and recording for Columbia Records by the age of 18. 

“Think about it: It’s not just two, three decades of a career,” Hudson said. “This woman had a lifetime of a career. That’s like 70 years. I cannot even begin to imagine how long it’s going to take to cover.”

Franklin passed away in August at the age of 76 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. 

The Dreamgirls actress also performed at Franklin’s funeral service. Her rendition of “Amazing Grace,” earned her a standing ovation and was one of the most talked about performances of the services.