Hudson has found new ‘Respect’ for Franklin
Film research gave actor added insight on Queen of Soul
Jennifer Hudson knew she had her work cut out for her when she agreed to play the Queen of Soul. “You just can’t wake up one morning and decide ‘I’m gonna be Aretha Franklin,’ ” said Hudson. “I mean, her voice. Her legacy. The songs. Who she is to all of us. It was daunting. There were times when I was like, ‘Jennifer, what have you done?’ ”
The answer is “Respect,” the highly anticipated biopic sanctioned by Franklin, who handpicked Hudson for the role before her death in 2018. The film chronicles the late singer’s rise from her father’s church choir to international stardom, shining a light on the talent and the stories behind the songs.
“‘Respect’ is the song and the hit we all love from the gifted Aretha Franklin,” says Hudson. “But when you add her life narrative around it, it’s that much more powerful. Understanding the era she grew up in and the courage that she had and her activism. Her relationship with Dr. (Martin Luther) King (Jr.) and Angela Davis. It’s like, wow, you see all sides of the human and the way she used her art to reflect herself and support others and be an advocate. So now it’s more than just the song. It’s more than just the artist. Knowing her history helped me understand her legacy and understand why her impact has been so great.”
The film, finally hitting theaters after decades of planning and a year of pandemic-related release delays, moves from Franklin’s religious upbringing to her hard-won stardom of the 1960s to a spiritual
return to gospel music with her highest-selling album, 1972’s “Amazing Grace.”
Rather than lip sync to recorded tracks, Hudson belted out The Queen’s material live on set during filming as did the rest of the cast — which includes Tony Award winner Audra McDonald portraying young Aretha’s mother.
But Hudson is a singular force. The former “American Idol” contestant emotes with the same passion that won her an Oscar for 2006’s “Dreamgirls,” using her powerhouse vocals to re-create iconic moments in music history including the birth of Aretha’s own sound in Muscle Shoals’ Fame studio and a knock-’emdead performance of the film’s namesake at Madison Square Garden. With Hudson and other musicminded folks on board, “Respect” is the rare biopic
where the celebrated artist’s compositions also land a starring role.
“I wanted to make a movie where music was front and center,” director Liesl Tommy said of her first feature film. “Aretha was capable of so much power when she sings and so much delicacy and nuance. I wanted the way that we feel listening to her music to be the way that we felt watching the film.”
The pressure of portraying Aretha was not lost on Hudson. “I was calm on set. The freakout came later,” said Hudson.
Hudson worked with acting and dialect coaches, and she turned to Patti LaBelle for insight into the experience of Black female artists in the 1960s. “They had a lot less freedom and women took up less space,” says Hudson. “Ms. Franklin spoke up with her music.”
Hudson took her job
seriously, learning to play piano. Slipping into reproductions of Aretha’s wardrobe was easier, though Hudson counted 83 costume changes and 11 different wigs.
Hudson grew up in
1980s Chicago worshipping Whitney Houston, but by the time she auditioned for “American Idol,” her song of choice was Franklin’s version of “Share Your Love With Me.” Even the jaded Simon Cowell was impressed (still, she came in seventh in the 2004 competition). But Hudson’s personal associations with The Queen’s catalogue had its disadvantages when she was prepping for the film.
“Playing her is a completely different thing from being a singer and fan who sings her songs,” said Hudson. “… I remember saying on the set, ‘She doesn’t know this song yet.’ Jennifer Hudson knows the song. We all know the song. We know what it became. But in Aretha’s life, in that moment, she doesn’t. She’s learning it. It hasn’t manifested yet. We can’t overshoot the story and speak of her as who she became because we’re in the beginning phases of the making of Aretha.”
Hudson met Franklin when both women were doing what they loved best: performing on stage.
“I got to open up for her in Merrillville, Indiana, in 2003 at one of her concerts,” says Hudson. “It was like, ‘Oh my God, I get to sing at Aretha Franklin’s show. She allowed me to do this!’ That was a moment in itself. And then after I won the Oscar for ‘Dreamgirls’ (in 2007), we had a meeting about the possibility of me (portraying) her . ... Years later she called me when I was doing (the Broadway revival of ) ‘The
Color Purple’ and she said, ‘I’ve made my decision on who I want to play me. It is you. Don’t say anything to a soul.’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, ma’am. I won’t.’ Now here we are. It was like holding my breath for 15 years.”
During that time,
Hudson has released three albums, appeared in countless TV series and films (“Sex and the City,” “Empire,” “The Secret
Life of Bees,” “Cats”), did Broadway and had a son with professional wrestler David Daniel Otunga.
She also overcame the 2008 murder of her mother, brother and nephew by her sister’s estranged husband. Hudson has said she made it through the tragedy thanks to her faith.
The church is embedded in Hudson’s soul. And apparently, so is Franklin’s influence. “I didn’t realize until researching and even shooting ‘Respect’ that ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Precious Little Words,’ songs from her ‘Amazing Grace’ album, they were the same versions I grew up singing in church. I was brought up in a church too. We sang ‘Amazing Grace’ every Sunday. But to learn it was her renditions, it’s like wow. So she’s always been there.”
Hudson sang “Amazing Grace” at Franklin’s funeral, 50 years after Franklin sang “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” at King’s memorial. “She was courageous enough to take a stand,” says Hudson of Franklin’s involvement in the civil rights movement. “She used her platform to respond to the times. She fought so hard to get there, and that could have taken her down, but she did it. She left us an example — for us to keep pushing. That’s what got me through this whole thing — her saying, ‘Jennifer, go on.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I’m as courageous as you, but if you think I can, I’m going to give it a try.’ ”