Jennifer Hudson: ‘Idol’ Alum Passed on Hosting ‘SNL’ for an Unexpected Reason

Entertainers generally consider hosting “Saturday Night Live” to be a big honor, but Jennifer Hudson recently revealed that she turned down the chance to do so early in her career. As People reported, the “American Idol” alum told Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer about the time she almost hosted “SNL” on a recent episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” but declined for a surprising reason.

“They wanted me to host right after ‘Dreamgirls,'” Hudson explained. “But y’all, if you didn’t know, public speaking was my biggest fear. So I was completely intimidated. I was like ‘No.’ I turned it down.'” Looking at where Hudson’s career has taken her since ‘Idol,’ it’s hard to imagine that she ever experienced stage fright.

Hudson has Worked on Conquering her Fears

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It’s been nearly two decades since Hudson passed on hosting “SNL,” and the singer-slash-actor has clearly made great strides in conquering her public speaking fears. “Now I may feel more prepared,” she told her guests. However, she did admit that the idea of appearing on the sketch comedy series is still a little intimidating. “But the thought of it stresses me out.”

Nevertheless, her guests both had encouraging words to say about a potential Hudson hosting gig. “You should be the host and musical guest!” Murphy enthused, and Palmer readily agreed, insisting that Hudson would “kill it” as a host. “With your encouragement, I maybe could do it,” Hudson said.

The Episode Was Also a ‘Dreamgirls’ Reunion

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Of course, Murphy wasn’t just an arbitrary guest; he and Hudson both starred in “Dreamgirls” nearly two decades ago. In a video from the episode, the pair reflected on their memories from filming the movie.

“Well Eddie, it was a dream for me,” Hudson shared. “Could you imagine, your first film, you’re in a movie with Eddie Murphy?” Murphy reminded her that she also won an Oscar for her first movie. “And then you won everything else,” he joked. “Didn’t you win everything?”

Indeed, Hudson took home the “Best Supporting Actress” award that year, a major accomplishment for anyone after their first film. Although this is her only Oscar to date, the actor has officially achieved EGOT status for having won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony in her career.