Usher Reveals to Jennifer Hudson Why He Didn’t Seem in ‘Dreamgirls’

Usher and Jennifer Hudson have been nearly onscreen siblings!

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the 8-time Grammy winner appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Present and revealed to the viewers — and Hudson — that he nearly starred alongside her in Dreamgirls.

Throughout his cease on the present, Hudson, 43, requested Usher, 46, to share with viewers how they first met. The My Means singer mentioned their assembly started when he first noticed her audition tape for a movie he had heard she was getting ready for. 

“You did not know that I used to be presupposed to be part of that film, this film you went on to win a serious, main award for,” Usher interrupted himself, referring to Hudson’s Academy Award for Greatest Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie White within the 2006 film musical.

“Are you speaking about Dreamgirls,” Hudson exclaimed. “Wait, you have been going to be in Dreamgirls?” 

Usher coyly replied, “Sure.”

A shocked Hudson requested who he was presupposed to painting, telling her viewers, “I didn’t even know this, y’all.”

“I did not know you did not know the story,” he responded.

He then defined that he was in the course of a tour on the time, and “it was a scheduled battle that triggered me to not have the ability to play the character.”

Though Usher didn’t explicitly reveal which position he was set to play, Playbill reported in Could 2005 that he was set to painting C.C. White, the brother of Hudson’s Effie. In the end, the position went to Keith Robinson.

“I used to be so excited for what was on the point of occur. [I] tried my hardest to form of work round it, however, sadly, schedule simply didn’t allow,” Usher mentioned. “I’d have been part of the historical past with you.”

He continued: “However I’m part of the historical past with you as a result of all of us rejoice you for such an encouraging expertise for our younger girls out right here.”

“Properly, since we did not get to work collectively on Dreamgirls, possibly someday we might do a duet or one thing,” she proposed, and Usher shortly agreed. 

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Dreamgirls is predicated on the 1981 Broadway musical, which originated with Loretta Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jennifer Holliday, who performed Lorrell Robinson, Deena Jones, and Effie, respectively. Hudson starred alongside Beyoncé and Anika Noni Rose, who portrayed Deena and Lorrell, respectively.

The story is targeted on a woman group’s rise to fame through the Nineteen Sixties with the assistance of a small Black report label. The story is loosely based mostly on Diana Ross and The Supremes.

Dreamgirls was nominated for eight Oscars on the 79th Academy Awards. Together with Hudson’s win, the movie additionally received for Greatest Achievement in Sound Mixing. The movie is at present streaming on Paramount+.