Usher and Jennifer Hudson were almost onscreen siblings!
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the 8-time Grammy winner appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show and revealed to the audience — and Hudson — that he almost starred alongside her in Dreamgirls.
During his stop on the show, Hudson, 43, asked Usher, 46, to share with viewers how they first met. The My Way singer said their meeting began when he first saw her audition tape for a film he had heard she was preparing for.
“You didn’t know that I was supposed to be a part of that movie, this movie you went on to win a major, major award for,” Usher interrupted himself, referring to Hudson’s Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Effie White in the 2006 movie musical.
“Are you talking about Dreamgirls,” Hudson exclaimed. “Wait, you were going to be in Dreamgirls?”
Usher coyly replied, “Yes.”
A shocked Hudson asked who he was supposed to portray, telling her audience, “I didn’t even know this, y’all.”
“I didn’t know you didn’t know the story,” he responded.
He then explained that he was in the middle of a tour at the time, and “it was a scheduled conflict that caused me to not be able to play the character.”
Although Usher did not explicitly reveal which role he was set to play, Playbill reported in May 2005 that he was set to portray C.C. White, the brother of Hudson’s Effie. Ultimately, the role went to Keith Robinson.
“I was so excited for what was getting ready to happen. [I] tried my hardest to kind of work around it, but, unfortunately, schedule just didn’t permit,” Usher said. “I would have been a part of the history with you.”
He continued: “But I am a part of the history with you because we all celebrate you for such an encouraging talent for our young women out here.”
“Well, since we didn’t get to work together on Dreamgirls, maybe one day we could do a duet or something,” she proposed, and Usher quickly agreed.
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Dreamgirls is based on the 1981 Broadway musical, which originated with Loretta Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jennifer Holliday, who played Lorrell Robinson, Deena Jones, and Effie, respectively. Hudson starred alongside Beyoncé and Anika Noni Rose, who portrayed Deena and Lorrell, respectively.
The story is focused on a girl group’s rise to fame during the 1960s with the help of a small Black record label. The story is loosely based on Diana Ross and The Supremes.
Dreamgirls was nominated for eight Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards. Along with Hudson’s win, the film also won for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing. The film is currently streaming on Paramount+.
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