Failure is not a word Kate Hudson avoids. In fact, she brings it up herself. "I think I’m not scared to fail. I think it's okay to put yourself out there," she said.
We're talking about her Oscar-nominated performance in "Song Sung Blue" and the emotional and physical capital she invested to play a true-to-life character.
Spoiler alert if you aren't familiar with the story: "Song Sung Blue" dramatizes the lives of Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire Sardina, who became famous for their Neil Diamond tribute band in the ’90s.
Claire was hit by a car while gardening in front of her Milwaukee home. After her leg was amputated, she struggled with mental health issues. She fought long and hard to get better and return to the stage, only to lose the love of her life shortly thereafter.
Courtesy: Focus Features “Song Sung Blue” As the daughter of screen legend Goldie Hawn, Hudson grew up in the industry, but she forged her own path through her breakout performance as Penny Lane in "Almost Famous." It earned Hudson her first Oscar nomination and announced her arrival as a genuine talent.
Then Hollywood moved fast to define her as the effervescent ingénue and romantic love interest. A generation of viewers will probably always rewatch the 2003 rom-com "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" when it pops up on their screens, enjoying her endearing performance as writer Andie Anderson.
For years, she thrived inside that frame. But 25 years later, the energy around her feels different. She had long been inclined to pursue projects that stretched her range, but it took a while for things to align so she could land "Song Sung Blue," as well as her delightful Netflix series "Running Point."
That shift is audible in "Song Sung Blue," a music-driven drama that lets Hudson move beyond simply portraying a singer to shaping the sound itself.
Working alongside director Craig Brewer, she entered the studio as both performer and collaborator. I asked how the movie enhanced her confidence and skills as a singer.
"If I'm being totally honest, I think 'Music,' the movie I did with Sia, was the one that actually was the big turning point for me vocally, and feeling like my throat chakra opened up. I had more confidence," she said.
"[Song Sung Blue] was actually more approached for me from the writing side, because we came into the recording studio and we're creating the harmonies. We had some sort of sketched out, but then Craig and I crafted the versions of the songs that we hear. It was really nice to be able to go into the recording studio and feel very familiar and comfortable. That was really new and exciting for me, that I could bring something to that part of the filmmaking experience," she added.
Courtesy: Focus Features “Song Sung Blue”
Hudson described how her creative life has widened with age.
"I feel like I'm always learning something new," she said. "And I think if you're not, then you should probably take a break."
She laughed before adding: "The older I get, it just gets better for me in terms of wanting to do different things. I think that's why this business is so wonderful, because it's always changing. You're always working with new people."
Hudson talked about music being part of her life as something she didn't so much discover as finally allow herself to pursue. "Incorporating my great love of music that's been in my life forever as a career, and embracing that because I have to. My soul had to. I think that changed a lot for me," she said.
Live performance, she noted, has recalibrated her relationship to vulnerability.
"Being on stage, live performance, that's the most vulnerable you can be, especially singing your own song. So that's kind of changed something in me creatively," she said. "I love singing on stage. I can't wait to do more theater."
Courtesy: Focus Features “Song Sung Blue” If music represents one edge of risk, comedy represents another. On "Running Point," created by Mindy Kaling, Hudson is operating in a rhythm that requires precision rather than flourish.
The sports comedy series centers on her character Isla Gordon, who becomes the president of her family's professional basketball team.
"One of the great joys of my career. I love our show. I have so much fun," she said. "But it also comes with choosing to work with people I admire, and making choices to only really work with people that I feel safe with."
Safety, paradoxically, is what allows the risk. She speaks warmly of working with Hugh Jackman on "Song Sung Blue." "Hugh on this was just so great," she said, crediting the collaborative atmosphere. When you surround yourself with people you trust, she suggests, you can take a leap to reach greater heights.
"I think it’s okay to put yourself out there a little bit," she shared.
There's something disarming about hearing that from someone who has already occupied nearly every rung of the industry ladder. Hudson doesn't speak like a legacy act guarding an image, but like a working artist who feels momentum and seizes it wholeheartedly.
"I feel so lucky right now, and creatively full," she said.