She broke into the film industry at just 20 years old, became the face of successful romantic comedies for a decade, and then suddenly “disappeared.” But American actress Kate Hudson (“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”) is not the type to let Hollywood bury her so quickly. Just before her Golden Globe-nominated performance in “Sweet Bitter Song,” we look back at the star she was and still is.
“You just hope you are making a movie that touches people,” Hudson said in an interview with “Today,” NBC’s morning show, when asked how she felt about her Golden Globe nomination for her role in the upcoming film “Sweet Bitter Song,” releasing this Thursday. One might expect a more enthusiastic reaction from a star whose first nomination was exactly 25 years ago for her unforgettable role in “Almost Famous,” which earned her a coveted award and an Oscar nomination.
Hudson seems to be made of different material, especially compared to her glittering peers of the 2000s those who learned to embrace life alongside sustained fame. One does not need to be her biographer to notice that she always sought something else, not just titles like “Hollywood Star” or “Romantic Comedy Poster Girl.”
Her acclaimed role in “Sweet Bitter Song” places her at the heart of a true story, in the shoes of Claire Sardina, half of a couple in crisis (alongside Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman), who decide to form a tribute band to a Canadian musician, giving new meaning to their lives. Perhaps Hudson needed this role to understand what truly defines her cinematic work.
Or maybe she was simply destined for it. A quick look at her family history: she is the daughter of a Hollywood icon and Oscar winner Goldie Hawn and musician Bill Hudson, whose marriage ended when she was just 18 months old.
Stepfather Kurt Russell, her mother’s long-time partner, served as a father figure to young Kate and her older brother Oliver. With the birth of half-brother Wyatt Russell, the family became one of Hollywood’s famous and successful dynasties.
Much of Hudson’s early career atmosphere cheerful, free-spirited, innocent, and alluring mirrored the aura around her mother during her early career as a young Oscar winner in 1970. This same energy surrounded Hudson when she had her breakthrough in “Almost Famous,” playing the groupie Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film. Without her, the film might not have become the modern cinematic classic it is today.
While working with some of Hollywood’s great directors, Hudson quickly became synonymous with the blockbuster romantic comedies of the 2000s. She starred in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (opposite Matthew McConaughey), “Fool’s Gold,” “You, Me and Dupree,” “Bride Wars,” and “The Skeleton Key,” among others. Even today, when the glory days of the genre have passed, mentioning Hudson’s name brings several of these beloved comedies to mind.
“They are my favorites, and I will never stop doing them,” Hudson said in a recent interview when asked about her label as a romantic comedy star. “I do think they need to be better. When you try to make a great comedy, you fight against many algorithms in place. I think the genre has been diluted.”
Perhaps this ambivalence toward the genre that made her famous signaled to Hudson to explore new directions at the peak of her fame. Some may say that choosing to stay somewhat close to romantic comedies, which had already declined, helped her maintain superstar status rather than fading away.
Her decision to explore various genres produced mixed results. Avoiding the superhero path that many in Hollywood take for renewed fame, Hudson appeared in failed musicals such as “Nine” and the bizarre “Music,” despite earning a second Golden Globe nomination, as well as forgettable dramas like “Rock in Afghanistan” and “Marshall,” and semi-comebacks showcasing her comic talents, like her role as an eccentric fashion designer in the mystery film “Murder Well Done: A Greek Mystery.”
Still, Hudson felt something was missing. “It was Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday, and I watched him perform at Glastonbury Festival,” she confessed. “I woke up the next day feeling so unsettled. I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. I have so much appreciation for acting, but I am not only an actress I am also a musician, and I never had the courage to do anything with it. I decided to take more chances. I want to fail more.”
This renewed control over her career led to her first album in 2024, her lead role in “Sweet Bitter Song” (encouraged by Jackman, who always cultivated a musical career and saw Hudson’s untapped talent), and now a Golden Globe, with Oscar prospects as well. Whether this is truly a career rebirth for Hudson something rare for actresses aging in Hollywood or simply a particularly successful Paul McCartney-inspired moment, remains to be seen. But it is safe to say this is far from the end of her journey on our screens.