Before she was an Oscar-winning actress or even a top 10 contestant on American Idol, she was a Disney Cast Member. In an interview with W Magazine, Hudson spoke about her time working on Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder ship. When asked about the experience, she said:
I was on a Disney cruise line the year I decided to audition for American Idol. I was Calliope the muse in Hercules: The Muse-ical and I was also the Circle of Life soloist in Disney’s cruise. So yes, that was the last time I was on stage doing theater. And in that show, I narrated the show, I did a lot of singing and we had a lot of choreography, as well. It’s part of how I got Dreamgirls because they took that as an acting credit.
Hudson also said that her experience on the Cruise Line was a personal test to decide if she should try out for Idol. She explained that if she couldn’t cut it on the ship, she had no business auditioning for the show. However, if she made it through (as she did) then she’d give it a shot.
Currently, the actress is making her Broadway debut in The Color Purple.