And you thought the character Jennifer Hudson played in "Dreamgirls" was kind of complicated. In her next acting role, Hudson will play Winnie Mandela, the former wife of South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela.
The film "Winnie" begins production in May in two locations in South Africa. Part of the movie will be shot at the prison where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.
Hudson tells Variety that Winnie Mandela "is a complex and extraordinary woman" and that she is "honored" to be asked to play her. In addition to winning an Oscar for her acting debut in "Dreamgirls," Hudson has starred in "The Secret Life of Bees" and "Sex in the City."
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
