The Best of Celebrity Guests Performing Celebrity Impressions
March 18, 2023
JHud’s celebrity guests are seriously talented when it comes to celebrity impressions!
Check out Gabriel Iglesias, Nicole Scherzinger, Jay Pharoah, and many more — including JHud herself — doing their best impersonations of other celebs.
Jennifer Hudson does Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Fantasia, Whitney Houston and Clive Davis
Jennifer gave the audience a sample of Whitney Houston's famous “Shoo!” and Michael Jackson’s very distinctive "hee-hee!" riff. She also delivered perfect impressions of Mariah Carey’s legendary “Vision of Love” riff and her fellow “American Idol” Season 3 contestant Fantasia’s “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” signature.
“[Fantasia] always says, ‘Jennifer, I don’t sing like that.’ I’ll be like, ‘Fantasia, that’s your signature.’”
In another episode of the show, JHud delivered a raspy-voiced impression of music mogul Clive Davis.
Nicole Scherzinger does Britney Spears
When JHud asked guest Nicole Scherzinger if she could impersonate a musician, Nicole said she could sing like Britney Spears.
“’Cause I love Britney — who doesn’t love Britney?” Nicole explained.
That’s when Nicole sang The Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha” but with Britney’s signature voice.
“The key is that you can’t say the first [syllable],” Nicole explained.
Jay Pharoah does Denzel Washington, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, and Kevin Hart
Jay Pharoah, who is a master impressionist, delivered some jaw-dropping impressions of celebrities during his appearance on the show.
Jay also shared a bit of insight into how he gets into character for his many impressions. “As soon as you get the face, you can get right into it,” he said.
Kelly Rowland does Toni Braxton
It took much convincing by JHud and the studio audience, but Kelly Rowland busted out a perfect impression of the deep-voiced R&B singer Toni Braxton.
Gabriel Iglesias does multiple Looney Tunes characters
Gabriel Iglesias voices the iconic Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales in the 2021 film “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” “They found the biggest Mexican to play the smallest one,” he joked to JHud.
“I told them, just because I’m Mexican doesn’t mean I can only play the Mexican character. I can do the whole film by myself!”
He went on to do very convincing impressions of Marvin the Martian, Bugs Bunny, and the Tasmanian Devil. “I’ll do the whole movie for half plus medical insurance!”
He admitted that the film’s producers actually considered it. “Do you know how much money we could save!?”
Lisa Ann Walter does Sheryl Lee Ralph
Lisa Ann Walter and Sheryl Lee Ralph play fellow teachers on the ABC hit show “Abbott Elementary,” but in real life, the two are best buddies! Lisa even does an amazing impression of her real-life friend.
“Sheryl and I are a menace at the mall,” she revealed. “She is incredible. She’ll just tell me, ‘This is what you may get me for Christmas,’” she said, doing a perfect impression of Sheryl.
“She’ll call me up on the phone and she’ll say, ‘Girlfriend, where are we going this weekend?... There’s a party? Oh, I’ll go.’”
Diego Boneta
With the utmost respect, Diego Boneta shared his super impressive impersonation of his "Rock of Ages" costar Tom Cruise.
“He’s super, super intense!” Diego told JHud. “He’s got this super intense stare. You feel he’s looking through you.”
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Here’s when to watch in your area.