Amber Riley & Jennifer Hudson Bond Over Playing Effie in ‘Dreamgirls’
Music December 05, 2022
Amber Riley and Jennifer Hudson will always be dreamgirls!
On Monday’s episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” JHud — who won an Oscar for playing fictional singer Effie White in the 2006 film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls” — mentioned how Amber portrayed the same character in the 2016 West End production.
During the interview, Jennifer said she happened to be in the U.K. at the same time and saw Amber onstage.
“You best believe I was gonna be there,” Jennifer said.
Amber said she “became close to” Effie, who in the story gets kicked out of the girl group, the Dreams.
Ciara, Amber Riley & Haley Lu Richardson Join the Guest Lineup
View StoryAmber added that she saw parallels between Effie and Mercedes, her character on “Glee,” who she said was “always fighting for the spotlight.”
“Not being out in the front, I felt that,” she said about Effie’s story.
Check out more highlights from Amber’s interview, below.
Amber on Receiving the Golden Mask Trophy
Last month, Amber — dressed as “The Harp” to conceal her identity — won Season 8 of “The Masked Singer”
When Jennifer asked Amber if she received the Golden Mask Trophy, she said no as the show waits until after the winner is announced.
“What if I’m on Instagram Live, and it’s in the back?” Amber explained, adding, “People are nosy.”
That’s when Jennifer surprised Amber with the Golden Mask!
“That’s the mask, honey,” Jennifer said.
Amber on Finding Out She Won ‘Masked Singer’
When Jennifer asked Amber how she felt the moment before she was announced as the winner of “The Masked Singer,” Amber said, “I was so nervous.”
“I really was. It was high anticipation. It was loud, everybody was yelling. I wanted to hear the right name,” she continued.
When Amber heard the right name — hers— she said the moment was “amazing.”
“I had so much fun and it just came to a head and exploded,” she added.
Amber on People Thinking ‘The Harp’ Was Jennifer
On this season of “The Masked Singer,” panelist Ken Jeong — who appeared on our show last week — was convinced that “The Harp” was Jennifer.
“He kept saying it every single time,” Amber said.
However, Amber found the comparison “so validating and so flattering.”
“If I’m going to be compared to somebody…” she said, adding, “It made me beam under the mask.”
Jennifer Hudson Named One of the 2022 People of the Year!
View StoryAmber on Her ‘Masked Singer’ Costume
Right before the competition, Amber said production showed her a couple of idea and sketches for costumes, including “The Harp.” She said she felt a connection to “The Harp” as it’s “a spiritual instrument.”
“The sketch was beautiful and when I walked in and saw the costume, I was taken aback,” she said. “I felt like I was dressed for the Met Gala. I loved my costume.”
Overall, Amber said participating in the competition show “meant a lot.”
She explained that during the pandemic, she watched the show alongside her mom and her friends as it was a “way to connect when we couldn’t see one another.”
“When they asked me [to do ‘The Masked Singer’], it was an immediate yes,” she said. “I had a ball.”
Amber on Making History
During the chat, Jennifer brought up how Amber is the first celebrity to win both "The Masked Singer" and "Dancing with the Stars."
Amber, along with partner Derek Hough, took home the Mirrorball Trophy in 2013 during the dancing show’s seventh season.
“You cleaning up,” Jennifer told her.
When she won “The Masked Singer,” Amber said she didn’t immediately “correlate the two” accomplishments until people mentioned it to her.
Amber also noted that “The Harp” was the first instrument costume that the U.S. version of “The Masked Singer” has ever had. (This year, tennis player Pat Cash was “Bagpipes” on the U.K. version.)
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Check your local listings.